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Styling

Friday, January 06, 2012

Interview – Claire Larritt-Evans

Promotional images for Fenton & Fenton – photographer Tony Mott, stylist Claire Larritt-Evans

Promotional images for Fenton & Fenton – photographer Tony Mott, stylist Claire Larritt-Evans

Market Lane – Therry st, Melbourne CBD.  Interior styling / design detail by Claire Larritt-Evans, photography Armelle Habib.

Incredible 3M fixed shelving at Market Lane – Melbourne CBD.  Interior styling / design detail by Claire Larritt-Evans, photography Armelle Habib.

Market Lane - Therry st, Melbourne CBD.  Interior styling / design detail by Claire Larritt-Evans, photography Armelle Habib.

OK dear Friday morning blog readers, get ready for an epic super juicy blog post.  This one may need bookmarking, saving, re-visiting later and probably forwarding on to your Mum/sister/BFF for follow up chats this weekend :).  It is dense and detailed, but I just couldn’t bring myself to edit too much, because this is such a fantastically generous interview with Melbourne Mum, stylist and multitasking creative Claire Larritt-Evans!

I first met Claire, somewhat surreally, on a shoot in Melbourne where she was assisting Megan Morton.  It was a hot and sticky day around 3 years ago, Claire was quite pregnant, and she and MM were sourcing, amongst other things, bucketloads of tulips and insane oversized balloons for an event at this immensely grand architecturally designed mansion in South Yarra.  As you know I’m prone to over-excitement, so was pretty much hyperventilating with overwhelmedness at it all (and also I was somewhat star-struck because it was the first time I had ever met the incredible Megan M).  And Claire, perfect baby bump protruding from perfect simple T shirt and perfect blue jeans, was cool as a cucumber.

That’s the thing about Claire – nothing ever fazes her.  I think this key character trait might actually be her secret weapon.  Despite juggling bub Alexander with various styling and interior design projects on any given day/week, Claire is never vague or indecisive – she’s measured, modest yet quietly confident, and essentially she just gets on with the job without doubting herself, and makes great things happen!  It is quite a genius and dead simple approach to any creative brief and to life in general!  ie - 1) assess brief and make decision, 2) enact decision 3) DO NOT doubt decision 45 times before moving on to next task!

I am hoping to learn a few of Claire’s secrets and implement some of her elegant self confidence and magical multi-tasking skillz in my own working life in 2012. Stay tuned on that!

Anyone who has ever wondered what it takes to become a freelance stylist (and successful working Mum!) totally needs to read this interview.

MASSIVE thanks to Claire for her very generous responses, wisdom and advice.  We love your work!

Tell us a little about your career background – what path led to what you’re doing now?

After I finished my studies at University, I went straight overseas and lived and worked in New York, before finally settling in London for a few years. It was in London where I got my first ‘proper’ job working for a large art publishing company. When I came home I got a job working for a large design studio as an account manager. I learnt a lot about the design process and good account management, but ultimately felt frustrated as the go-between the creatives and the client.

I left my job in 2006, and using my UK contacts, I started One Thousand Words, an online art gallery. It was through this that I started dealing with stylists supplying artwork for their shoots. Whilst One Thousand Words was a successful business, I still felt like a conduit, not actually physically producing anything myself. I distinctly remember having a real ‘light bulb’ moment one day when delivering artwork on set to Glen Proebstel, thinking THIS is exactly what I want to do.  So I emailed Glen to ask if I could tag along and see what it was like to be a stylist – he kindly let me into his world and I assisted him on a few shoots for Inside Out.

I was completely hooked, seeing Glen work with Sharyn Cairns I knew that this was something I really wanted to do. Glen was so supportive and encouraging and told me that he believed I could do it. I had also been in contact with Megan Morton when working on One Thousand Words – so when she was working in Melbourne and needed an assistant Glen recommended me to Megan – finally I’d found a job that made me really happy and the work flowed. I feel so lucky to have spent time with both Glen and Megan – they’re the best in the business!  I worked with Megan right up until I had my son, and I’ve worked non stop since. I am truly grateful for the start that these guys gave me.

Where might we have seen your work?

I was very fortunate to be introduced to Fleur Studd at the time she was beginning to start work on Market Lane Coffee. My husband Scott and his team at Swear Words were doing the branding and graphic design, and Fleur mentioned to Scott she needed some assistance with the interior. I had only just given birth to our son Alexander, but I thought I’d meet up with Fleur and see if I could assist in some small way. We instantly connected creatively, work began and my somewhat undefined role grew and grew and grew.

Market Lane Coffee is absolutely my proudest achievement – it’s a pure representation of my own personal style, something that was able to come to life naturally with a like-minded client. It was the first time I had worked on the interior design of a new space that required planning, permits and construction so thank god for the architect Deb Lacey of DJL who took on all the technical aspects of the design and build. Creatively Deb and I clicked, so the design came about very organically.

Jason Scheltus is the head roaster and barista at Market Lane and he was involved from the beginning to ensure everything was designed to the barista’s exact needs – he was instrumental in nailing the best workflow for the staff.  The success of any interior design will be determined by a proper understanding of how the people who will inhabit the space want/need to use it. It’s the same for a hospitality space or a residential design – in the end I believe relationshiops are important, you must get know your clients to be able to bring to life their ideal space.

Since then I’ve designed a second space for Market Lane (Therry St) at the Vic Market in the CBD. The Therry St space is much smaller with a different focus on retail and take-away coffee. It was great to collaborate again with Fleur and Jason – again my role was to complete all the interior design including seating and lighting plans, furniture design and material selections.  It’s the same mix of materials – timber, tiles and metals, but used much more sparingly.  As with Prahran, I’ve used recycled timbers where possible, for their history.  With the Prahran store I used my old fence and repurposed it into shelving, cutlery and napkin holders!  In Therry St the timber came from the old petrol station ‘round the corner from the house I grew up in – I love how materials can tell a story and give a sense of warmth to a newly constructed space.

2011 was a huge year for me – I designed and built four hospitality spaces, inlcuding Cupcake Central in Melbourne Central, The Village Fish Store in Albert Park and Microroast in Fuzhou China. It was incredible to work on Microroast, I only visited the site once for a 24hr-stay and designed and project managed the build from Melbourne. In fact the entire project was managed via very limited communciations, my client could not access skype or any other chat means so we emailed each other sending floorplans and designs back and forth. A real pinch-me moment actually!

I have been working with Grill’d Healthy Burgers for over a year now – producing VM solutions, providing a layer of detail in their stores. They are a fantastic client – committed to great design and local manufacturing.

Apart from my commercial and residential interior design and styling work, I do a bit of photographic styling. TDF readers will have already seen my work with photographer Tony Mott for Fenton & Fenton creating a series of beautiful imagery for Lucy Fenton.

So no two days are ever the same and it’s often quite hectic, this year I want to find a dream assistant who can come on board and help out with whatever the year brings. There’s an amazing restaurant on the horizon – but I can’t talk about that yet!

Market Lane at Prahran Market.  Claire’s first big commercial project!  Architect – Deb Lacey of DJL, Interior styling / design detail by Claire Larritt-Evans, photography Tony Mott.

Market Lane at Prahran Market.  Architect – Deb Lacey of DJL, Interior styling / design detail by Claire Larritt-Evans, photography Tony Mott.

Market Lane at Prahran Market.  Architect – Deb Lacey of DJL, Interior styling / design detail by Claire Larritt-Evans, photography Tony Mott.

Market Lane at Prahran Market.  Architect – Deb Lacey of DJL, Interior styling / design detail by Claire Larritt-Evans, photography Tony Mott.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

One of the things about my job I love is that there is no typical day. One thing I do keep consistent (where possible) is to allow enough time with my son in the morning. He’s an early riser – so we have breakfast together, we play for awhile and I check all my emails and attend to anything that is urgent, I like to get him to creche at 9.30am. There’s a great café ‘round the corner (Servery & Spoon), so if there’s enough time I stop in and have a coffee, go over my to do list for the day and start making phone calls (I am absolute nerd when it comes to my to do list, I re-write it a few times a day and always carry it with me on my clipboard).

