In Print

Loose Leaf

It’s no secret we are huge fans of local plant purveyors Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae of Loose Leaf. Charlie and Wona have been our go-to resource for all things green ever since they set up their wonderful store and studio in Collingwood in 2014, offering urban Melburnians an incredible range of indoor plant life, as well as an endless calendar of workshops and events inspired by all things botanical.

Loose Leaf is the name of Wona and Charlie’s brand new book, out now through all good booksellers!

Written
by
Lucy Feagins

Loose Leaf  Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae, published by Hardie Grant, with photographs by Brooke Holm. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Loose Leaf  Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae, published by Hardie Grant, with photographs by Brooke Holm. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Loose Leaf  Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae, published by Hardie Grant, with photographs by Brooke Holm. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Loose Leaf  Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae, published by Hardie Grant, with photographs by Brooke Holm. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Loose Leaf  Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae, published by Hardie Grant, with photographs by Brooke Holm. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Loose Leaf  Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae, published by Hardie Grant, with photographs by Brooke Holm. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Loose Leaf  Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae, published by Hardie Grant, with photographs by Brooke Holm. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
11th of October 2016

Charlie and Wona of Loose Leaf have no shortage of wisdom to share. Wona is an incredible florist and sculptor of natural materials, whilst Charlie is a passionate plantsman and botanical designer. The pair work together on all manner of planty projects, and this month, their most recent project can finally be revealed.

Loose Leaf is the name of Wona and Charlie’s brand new book, published by Hardie Grant. The book is a dense resource, showcasing Wona and Charle’s own botanical design work, whilst also offering a range of plant-based design projects to try at home. With photographs by Brooke Holm, the book demonstrates practical ways to get creative with nature, sharing projects including seasonal wreaths, hanging gardens, organic sculptures and for the first time – the dark secrets behind Loose Leaf’s signature Monstera chandeliers!

‘Creating this book has been one of the most exciting, challenging and fulfilling projects we’ve worked on’ says Charlie. ‘The type of botanical design we create does not easily fit into one category such as floristry, sculpture or landscape design, it kind of awkwardly spans all three genres. The book allowed us to consolidate our design philosophy and inspiration.’

Charlie and Wona are already planning their next adventure. The pair are currently developing three ambitious exhibitions of their work in Australia, Japan and the US!  Charlie describes these upcoming projects as ‘fully immersive botanical designs… ephemeral pieces that are botanical sensoriums of sorts’. We can’t wait to see what comes next for this prolific pair.

Loose Leaf by Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler is out now in all good bookshops, or online here.

Loose Leaf  Charlie Lawler and Wona Bae, published by Hardie Grant, with photographs by Brooke Holm. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.

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