The Collingwood warehouse apartment of Toby & Melika of Just Another Agency.
How about that beer bottle collection? For the record – they’re all FULL! Artwork by many of the artists Toby and Melika Represent, from left to right – Aida Sabic, Que aka Thomas Jackson, Bec Winnel, Sear, Rena Littleson, Dabs, Amy Blue, Aramas, Kaitlin Beckett, Kitty Horton an Junior aka Noir/Side Project Collaboration.
Artwork in top image by Sear, Aramas, Kaitlin Beckett, Kitty Horton an Junior aka Noir/Side Project Collaboration. Bottom left – painting by Lily Mae Martin, bottom right – love that vintage cash register! Artwork above by Daniel Worth.
Toby’s drum kit! Painting by Ears.
When I first walked into Toby & Melika’s eclectic warehouse apartment in Collingwood, my first thought was WOW – How’d you guys score this place!? It is such an immense space, with HUGE ceilings and windows… it’s just so rare these days to come across a home of such generous proportions, especially in the inner North! It all feels very NYC, circa about 1970, when there were still affordable unspoilt loft spaces for lease in Manhattan. Very jealous.
Of course once you’ve got your head around the SIZE of this space, the next thing that hits you is Toby and Melika’s vast art collection, which adorns almost every wall in the house… It’s not surprising though, as this clever pair have built themselves a buzzing little creative agency representing and nurturing many of these artists, whose work often doesn’t quite fall into the commercial mainstream. On their books are street artists, Illustrators, designers and fine artists…. and no job is too weird or wonderful for Just Another Agency! Driven by a genuine passion for their unique little community of creatives, Toby and Melika hook up commercial work and non-commercial projects for their talented brood, run events and exhibitions, and offer sound, nurturing advice to emerging artists. Their collective includes local illustrator Bec Winnel, who they snapped up early, and whose dreamy portraits are highly collectible these days, and Melbourne-born London-based Timba Smits who has also garnered a cult following in recent years.
Chatting to Toby and Melika, a few things are abundantly clear. First, they’re the cutest loved-up couple you could imagine. They will KILL me for writing that but seriously, they just got married last year, and are so sweet to each other it is a bit impossible not to mention. They totally finish each other’s sentences. :) ALSO they really are so genuinely enthusiastic about their collective of creative peeps – they talk about each and every artist like they’re family, reeling off exhibitions and achievements like proud Mums! I can see why so many of these creative folk have entrusted their representation to this hard working pair!
Huge thanks to Toby and Melika for sharing their home (and Just Another Agency HQ!) with us today! For more info on their work and their artists, do pop over and check out their excellent website!
*ps) props to the gorgeous Liss Winnell (aka Daydream Lily) for this Melbourne Home tip-off! Thankyou Liss! x
Click here for the full tour and many more pics after the jump!