A typical day would include at least 1 or 2 client meetings, on site progress checks, visiting makers, scouring vintage items, making phone calls… I do a LOT of driving, sourcing all sorts of wonderful things all over Melbourne – my car has become my 2nd studio. I try to wrap things up and pick up Alexander by 5.30pm so I can get home and get his dinner on the table. Funnily enough I don’t get a lot of time during the day to focus on design, a lot of that happens at night after I get Al to sleep. Clients will often receive emails from me late at night (sorry about that!), I find it to be the most productive time of the day.

You spend your days making gorgeous interiors even more gorgeous… finding the perfect details to bring a space to life. But what about your own home – how would you describe your own personal interior decorating/styling aesthetic?   Is it the perfect showcase of your skills or is it the forever neglected project!?

We just purchased our first home two months ago!  In that time we’ve painted the entire house ourselves – a labour of love every night after work, often until 1 or 2am. It was exhausting but it’s made such a difference. Having said that I don’t think I’ll ever paint another house again…!

In terms of the interior design/styling it’s a real departure for me. Our previous homes have been filled to the brim with industrial furniture and vintage finds. But when we inspected our new house (for all of 5 minutes) I had a really clear vision for it. It’s I guess more ‘grown up’ than any space we’ve had before, a proper house and for the first time ever – we’ve got a lot of space. In our last house our tiny lounge room was my office, the tv room, dining area and playroom.

I still can’t believe I have a separate dining area, no more pulling out the dining table from under the kitchen bench. Our dining room is definitely my favourite room in the house, flooded in evening sun, it’s so nice to sit down as a family and eat together after a hectic day. Although he’s only 2, you wouldn’t believe some of the stories Alexander tells us at the table!  It’s a place to regroup and catch up.

The rest of the house is still a work in progress in terms of furnishing, which works with my new ‘less is more’ approach! We’re getting by with what we have, there’s still an industrial flavour but it’s been pared back. I’ve designed us a sofa and it’s waiting to go into production later this year which I can’t wait for. It’s been really good to work on my own space, it’s helped me to understand the emotional ride that my clients go on. I renovated the bathroom at the same time we painted the house, next on the list is to tackle a cramped little laundry and toilet out the back. Oh and I just discovered a 2m fireplace behind a false wall in the kitchen, so I’ll be exposing that as soon as I get a moment.

A lot of independent creative professionals say that they love the creative side of their job, but hate the paperwork, organising, and the ‘business’ side of things. How do you manage to balance these necessities with the creative side of your job? Do you have an assistant, book keeper or other help along the way?

I’ve always done everything myself – I’ve always had to and its been quite managable until now. On my to-do list for this year is to get a bookeeper to take care of all my business needs. That said, I do have a great accountant who files it all for me, but there’s still hours of data entry to get the numbers over to him. Ideally I’d like to hand over my boxes of receipts and have someone take care of it.

For a project to run smoothly it’s important to have all the budgets in check and have a good filing system (the receipts I gather are something to behold). Those few years I worked in account management gave me a solid grounding in project management and it’s something I fall back on daily.

Promotional images for Fenton & Fenton – photographer Tony Mott, stylist Claire Larritt-Evans

Which Australian designers, artists or creative people are you loving right now?

Megan Morton is a really big part of the reason why I do what I do – she took me under her wing and I am endlessly inspired by her creative output, she’s a mentor to me creatively but also a role model to me as a working mother.

I’m a big fan of Kevin Ho from Akin Creative in Sydney, his work has a pared back elegance, and he often adopts often quite basic materials.

I’m a huge advocate of local manufacturing, and I’m very lucky to have a bunch of wonderful makers around town for the various materials I use. Orio Randi who runs Arteveneta shares my passion for recycling timbers and he is fantastic to collaborate with. I’ll come in with a sketch and often over a meal or a glass of wine we sit and talk through the design. No job is ever too big or too small for them. (Arteveneta did all the timber work for both Market Lane spaces). Scott and I got married at Arteveneta five years ago – we staged a surprise wedding in their stunning workshop in Prahran, I’ve worked with them ever since.

Although not a professional creative, he’s more of a twilight tinker-er, my Dad Max is a bit of a wiz who is always on hand to make anything wood-related that I can’t do myself. He’s ever ready to head into the shed and build whatever needs to be built. He’s excellent on a lathe and creates beautiful wood works – which to date have only ever ended up in the hands of his mates, but I keep telling him he could sell his beautiful wares. Dad makes my Christmas Trees for me each year, I love his enthusiam and can-do attitude, like his Dad before him who was a hobby-inventer, he makes all sorts of contraptions using only materials found around the shed.

I know I biassed in saying this – but I truly admire the work my husband Scott does. He’s a really clever, intuitive and brilliant graphic designer who just ‘get’s it’ every time.

LOVE this text on the wall at Market Lane - Therry st, Melbourne CBD.  Interior styling / design detail by Claire Larritt-Evans, photography Armelle Habib.

Can you list for us 5 resources across any media you turn to when in need of a bolt of creative inspiration for a new brief or new project?

I rely quite heavily on the internet for creative inspiration. Whilst it’s a bottomless pit of goodness, I often pine for an 8th day in the week to spend out in the ‘real world’ wandering the streets.  That kind of time to meander is a serious luxury I don’t have BUT I do have a seriously big bookmark collection on my laptop and countless folders on my desktop, where I catalogue images for different applications – materials, textures, interiors, VM etc.

There are a few blogs I visit daily without exception and TDF is the first blog I check in the morning, I check in on Convoy, Home NYC quite often, then there’s the likes of Emma’s Design Blog, Styl.In, French By Design, Elle Interior. I subscribe to a lot of interiors magazines, my two favourites would have to be Inside Out and World of Interiors.

Promotional images for Fenton & Fenton – photographer Tony Mott, stylist Claire Larritt-Evans

What would be your dream creative project?

To design a beach house for my family. Something that sits sympathetically amongst nature, has large open spaces for friends and family to congregate in, and a very private sleeping area for the kids to go to bed in peace and quiet while the grown ups hang out. It’s in my ten year plan. Oh, and a hotel in a faraway location.

What are you looking forward to ?

A sleep in.

Melbourne Questions

You favourite fossicking spots in Melbourne for furniture and home accessories?

Where to start and where to end…?  Fenton & Fenton for colourful and bold pieces, Izzi & Popo for brocante, Hub Furniture, Market Import to name but a few. Most of all I love getting out of Melbourne and fossickng through the country antique markets, I love the thrill of the hunt and finding diamonds in the rough.

Promotional images for Fenton & Fenton – photographer Tony Mott, stylist Claire Larritt-Evans

What and where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

I don’t get out much these days, so it’s lucky that my husband is a seriously good cook. His fish tacos with a cold Pacifico beer are pretty amazing. The last great meal I had out was at Golden Fields.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

Pushing Alexander on the swing in the front yard, watering the garden – then off to get a coffee and most likely a trip to the hardware store.

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

K7 Vintage Wares – Kylie is so lovely and helpful and if on the off chance she doesn’t have what you’re looking for, she’ll endeavour to find it for you.

Promotional images for Fenton & Fenton – photographer Tony Mott, stylist Claire Larritt-Evans
Posted by Lucy at 6:00 am
Categories - Interview, Styling, Uncategorized Comments (18)
Friday, August 26, 2011

Interview – Amanda Henderson of Gloss Creative

Moet & Chandon ‘L’esprit des Miroirs’ Melbourne Cup Spring Racing Carnival Marquee 2006.  Design and facilitation by Gloss Creative in collaboration with Emma-Jane Pilkington.

Sportsgirl ‘Join Us’ instore installation 2011. Design and facilitation by Gloss Creative.  Photo – Marcel Aucar.

Sportsgirl ‘Join Us’ instore installation 2011.  Design and facilitation by Gloss Creative.  Photo - Marcel Aucar.

Myer ‘Spotlight’ Autumn / Winter Parade Launch 2009 / 10.  Design and facilitation by Gloss Creative.

‘Shells, Architects of the Ocean’ Myer Spring / Summer collection launch, 2010/11.  Co-designed by Gloss Creative and LAVA.

Through interviewing some of the most talented Australian creatives every single week, I have come to realise that the very best of the best, in any field, almost always have one character trait in common – they’re GENEROUS. Generous with their time, their advice, their resources and pearls of wisdom.  To be completely honest, I find it’s usually the ones that aren’t much chop(!) who squirrel their trade secrets away and are reluctant to pass on their wisdom.  Nine times out of ten, if you find yourself chatting to someone who truly is at the top of their game – they’ll be humble, approachable, and genuinely helpful – although they’ll also probably be very busy!

Amanda Henderson of Gloss Creative is the ultimate example of this rule.  The interview below is without a doubt one of the most genuinely insightful and generous interviews I’ve ever shared on TDF – truly!  It is an incredible resource for aspiring creatives in any field – I’ve even taken away a few pearls of wisdom myself!

Celebrating their tenth year in business this year, Gloss Creative is absolutely the best of the best.  Under Amanda’s watchful eye, her core team of five staff work from a simple studio at the rear of her home in suburban Melbourne, and whilst they might be a small team – they’re not afraid to think BIG!  This dynamic group is responsible for some of the very best event design, set design and visual merchandising this country ever sees.  No exaggeration!  Gloss is where creative meets commercial in the most spectacular fashion!

No brief is too tight (or too broad!) to shine given a little Gloss treatment – from spring racing marquees to Sportsgirl shop windows to high end runway shows.  Amanda’s highly skilled team are revered for their most impeccable attention to detail – every Gloss Creative job has a certain sparkle, yet no two executions ever look remotely the same.  But perhaps the most admirable thing about the Gloss team is that they’re not afraid to get their hands dirty!  Whilst a designers’ role too often ends on a computer screen – at Gloss, once a design is finalised, the real fun begins.  The entire teams mucks in with hands on installation of each project, often into the wee hours during peak season.

Gloss is a truly special local creative company – and I feel super lucky to finally be interviewing someone I’ve looked up to for many many years!  Massive thanks to Amanda for her time, and to Tiffany at Gloss for facilitating this interview and supplying too many stunning pics to choose from!  Love your work ladies! :)

Tell us a little about your background – what did you originally study, and what path led you first to visual merchandising, and then to launch Gloss Creative in 2001?

I didn’t study a lot! At school I spent my time doing drama, debating, public speaking and hanging out in the art room with the coolest art teachers making things! I spent a year at uni and quickly realised that my part time job at Sportsgirl was more like a ‘university of fashion’.

I became VM Manger for Sportsgirl Nationally and then National Creative Concept Manager at Country Road. These roles gave me both a sense of creativity and commerciality that created a platform and skill set for my exploration of Gloss Creative in 2001. Both of these companies have an ongoing belief in visual merchandising as vital in business success.

Gloss Creative reaches an important milestone this year – it’s your 10th birthday! Congratulations on this incredible achievement! What have been the most significant changes in the way you run your business over the past 10 years? Are there any key ‘lessons learned’ you would love to share?

We have always been a small business working with brands that have big dreams that need to be put into action.

Early on it was just me, my graphic designer niece, fresh from uni Kimberley Moore, artisan friends and my bookeeper Albina. I have always worked on projects from inception to end and that has not really changed, I have more time to devote to ‘whats next ‘ because our team is now larger and highly skilled, my belief in training people over time has paid off. We have the right people in the right jobs .

As well as our love of creativity, our practical, simple visual merchandising skill set has meant our consistency of delivery has been a major business asset and that only happened because we have developed an amazing in house team and network of collaborators and never failing suppliers.

What has changed is the diversity of projects we work on.  Early on event design was our main activity – that has expanded over the last five years to include set design (my personal love) and retail installations. In the early 2000′s the event industry was the place where the creative freedom was and still is to a large extent, but we noticed a shift about 4 years ago of retailers wanting their creativity back! This lead to wonderful collaborations with retailers such as Sportsgirl , Paspaley, Mecca, Sussans, Myer and now our newest project, together with the amazing team at Fabio Ongarato Design, Melbourne’s GPO -  Our first shopping centre!  Dangerous though, each time I go for a meeting I shop!)

The are a lot more businesses working in this space now which is another major change – the financial crisis really mixed things up , it lead to us being really targeted about who we wanted to work with and became way more proactive about creating projects that suited our skill sets.

Sooo many lessons learnt, I feel like ‘Yoda’ writing this -

1. Keep as much freedom in your processes as you can – you don’t have to be too flaky, just enough room to keep inspired.

2. Work with people you love and who love you, the best chemistry comes from seeing qualities in others you admire, and funnily those qualities you might not know you have that others see in you!

3. Get a book keeper. I have had one since day one. Can’t live without.

4. The best ideas and themes are those from outside your industry.  Before you design look far beyond where you sit for inspiration.  Look at the way other industries respond to their challenges.  New ways of seeing existing material and techniques is the secret to creative renewal. I love looking at work that is so different and yet it looks so obvious, you think, why hasn’t that been done before?

5. Don’t copy. You can make something way better.

6. It’s ok to show creative vulnerablity.  Remember you don’t have the answers all of the time, if you’re tuly making something original, you’re making it up as you go along.  Embrace precious unformed ideas and teach those around you to be comfortable with incomplete ideas until they develop.

7. The two hour principle. Brilliant ideas can be achieved in two hours.  Not everything has to take days.  Some of the best ideas we had have been born in minutes, you just have to grab the time.

Sportsgirl ‘ Without the Rain’ instore display, 2011.  Photography – Marcel Aucar.

What have been one or two favourite Gloss Creative projects / clients in recent years?

A client who collaborates is gold. Find cool, courageous, brave people who really want something new.  Sometimes the corporate world is risk averse. Do something new and exciting, but that moves their brand forward. Reward them, hold your project tight for them, and deliver something you’ll all be proud of.

My favorite clients have been those who know what they want, understand how I think and allow me and my team the freedom to deliver.

Some of my favourite clients have also been collaborators : Rachael Ruddick, Amy Foster, Emma Hofstede, Barry Wafer and Simon Hayward, Kerry Nelson, Kate Rees Rowie Kelly, Alistair Thompson, Kate Jennings and Paul Bonnici have always come onboard with our ideas no matter how crazy they are!

I’m proud of our collaborations with Sportsgirl – an ever changing feast of freedom and creativity for their customers over the past 3 years. The Sportsgirl team really believe in VM and it shows.  And the Myer fashion launches – a great example of what big business can do when it gives creative freedom to its team. I love the way we have been able to combine design with a sense of theatre to create a brand experience that works on a couple of levels.

Sportsgirl ‘Look Stop Shop’ 2011.  Photography – Marcel Aucar.

Sportsgirl ‘Look Stop Shop’ 2011.  Photography – Marcel Aucar.

Your work is predominantly temporary in nature – runway shows, marquees and corporate events, magical environments that pop up for a short period of time then disappear forever. Does it ever frustrate you that so much incredible talent, energy (and budget!) is poured into such fleeting experiences? Do you ever crave a more permanent project?

I love the temporary, it suits my skill set. I was the girl who could never finish knitting a scarf, couldn’t read a long book. It took me ages to work out that smaller, temporary projects can be very rewarding. Temporary projects tend to have more emotional and visual impact because of that need to grab people’s attention quickly for a limited period of time. It always feels fresh.

We try to reuse elements on projects, we are not perfect but visual merchandisiers are the original recyclers. We put a lot more time and thought into reuse than we did 10 years ago and that’s a good thing . I’m really proud of the fact that half of the MGPO spring orchard installation will be reused again!  although you’ll never know it will be all cleverly transformed…)

BlueScope Steel ‘Colorbond Garden’ Melbourne Cup Spring Racing Carnival 2007.  Design and Facilitation by Gloss Creative.  Graphic Design – Kimberley Witkowski.

I am sure many TDF readers will be curious about the inner workings of Gloss Creative! Can you give us a bit of an idea of how the studio runs?  ie where your office is based, how many people you employ, what significant tasks the studio outsources, and whether you still play a hands on role in every project?

We work in a studio at the back of our house, its relaxed but well organised. There are 5 of us on any one day and grow on larger projects to 20 people, mostly comprising of specialist artisans such as sewers, painters, jewellers, saddle makers, florists, lampshade makers, interior designers, graphic designers, visual merchandisers. We work with larger production, staging, print and signage companies as well as shopfitters, metal workers, builders, electricians etc. We have built an incredible network of people who just know how to make strange and wonderful things!

We work as a team on the top line ideas and then break down into smaller teams to make things happen, then usually coming back together to install our work.  I’m always involved with everything but try to let my team have freedom to show their considerable skills and style.

Myer Spring / Summer Parade Launch 2008 / 09.  Dancing with Architecture.  Design and Facilitation by Gloss Creative.  Graphic Design credit Kimberley Witkowski and Pamela Dale.

Which other designers, artists or creative people do you admire?

In the world –

I love the scale and playful qualities of the work of Australian artist Sally Smart, the patterns and colours of any Dries Van Noten garments, Bram Bogart‘s work with giant impasto, Constance Spry’s Floral work, Liberty of London‘s ability to combine old and new with so much cool I could cry when I shop there.  Any John Lautner house.

In my network -

Marcus Baumgart always says its important to state the obvious – I’m always inspired by the team that I work with everyday. They have shared my dreams and made them happen alongside me. Lucky me.

Architect Chris Bosse (LAVA), he’s way ahead of his time .

Bruce Keebaugh (The Big Group) – party guru and entrepreneur.  I have learnt so much about business from him, he knows how to make creative links across different industries and he’s a great story teller.

Sportsgirl ‘Make Do & Mend’ instore display 2011.  Design and Facilitation by Gloss Creative.  Photography Marcel Aucar.

Sportsgirl ‘Make Do & Mend’ instore display 2011.  Design and Facilitation by Gloss Creative.  Photography Marcel Aucar.

Can you list for us your current top 5 go-to resources for creative inspiration, across any media?

1. Lsnglobal network. The boys at the Future Laboratory give great Insight into new thinking not just new trends. Puts me in the right frame of mind before designing.

2. I love Yellow Trace blog, Dana makes mood boards to die for .

3. Trendhunter, I love their theme galleries. Always slightly weird

4. I still like magazines. I’m often standing in airport newstands – I buy the latest of whatever is looking the most interesting that month. I’m not loyal to any one publication. I love it when you find an image you cant stop
looking at, you can tear it out and keep it next to you .

5. theflawedmind.com. I’m inspired by Marcus Baumgart’s eloquent writing style and love of the slow, his ability to express what he’s thinking makes me jealous…

Circa ‘The Prince’ Restaurant interior.  Design by John and Lisa Van Haandel with Gloss Creative.  Photography Earl Carter, Stewart Leishman and Paul Mosig.

Circa ‘The Prince’ Restaurant interior.  Design by John and Lisa Van Haandel with Gloss Creative.  Photography Earl Carter, Stewart Leishman and Paul Mosig.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

Talking, talking, designing by talking, scribbling in my notebook, I stand at my desk because I am literally walking around our studio talking all day with Steff, Tiff, Kim, Ross , Albina , Jan or Sam. I rarely sit down, except when we talk as a group. I think I need one of those standing desks.

We work on multiple projects all in different stages so my day is always varied.  A mix of designing with our team, talking with clients, site visits, installations at night, driving to find things and more talking. My day is busy, but I try to think slowly and find pockets of time for free thinking. My phone often runs out by the end of the day.

Sportsgirl ‘How long is a piece of string’ instore display 2010.  Design and facilitation by Gloss Creative.  Photography Marcel Aucar.

What would be your dream creative project?

A set design for Sydney Dance Company.

And… I’m already dreaming about Christmas at MGPO, so I would have to say our next project …

What are you looking forward to ?

Putting up spring carnival marquees at flemington at the end of this month – big Melbourne celebrations just around the corner.

Hanging with my AGA cooker in my kitchen on the weekend.

Melbourne Questions

Your favourite Melbourne neighbourhood and why?

Probably the city – anywhere that has such an amazing retail world and brilliant restraunts, beautiful buildings, laneways and gardens at the same time 12 minutes from my house must be good .

Your favourite Melbourne bookshop for gorgeous reference books and art / design publications?

Often I find inspiration in older books so I’m a fan of the library. I’ve borrowed and bought amazing books at second hand library book sales. School fetes are another great sources of out print inspiration. The Victorian Embroiders Guild library has an incredible array of textile and handicraft books – you have to join up to get access but its worth it..

What and where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

That’s easy – the new Vue de Monde at Rialto. There are not that many places in the world that you can have an experience that is both luxurious and still mind blowingly creative. Shannon’s sense of creativity redefines
what ‘occasion’ means.  Apart form the watching the day views turn into incredible view of Melbourne at night, the restaurant interior draws you into his world of dark but organic luxury.  The table is not set when you arrive – no tablecloth, a leather topped table, and a still life of handcrafted stone shapes and the burnt driftwood pieces on the table. As the meal progresses each piece’s purpose is revealed. Ah beauty and function!  For me this is almost like modern theatre. I’m always inspired when a business has creativity at it’s core – you can feel it!

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

You would find me being slow. I’ve always been a slow person, so Saturday is my chance to go at a snails pace, whether its sleeping, walking, food shopping, coffee, I move at a “glacial pace” (quote from The Devil Wears Prada!)

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

Its weather – no seriously, I love the fact that it keeps you guessing. My favourite melbourne page is Weatherzone, I love the watching the live rain radar!

Sportsgirl ‘Understated is Overrated’ instore display 2010.  Photography Marcel Aucar.
Posted by Lucy at 6:00 am
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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Glen Proebstel rounds up New York’s Finest

Glen Proebstel does NYC in style – his round-up of New York’s Finest right here

It is stylist Glen Proebstel‘s singular mission in life to be onto THE COOL STUFF before anyone else.  He is, without doubt, one of Melbourne’s MOST stylish and effortlessly cool people.  *Sigh*.

That is WHY you need to be on his MAILING LIST, PEOPLE.

Glen has just got back from NYC, and he has compiled the coolest of cool round-up of things to do and places to see and shops to shop in the Big Apple.  If you were on his mailing list already it would be in your inbox.  Instead, you must look at it here.  In typical Glen P style, it is edited to perfection.

Also, Glen has a fab blog that is so freaking understated it is almost like you dreamt it.  Mysteriously light on the words, but heavy on the moody photography and visual eye candy… he’s the strong, silent type I guess :)

Love your work Glen!

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Monday, August 01, 2011

GPO Spring Orchard installation by Gloss Creative

Incredible ‘Spring Orchard’ installation at Melbourne’s GPO, by Amanda Henderson of Gloss Creative.

‘Spring Orchard’ installation at Melbourne’s GPO, by Amanda Henderson of Gloss Creative.

I spent a fair bit of time in the city last week during the final days of Melbourne’s State of Design festival, and whilst there I noticed this AMAZING installation cascading from the first floor of the GPO!  Jeepers CREEPERS it is incredible!  Entitled ‘ Spring Orchard’, this stylised paper jungle is the work of GENIUS Melbourne-based visual merchandiser / event stylist Amanda Henderson of Gloss Creative.  In an extraordinary coincidence, last week I was also very lucky to meet the amazing Amanda Henderson for the first time, after we were fortuitously both invited to co-host a discussion panel for the festival early last week.  Must say I was a little star struck as I have been a fan of her work for such a long time… she surely is one of Melbourne’s most talented creatives!  I am now stalking her for an interview.  Stay tuned!

Do pop in to the GPO and check out the stunning Spring Orchard installation soon!  Too beautiful.  (ALSO new spring fashion is in store in all the lovely posh shops on the first floor… happy window shopping!)

Melbourne’s GPO
Corner Bourke & Elizabeth streets
Melbourne CBD

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Friday, July 01, 2011

Interview – Stylist Heather Nette King

Savvy Cameos for The Age M Magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Mike Baker, © Fairfax.

Heather’s own home for Real Living Magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Armelle Habib, © ACP.

The Melbourne home of Jenny Elliot for  Sunday Life magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Mike Baker, © Fairfax.

Christmas Toys for Grown-ups for The Age M Magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Mike Baker, © Fairfax.

OK I should warn you, if you’re prone to feelings of job / life / efficiency envy, today’s interview may leave you feeling a little inferior. That’s because Melbourne-based interiors stylist Heather Nette King is a bit of a creative dynamo!  After reading this interview, I am getting the distinct impression that she squeezes a fair bit more into her day than the rest of us!

As a freelance interiors stylist and writer, Heather’s days are filled with the varied and seemingly endless tasks required to produce stories and impeccable images for magazines such The Age M Magazine, Sunday Life, Real Living and Country Style.  And can I just say, being an interiors stylist is rarely limited to simply sourcing a few pretty props!  Invariably the task includes sourcing a location and photographer, pulling in talent, organising catering and budgets and everything in between!   It takes a truly special multitasker to pull all this off with style and a minimum of fuss, often whilst juggling multiple clients in any given week (and in this case, two kids!).

In addition to squeezing a helluva lot into each DAY, Heather also seems to have squeezed a fair few career paths into one lifetime!  She’s held jobs in music concert production, artist management (she was Jason Donovan’s PA at one point!), PR and publicity at Channel Ten… but she always had a burning desire to work in magazines.  A few years ago she finally followed her heart – and it didn’t take long for Heather to carve out her very own niche in the competitive world of interiors styling!  She’s been helped along but an innate sense of style, a passion for brave colour… and super-human levels of energy and enthusiasm – even when it comes to Excel spreadsheets!

Heather has a brilliant blog which you should most defo bookmark and re-visit regularly!  Huge thanks to Heather for giving us an insight into her creative career!

You seem to have had a few unexpected twists and turns in your career! – can you tell us a little about your career background and what path led to what you’re doing now?

I deferred a journalism course to study PR as I thought it would be glamorous (yes, 18 and naive!). After the degree I worked in concert production (busily running around backstage at concerts as diverse as Jimmy Barnes and Dizzy Gillespie). Then it was artist management – I was Jason Donovan’s PA in the Stock Aitken Waterman hit factory days which was ridiculously good fun, but not sure you could call it a career move though! Then it was nine years (with a couple of breaks to have babies) working in the publicity department at Network Ten. Despite always doing a lot of writing, I don’t think I ever felt creatively fulfilled – I was a serial renovator who always dreamed of working in magazines, so when we moved to Sydney in 2005 I realised it was the perfect time to follow my heart and finally get the courage to get a folio together. I was incredibly lucky to get a break from the Art Director at Sunday Life, Aleksandra Beare who gave me my first styling job.

Where might we have seen your work?

Mostly in the Fairfax papers – I do the Melbourne homes for the ‘my space’ section in The Sun Herald / Sunday Age Sunday Life magazine, The Sunday Age M mag, Real Living, Country Style (to be published soon) and I am presently working on stories for a few other great Australian home titles. I love writing the stories as much as styling the shots.

The home of Lisa Gorman and Dean Angelucci for Sunday Life magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Mike Baker, © Fairfax.

You spend your days making gorgeous homes even more gorgeous… but what about your own home – how would you describe your own interior decorating/styling aesthetic?

I love colour. I am a demon with a paintbrush and I’m constantly repainting walls, floors and furniture around here. My style is very feminine, but also strong. I love old homes, (I love modern ones too but I want to live in old ones). I don’t buy a lot of stuff for my home. My litmus test is whether I still want something after shooting it and writing about it. Quite often I am over things by the time I have returned it to a store. I have zillions of old chairs, but only one new one – the hot pink ‘Frilly’ chair by Patricia Urquoila. Pink is definitely a recurring theme in my home and my work. I love it in every shade.

Heather at home!  Shot for Real Living Magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Armelle Habib, © ACP.

Heather’s own home for Real Living Magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Armelle Habib, © ACP.

A lot of independent creative professionals say that they love the creative side of their job, but hate the paperwork, organising, and the ‘business’ side of things. How do you manage to balance these necessities with the creative side of your job? Do you have an assistant, book keeper or other help along the way?

I actually love the producing and organising part of shoots: sourcing talent, locations, permits, budgets, catering – anything to do with prepping a shoot day. I find it deeply satisfying to break out an Excel spreadsheet and get busy filling the gaps. As far as the books go… I have a very lovely husband, Jeremy, who realised a while back that if he didn’t do my invoicing then I’d never get paid, so he has kindly taken on the role of CFO! And I have a fourteen year old daughter who is my IT specialist – she rolls her eyes at my lame computer questions and patiently helps me out.

Which Australian designers, artists or creative people are you loving right now?

There are so many, but this week, spcifically, I love artist Arite Kannavos’ brightly hued paintings. I did a story on her home recently and it nearly killed me not to buy one of her works. I adore Shannon Lamden’s designs and textiles. I asked her to do my new business card and blog header and she totally got my style. Her blog is hilarious too. (www.auntycookie.com). I am also coveting a Ned stool by Darcy Clarke – in pink, of course.

When in need of a bolt of creative inspiration for a new brief or new project, where do you turn – books, magazines, your environment, travel, fine art, etc..?

I meet loads of creative Melbournians when producing the ‘my space’ page for Sunday Life, and always come home invigorated after these shoots. I have serious magazine storage issues – I buy all the Aussie home titles plus loads of UK, French and US ones as they are a brilliant source of inspiration. More and more my inspiration comes via blogs, but to me, it still doesn’t beat the thrill of sitting down with a coffee and a fresh mag.

The home of Michelle Schoeps and Max Doyle for Sunday Life magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Richard Birch, © Fairfax.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

It is different most days – which I love. I am either out propping or sourcing for a shoot, looking for homes to shoot, quite often painting sets or props, doing the actual shoots, writing up the stories, or my least favourite bit – captioning – it’s every stylists nightmare. I work from home and around my daughters’ schedules, so quite often my second shift will start at 9pm.

Heather’s daughter Annabelle’s bedroom shot for Real Living Magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Armelle Habib, © ACP.

What are you most proud of professionally?

A little while back, I produced and styled a massive shoot for a corporate client. It was a mammoth task involving locations, talent, props, a crowd scene, plus coming up with lots of creative solutions to fulfil the brief.  I am so proud that it went off without a hitch – and the client loved the creative results!

A recent ‘Melbourne’ themed shoot styled by Heather Nette King, photos by Mike Baker.

What would be your dream creative project?

That’s easy – it would be to produce a design & décor based TV show. I have written a treatment with a very talented friend, and we are about to start actively pitching it to networks. Anyone out there in TV land interested in hearing our idea???

What are you looking forward to ?

Summer, because last summer didn’t count. And I am working on a great project that will culminate in August, so that has my adrenalin pumping at the moment! Oh, and getting a call from a TV network about our show…

Gold shoot for The Age M Magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Mike Baker, © Fairfax.

Melbourne Questions

You favourite fossicking spots in Melbourne for furniture and home accessories?

I love trash and teasure markets – Camberwell and Coburg usually deliver a treasure or two (or a hot jam donut at the very least). Visiting homeware shops most days means you can easily suffer ‘homeware fatigue’ so it is great when you find people who either make or import different stuff, like Jenny and Peter at Nyary 604, Lyn at Scarlet Jones, the lovely folk at Tarlo and Graham. Oh, and Design Dispensary in Little Lonsdale Street.

What and where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

Oh it was the Saganaki with figs at Hellenic Republic. I think I may have drooled. We mostly go out as a family – so Mr Wolf for the funghi pizza, or La Lucciola for the Matriciana.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

By 8.30am I have done a quick scan of the newspaper headlines then I take my dog, Dougal to the local dog park, where we meet up with all the regular dog gang (it’s such a mixed bag – a professor, an ex-AFL footballer, a homewares designer, mums and kids, photographers, lawyers, advertising types – all brought together by a common love of dogs). The girls at the park café, The Cubbyhouse Canteen, make a mean brew to help get your day started. Then it’s the ballet run – I take Annebelle to her class in Albert Park and always love to pop into Victoria and Albert, The Avenue bookstore and Ernst Zacher Antiques. I head back home via the Prahran market to stock up on Jasper coffee and pantry provisions.

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

My pavlova!

The Melbourne home of Jane Hall shot for Real Living Magazine, styled by Heather Nette King, photo by Chris Warnes, © ACP.
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Friday, May 20, 2011

Interview – Clair Wayman

A ‘weekend make-over’ shoot for Real Living magazine.  Styled by Clair Wayman, photographed by James Geer. Location – Clair’s house!

Beautiful home shoot at Barwon Heads for Real Living Magazine.  Styled by Clair Wayman, photographed by James Geer.

Clair has recently produced range of wall stickers with The Wall Sticker Company – launched just last week!

Man I love this shot.  I am sure I have this tear page somewhere myself.  A kitchen shopping feature for Real Living mag – photographed by Dan Magree, Styled by Clair Wayman.

Clair Wayman and partner Nick Young in their Flinders’ store – Curio & Curio! Photographed by Armelle Habib.

Clair Wayman made me promise I wouldn’t say how long it has been since I first approached her with this interview.  Let’s just say she’s set a new record – and that’s saying something!  The funny thing is, this blog now gets soooo many more visitors than when I first approached her – so I am not sure if that long-term interview avoidance plan really worked out for you Clair! :) he he!

BUT in all honesty it’s probably perfect timing to feature the lovely Ms Wayman, because the last year has held a lot of fun adventures for Clair.  After many years as a freelance interiors stylist, and Real Living Magazine’s girl-on-the-ground in Melbourne, Clair and her partner Nick have recently opened their very own homewares shop in Flinders!  Stocking Clair’s own designs,  Nick’s kooky screenprinted wares created under the label Two Ruffians, and many other colourful, quirky pieces, Curio & Curio has already won many hearts – just a quick look at the shots below and you’ll understand why!  Clair’s also been collaborating on a few other fun side projects – including a range of wall stickers with The Wall Sticker Company which launched just last week! (pictured above)

Of course Clair’s first love is styling – she still does a lot of work for Real Living and other clients, and is well known in the industry not just for her beautiful work, but for her sweeter than sweet personality. I have known Ms Wayman for a good few years now and I am sure anyone who has ever crossed her path would agree – she’s truly one of the NICEST gals in magazine land.  Such a calming influence on any shoot, so friendly and generous.  Nothing is too much trouble, nothing is a stress or a fuss, everything is done with a smile and a giggle – courtesy usually of Nick, who is freaking hilarious and so full of beans he makes Bear Grylls look positively lethargic.

Whilst I am gushing about Clair, I feel compelled also to mention that I have never come across someone more consistently well groomed!  Clair ALWAYS looks a million dollars, but not in an obvious way.  More like in a ‘Oh I found these metallic ballet flats online and this necklace is actually a vintage christmas decoration I re-fashioned and oh these stockings? They’re just Topshop!’ kinda way.  Effortlessly interesting, effortlessly chic.

So now you have all the important info (dress sense, personality traits, marital status) I guess you probably wanna read the interview?  OH OK THEN.

Curio & Curio
Shop 4, 50 Cook Street
Flinders
Mornington Peninsula
Victoria

open from Friday to Monday (or everyday during school holidays)
10.30am – 4.30pm

Clair Wayman! She really is as nice as she looks.

Tell me a little about your background – what path led you to what you’re doing now?

I grew up in a little country town called Ludlow in Shropshire, UK. My mum dabbled in all sorts of crafty activities, such as spinning, crochet, upholstery, knitting and dress making. We laughingly likened ourselves to the 70’s BBC TV sitcom ‘The Good Life’. Like the TV show, we were a little unconventional, we grew our own vegetables + baked bread, while our neighbours were the complete opposite.

Like many kids of the 70’s, I have vivid memories of the interior décor in our home, particularly the over the top William Morris wallpaper. Being a fashion designer, my mum was obsessed with fabric. Cupboards were stuffed full of all sorts of colourful delights – her passion obviously rubbed off on me.

Aged 15 I discovered screen-printing and I spent many a happy hour in the print room at school, mucking around with ink + mastering the art of repeat patterns. This lead to an art degree at Aberystwyth University in Wales, where I focused on painting, printing, and art history. I did a short post grad course in textiles at Leeds Uni too.  After college I was drawn to the ‘glamorous’ world of interior magazines. I worked as an assistant stylist at IPC Publishing in London, and I fell back down to earth with a bump when I realized how much hard work was involved. I assisted some freelance interior stylists, who were colourful characters, and travelled the country, working on shoots in old country houses. I then started a full time job as an interior stylist on BBC Good Homes magazine and was thrown in at the deep end, creating anything from kids rooms to kitchens – fun but terrifying!  From there I worked ‘in house’ on a few other homes titles, as well as working as a freelance stylist for a few more years.

You’re originally from the UK, and spent many years working in London before moving to Melbourne 8 years ago. What inspired the big move down under, and what challenges did you face moving here and setting up your career in Melbourne?

My English parents immigrated to Melbourne in the late 1960’s and I was born here in the early 1970’s. When I was still a toddler they decided to move back to the UK, so they could be closer to relatives. Growing up listening to stories about Australia meant that I was always fascinated by the place. Aussie friends would send us letters, photos, and even gum leaves + mimosa in the post. I remember we had bark paintings on the walls and a book on Aboriginal ‘dream time’ at home.

After living in London for 7 years, my partner, Nick, and I were ready for a new challenge, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to move to Melbourne. Like most Brits we had a vision of Australia being all about living by the beach + swimming in the sea every evening after work.  This wasn’t far from the truth, but we all know how cold the water is here in Victoria!  Our first landing place was South Yarra, then we moved to a 1950’s beach house in Mentone, which is where we still live.

It was hard getting work as an interior stylist at first, even though I had a portfolio bursting with work. Magazine editors were cautious and wanted me to prove myself here. It was a conundrum – how could I prove myself if no one would give me a break. Being persistent, I decided to find my own work, so I travelled around Victoria, interviewing artists + store owners, then writing features which I sold to mags.

I did a few stories for House & Garden magazine and was introduced to Deb Bibby from Real Living by the then editor of House & Garden magazine. At the time RL magazine hadn’t even launched and was just called ‘Home’ mag. It’s real title had to be kept under wraps until the launch date. I was taken on as the Melbourne ‘girl about town’ for Real Living mag. This was the start of my styling career in Melbourne and led me to meet all sorts of lovely, creative people. Having to be quite secretive about the title was tricky. When I tried to explain I was working for a magazine that didn’t exist, borrowing props from stores led to a few raised eyebrows. It was a relief to finally see it on the shelves and watch it’s popularity grow.

The cover of Real Living’s April 2011 issue, Styled by Clair Wayman, photographed by James Geer.

After many years freelance styling, and working as Real Living’s girl-on-the-ground in Melbourne, you’ve recently opened Curio & Curio, a homewares boutique with your partner Nick! How did this idea come about, and how is it going?

After 15 years working as an interior stylist on magazines I felt I was ready to try my hand at something else. My partner Nick had already given up his corporate job to work with me on decorating shoots.  Then he took the big leap into screen-printing + illustration and set up Two Ruffians – something he’d always wanted to do. Seeing him evolve into a talented designer gave me the push I needed to start afresh. We set up a little printmaking studio at home, and initially sold our designs wholesale, to shops around Australia. Our range is growing, and currently we print colourful cushions, artwork, tea-towels, make-up + lingerie bags, ottomans and T-shirts.

On my birthday at the end of last year, we took a day trip to Flinders on the Mornington Peninsula.  A friend of ours was about to open a shop there so we were keen to see it. We stopped for a coffee and drew up a list of all the things we’d love to do – opening a shop being one of them. When we saw our friend he mentioned that the shop premises next door to him was available. It was a strange coincidence, but before we knew it we were nervously signing a short lease!

After a mad rush to get stock ready for the shop we opened just before Christmas. Being on a small budget, our shop fit out consisted of Ikea shelves and tables – unintentionally I created a simple Scandinavian feel. As well as our own hand printed homewares + clothing we filled the shop with African pieces from our friends at Tractor Home plus white porcelain lamps and other gorgeous goodies from Have You Met Miss Jones.

Being a tiny space meant filling the shop was quite manageable, perfect for first time shop owners!

Locals and tourists alike have welcomed our bright bold designs. People often comment on how different our designs are, which is music to our ears!

I also offer a decorating service from the shop and visit people’s houses to give them ideas on how to re-design their spaces.

One of the best parts of being so hands on with the printing process is that we can print designs in any colour for customers. People often want to match colours with their existing décor. They enjoy being involved and being able to buy something unique. We generally open from Friday to Monday, and every day during school holidays. We also have an online store for people that can’t make it to the shop. Since we opened a few new art galleries have opened near us. Flinders is becoming a little creative hub.

Curio & Curio products including Clair’s own cushion designs! Photographed by Armelle Habib.

Curio & Curio Photographed by Armelle Habib.

How would you describe your own interior decorating/styling aesthetic?

I love bright colour. Decorating is all about balance, so as long as a neutral tone is mixed with a couple of bold colours, everything harmonizes. I’m a bit of a chameleon but my signature style generally incorporates a retro feel with a fun mix of pattern + colour.

I like dual purpose furniture and look for unusual ways to display pieces.  My mantra is ‘create the unexpected’.  I’m passionate about recycling.  Using vintage tablecloths and scarves to make cushions is a fun way to recycle. I love kitsch vintage textile prints and this is a great way to incorporate those designs into a modern home.  I also collect vintage floral plates, which I love to display on walls around my house. I’ve also started collecting 1960’s English floral tea cups and saucers, which I make them in to tea cup candles and sell in my store. Rather than buying mass-produced furniture I like finding old pieces, such as armchairs, which need some TLC. Incorporating vintage pieces in to a home and mixing them with modern furniture, brings warmth and personality to a space.

Working with wallpaper is fun too – you can create instant drama with a wallpapered wall, which acts as an anchor for everything else in the room. On a smaller scale I love wallpapering backs of cupboards and cabinets to add interest.

I’m drawn to curved furniture, so I often feature round dining tables, side tables and coffee tables – this shape creates a more fluid, flowing feel throughout a space and works especially well in small spaces.

I’m obsessed with animal figurines and lamps – it must be the child inside me! I collect bunny rabbits, deer + owls and I have a menargie at home! Also without realising it, most of the products in my shop are animal related – owls, bunnies, birds, fish, dogs, horses, cows and even mice jostle for space on the shelves!

I like being creative with paint because it’s a cheap and effective way to create impact – I often experiment with striped walls, murals and different finishes. There’s some pretty cool modern stencils out there now too – gone are the days of the daggy rose motifs. I like to include my own artwork in rooms schemes when possible – you don’t have to be great artist to knock up an eye-catching painting.

This feature for Real Living magazine revolved around storage ideas – styled by Clair Wayman, photographed by Dan Magree, on location at Clair’s house.

A lot of independent creative professionals say that they love the creative side of their job, but hate the paperwork, self-promotion and the ‘business’ side of things. How do you manage to balance these necessities with the creative side of your job?

Gone are the days when I can work in disorganised chaos! Since setting up Curio & Curio last year, I’ve had to deal with all aspects of having my own business, which has been a steep learning curve. I’m now paying close attention to our in-comings and out-goings and make sure I pay my suppliers on time. I quite enjoy doing the more mundane tasks because it’s such a contrast to the creative process. I try to keep on top of the paperwork and don’t let things pile up – just out of necessity we have to get our invoices sent off quickly.

We’re lucky we have enough space at home to create our own little zones. To keep up beat, we have music blasting as we tackle the job in hand. Nick has been known to get up and dance with the dog – to let off steam!

I’ve found that things run more smoothly if we each have our own specific role. Nick has taught himself how to build websites and has just finished our latest one. One of my roles has been to contact stores and set up appointments to see potential stockists.

I still take on styling jobs, because it helps with the cash flow. Before, when I worked on a shoot, I’d be totally focused on that job, but now I have to be mindful that I still have orders to get out. I have a lovely seamstress who sews all my cushions for me – the next step is to start out-sourcing other aspects of the business to local companies, so we can grow.

Up until now Nick and I have been managing everything ourselves, so it’s been a real juggling act. I’ve recently joined forces with a friend who’s taking over some of the sales and marketing. This will hopefully free up my time to concentrate more on design.

Study shopping feature for Real Living, styled by Clair Wayman, photographed by Dan Magree, on location at Clair’s house (again!)

Which designers, artists or creative people are you inspired by?

Rob Ryan

http://rob-ryan.blogspot.com
http://ryantownshop.blogspot.com
http://www.misterrob.co.uk

I love this creative guy… but I’m disappointed I moved away from Hackney before his shop, Ryantown opened in Columbia Road, a short stroll from my old house (maybe safer for my wallet though). My partner Nick gave me his sweet and whimsical book, ‘This Is For You’ which I treasure. It’s good to see the art of paper cutting given a new lease on life. His new ceramic range is on my birthday wish list.

British mid-century textile designer, Lucienne Day

I went to an exhibition of Lucienne Day’s work in London, years ago, and was blown away by her innovative geometric designs. It’s amazing how her designs still work in modern interiors, just as well as they did in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Gary Hume – painter

I was first attracted to Gary Humes work because of its flat colour and simple lines, creating a similar effect to screen prints. He plays with surfaces and often paints with enamel paint from the hardware store, on aluminium, to create a high gloss finish. He’s a great colourist.

Cath Kidston

I’ve followed Cath Kidston since she had her first shop in Clarendon Cross, Notting Hill. I bumped into her there once, when I was propping for a magazine shoot. She complimented me on my bag, which was an op shop find, made from a kitsch beach inspired 1950’s print. A compliment from Ms Kidston meant a lot! She now has shops all over Britain, American and Japan – it’s amazing to see what’s possible.

Amy Butler – textile designer

Amy Butler is a true inspiration. I love her ethos and way of life. She’s passionate about her craft, connecting with others and caring for the environment. She shares a home studio in Ohio with her partner David Butler, where they work with their small team. I love how you can buy her dress or bag patterns and make them up using her fabric.

Tricia Guild from Designers Guild

I’ve always admired Tricia Guild and used to enjoy perusing the fabric rails in her stunning Kings Road shop in London. The vibrant colours and painterly designs are a breath of fresh of air. She’s created a unique look that’s instantly recognisable. I have some her books at home and often look through them for ideas.

Donna Wilson

I’ve recently discovered Donna Wilson. I love her humorous knitted creations and charming ceramic designs.

Suzy Hoodless

UK interior designer and all round style queen, Suzy Hoodless designed a bold range of wallpaper, called Hothouse, in fabulous clashing colours for Osborne & Little. I fell in love with the ‘Jewel Of Spring’ parrot tulip design in lime green. I splashed out and bought enough rolls to cover one large wall in my sitting room and now it’s my favourite thing in the house – I feel happy every time I look at it. I hope she turns her hand to wallpaper design again – her style is to die for!

Thomas Paul – surface designer

I first discovered Thomas Paul’s designs when I was on one of my many propping trips around Melbourne. I couldn’t believe my luck when I spotted his colourful melamine plates staked up in Douglas & Hope in Brunswick street. Since then I’ve often featured his plates in decorating features. It was a delight to be able to stock some of melamine pieces in our store when it first opened. I’m a big fan of his cushions too. His work has such a sense of fun – vibrant colour and over-sized, playful designs – a man after my own heart!

Biba creator, Barbara Hulanicki

Once a flamboyant fashion designer in 60’s and 70’s London, Barbara transformed in to a sought after interior designer in Miami. She’s also designing wallpaper and homewares. It’s inspiring to see a 75 year old woman still evolving, loving life and working in a creative field. Hulanicki is quoted as saying about the design scene in 2009, “There is very little difference today as opposed to the ‘70s, although, there is much more choice now. Both periods share the same enthusiasm, if you press the right buttons.”

Storage story for Real Living – styled by Clair Wayman, photographed by Dan Magree.

Where do you find creative inspiration for your own work – ie books, magazines, your environment, travel, your family and friends?

When out walking with my dog Jack, I often take my camera in case something catches my eye. (One of our favourite spots is the cliff top walk at Shoreham beach, near Flinders).  I’m always looking for compositions – light, colours, textures shapes and patterns in nature all inspire me. (I think I’m a frustrated photographer too).

I also soak up inspiration from the many cafes, bars and stores around Melbourne – I look at materials such as tiles, wall coverings, flooring and fabric.

I hoard magazines and love flicking through my favourites when I’m in need of some inspiration, (UK based mags, Living Etc and Elle Decoration). I often collect tear sheets when I’m working on a decorating job for clients and find magazines are great sources of information.

Clair and those tear sheets!  Sneakily snapped by Dan Magree whilst shooting a ‘Small Spaces’ feature for Real Living magazine.

I was sad when American magazine Domino folded, but was excited to find the book version of the magazine, which is now my bible. I often flick through the pages, in awe at the stylish interiors inside.

Like most of us, I enjoy a spot of people watching and window shopping. Having a passion for fashion means I always have a notebook at hand to note down unusual shapes, colours, and patterns that I see on my travels. It’s also fun to get ideas for a room scheme from an outfit. I often fossick in fabric shops, op shops and quilting stores – I have a stash of fabric at home that I might never use but keep for inspiration. I also have a collection of crazy vintage dresses which I’ve collected from dodgy markets in London over the years – I have plans to alter turn them so I can actually wear them. They’re also great for ideas for my own fabric designs.

I love fabric design from the 1950’s – my friend recently gave me a V&A Pattern book full of 50’s patterns – thanks Hannah! Designers then had such a fresh, unique approach to design then.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

There’s no typical day for me. I often don’t know from one week to the next where I’ll be or who I’ll be working with. If I’m working on my Curio range I might be emailing images of new designs to customers, ringing potential stockists and planning a few trips to show them my ranges.

If I’m styling, I might be sourcing props or working on a shoot with a photographer in a location house.

Otherwise I could be visiting a decorating client, collecting mood boards together, going through catalogues or visiting fabric / wallpaper showrooms.

I’ve recently joined forces with a friend, who’s taking over some of the sales + marketing, and we work together once a week to nut things out.

If we’re catching up on orders, Nick and I will be printing in our home studio or packing up products to send off to customers.

I’m also about to start designing another range.

Phew it’s making me tired just reading this!

What are you most proud of professionally?

I’m proud that we opened the doors to our first shop, Curio & Curio, 6 months ago selling our own range of designs, with a tiny budget and sheer determination. In the first week Nick ambitiously announced that he plans to have a shop in every country – there’s nothing like thinking big!  I’m so happy that I’m finally designing and printing – it’s so much fun to see your ideas come to life. I get a real buzz from customers coming in to the shop, falling in love with one of our cushions or artworks, then walking out of the shop with it under their arm. We like to spread the love!

I’m also proud of my styling work – juggling so many balls in the air to make a feature come together in a mega short time frame, is quite a feat!  I enjoy seeing all my ideas come to life in the pages of a magazine – it makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Yellow and Grey Colour story for Real Living Magazine.  Styled by Clair Wayman, photographed by James Geer.

What would be your dream creative project?

Where do I start! Anything from designing the interior of boutique hotel to trying my hand at fashion design.

Designing a range of cushions for American brand, Anthropologie would be cool.

It would also be a dream to design a range of wallpaper for Osborne & Little or Cole and Son.

I’d love to make my fabric designs in to clothing. I think seeing my clothes on the rails in my shop would be so exciting.

Working on a range of ceramics would be fun too.

A wedding Clair recently styled

What are you looking forward to ?

I’m looking forward to a holiday, visiting friends + family abroad and just having time to chill out. I’d love to pack my bags for a few months and travel around Europe.

I’m also keen to spend some time decorating my house – the busier I get the more I neglect my own home. I have to admit defeat when it comes to tiling though – I thought I’d teach myself but I think that would tip me over the edge!

In a few years time I’m looking forward to building a simple, purpose built kit home + studio in the countryside, using safe, natural materials.

When the business is more established I’d like to volunteer and do more to help animals + the environment. We’d also like some of the profits to go towards helping others and Nick hopes to employ underprivileged folk.  Even when it grows, I’d like the business to have a low impact on the environment. We’re keen to keep production local and use non-toxic materials.

Melbourne Questions

You favourite fossicking spots in Melbourne for furniture and home accessories?

The Cool Room, Balaclava

When you walk in to this place it feels like you’ve discovered a real hidden gem – it has no street frontage and can only be accessed from a rear car park, off Carlisle street. It’s a fossicker’s dream – stuffed full of vintage furniture and collectables. Rick has collected an impressive array of finds from the 1920’s to the 1970’s. The space was originally used as a carving room of a butchers shop, hence its name.

Hut 13

I recently discovered this whimsical little shop tucked away, in Moray Street, Armadale. Owned by Lucy Moira and Melly Beilby, it’s full of quirky artist made objects and high-end crafts. I couldn’t resist buying one of their O’Clock Italian rubber watches – a snip at $48. I’m sure I’ll be back to buy more of the colourful wristbands that snap on and off.

The Assembly Hall in Williamstown

I’d heard from friends that a new, eclectic home wares shop had sprung up in Williamstown at the end of last year. I then heard that it was co-owned by interior stylist, Sam Moiler, which was even more intriguing. When I popped in to say ‘hi’ I fell in love with the store straight away. Divine home wares, clothing and furniture are set off against the rich textures of old wood and exposed brickwork. Among other things, the girls source one-off textiles from India, creating a rich, global feel.

What and where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

I discovered The Coin Laundry in Armadale by chance the other day. Hidden down a sleepy side street in Armadale, this friendly, relaxed cafe offers a delicious array of food made from wholesome fresh ingredients. I ordered the trout and poached egg on spinach, potato roesti and beetroot sauce – delicious! I’m a sucker for a nice interior and loved the light filled, simple space.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

The Somers General Store for a slap up brekkie before heading to our shop in Flinders.

Built in 1927, this café and store is full of seaside charm. Current owner and glass artist Leisa Wharington has created a warm, welcoming atmosphere with kooky vintage décor and a delicious menu. It’s a feast for the eyes! There’s even a retro gelati van out the front.

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

Harvest Textiles (Lara Davies, Jess Wright and Emma Byrnes).  I first met Lara and Jess a few months ago when they visited our shop, Curio & Curio in Flinders. They’ve recently opened the fabulous ‘Harvest Textiles,’ a screen printing studio and workshop where they print their own range of textiles and offer a wide array exciting classes taught by a talented bunch of designers. They also hold regular exhibitions and encourage fellow screen printers to use their space. There’s no end to their passion and are always thinking up new ways to nurture local talent. Thanks to their enthusiasm they’re bringing craft loving folk together and creating a hive of activity in the heart of Melbourne.

Couldn’t resist another cute couple shot! Aww.  Dontcha love Clair’s bike?   She says ‘the bike replaces an ‘A’ board – and seems to be attracting attention. I ride it around Flinders!’ Photographed by Armelle Habib.
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