Two weeks ago the combined Decoration + Design Trade Fair and AIFF (Australian International Furniture Fair) were held in Sydney.
I always wake up the morning of these events feeling as excited as a kid on Christmas morning (I know it’s sad, believe me I know) because I can’t wait to get to the fair to see what our amazing designers, importers and retailers have in store for the coming season.
So I’ve put together some images and information about some of the product that caught my eye. Now I don’t claim to be an arbiter of good taste or an expert in the field, so these are simply things that I took a fancy to …
Making its debut at the fair was Bag2Bed an oversized spin on the bean bag … with a very functional twist.
It turns into a soft comfy mattress.
Designed and made in Australia, Bag2Bed starts off as a seat, filled with certified environmentally preferable foam pieces. To make into a bed, just pull off the outer cover, flip it a couple of times and hey presto, you have the perfect spare bed.
It’s one of those ideas you wish you had thought of first. The Bag2Bed range offers different seat sizes that can easily be converted into a double, queen, or king size mattress. A junior size has also been created and is suitable for children up to the age of 12.
Bag2Beds come in a sophisticated range of textured fabric covers so they’re suitable for any room in the home.
Noted: I test sat the Bag2Bed and can report that it is indeed a very comfortable seat. I didn’t test when opened to a bed as I didn’t fancy my chances of getting up again.
For further information email: Lisa Mcleod, lisamcleod@a1building.com.au
As usual Equator had some beautiful new pieces but I did particularly like the Ariya Canopy Bed (RRP $3,630) and I loved the shape of the new Diamond Hanging Lantern (RRP $95).
The Bed is hand crafted from American Walnut (certified plantation timber). The whole Ariya collection combines beauty with durability.
The Diamond Hanging Lantern is made with hand crafted metal and is designed to hold a candle. It can either be hung or can sit on a tabletop.
For further information email: Kate Burić, kate@equatorhomewares.com
This gorgeous chair is available from Cotswold Furniture and is from their Vincent Sheppard Collection.
The loom chair is made in the traditional way using Kraft paper wrapped around steel wire and then woven on a loom with Rattan frame.
It’s a lovely nostalgic shape but the frame is stainless steel rather than the original chrome frame of bygone days.
The cushions are sold separately and there is a wide choice.
The chair is sprayed to client specifications in the company’s workshop in Mittagong, NSW.
So you can have any colour your heart desires. They retail for RRP $1,250 and are very comfortable indeed. For further information, click here.
Switching from the nostalgic to the highly contemporary, these Chiquita Stools by Kenneth Cobonpue created a lot of interest on the Hermon & Hermon stand.
They look terrific however I assumed they would be one of those pieces of furniture that you have for the sake of being a talking point rather than a thing of comfort.
I should have known better. Hermon & Hermon’s products are always both aesthetic and highly functional.
After getting over what I considered was an entirely reasonable anxiety about one of the rattan poles ending up in the wrong place, I tentatively sat upon one of the stools to find it was extremely comfortable!
As it was explained to me, 350 pieces of natural rattan poles sit on top of a polyurethane cushion inside a moulded steel base. The rattan pieces mould perfectly around ones posterior. They are available in red, silver in black as shown above.
For further information, click here
The Cameo range from Emma Jay Designs was eye catching in a range of five colours; Onyx, amber, Gamet, Sapphire and Emerald Green.
According to Emma the inspiration for this range came from a desire to create a fabric design that was feminine, whimsical and emulating gem colours in a muted fashion.
The print is hand screened onto linen for Emma’s cushion covers and iphone covers and cotton for the brunch coats.
For further information email Emma Jay Designs, emma@emmajaydesigns.com
dBodhi was shown for the first time at Decoration + Design and certainly attracted a bit of buzz.
It’s a new collection by Meizai. The collection comprises three main ranges: Lucy, Lekk and Trapesium.
The range concept is all about using resources in the most efficient way, taking seemingly useless scrap wood and transforming into beautiful furnishings for the home.
dBodhi is available through Meizai and retailers nationally.
For further information email: Jessica Ilett osiassist@oswaldsealy.com.au
I was really attracted to this Lapis TV unit from Impressions Wholesale. It’s a break away from the glossy mono-coloured TV units so popular in recent times and has a great textured appeal.
Measuring W: 2000, D: 520 and H: 450, it’s made from mahogany timbers with teak and Indian rosewood veneer. It’s part of the Impressions Wholesale Designer Collection which is available now.
For further information email Mario info@impressionswholesale.com.au
Olivades is a French brand manufactured in the south of France. Being designed in the heart of Provence it represents the true provincial spirit in home decorating.
Pictured above from the current range are (from left to right);
Olivades Fabric Warehouse is at 59 Denison Street Camperdown, NSW. For enquiries email Lyndall Keller contact@olivadesfabrics.com
Omaroo is a beautiful setting from Laidir. Combining Western Australian Jarrah with the durability and lasting beauty of Hi Macs, a non porous material that is both stain and impact resistant. The synthesis between the timber and Hi Macs creates an elegant and harmonious design.
Owner Sean Dunphy has a passion for the natural beauty of Australian hardwood and says his philosophy is to create, timeless unparalleled indoor and outdoor furniture designs never before seen in Australia.
We agreed we both had a passion for owning furniture our children will fight over when the will is read.
Sean’s Omaroo range was chosen as the AIFF’s nomination for the Australian Furniture of the Year Awards to be held in Perth later this year. It caps a very successful two years for Laidir in which the company has been awarded by its peers at the 2008 Australian Furniture of the Year Awards for Excellent in Furniture Using Australian Hardwood for the NSW category and the 2008 Furniture Magazine’s Gold Star Award for Design, Innovation and Marketability.
For further information email Sean sean@laidir.com.au
Rug Couture launched a wonderful range of new designs including these lovelies. Top left is a design from the from Guy Laroche’s collection which uses a mixture of New Zealand wool, polyester, metal, embroidery, cow hide and Swarovski Crystals. Top right is a rug from the Mexx loop and braided collection which is 100% New Zealand Wool and woven in Holland.
2nd row above left is Mexx Morning Dew.
2nd row centre is from the Rocks collection by Brink and Campman. This collection is 100% felted wool, dyed in France and Axminster woven in Holland. It comes in a fantastic range of colours and according to Rug Couture is the best wool shaggy on the market in terms of quality and minimal shedding properties.
2nd row above right is a sample of colours available in Weave also by Brink & Campman. The collection is 100% felted New Zealand wool, dyed in France and made in Holland.
For further information email Joanna joanne@rugcouture.com.au
Sala Verde was launched at the Decoration + Design fair and had a terrific response from fair goers.
Much of the range uses natural materials such as abaca (fibre from banana leaves) which is dyed using organic dyes and hand-woven using traditional tribal methods.
The company designs from a sustainable and ethical angle.
Sala Verde’s range also included rattan pendant lamps made using the bent-wood process of heating, soaking and bending again and again by hand to achieve bends and curls.
For further information email Nikki nikki.lisle@gmail.com
Globe West launched six new collections of furniture and furnishings at the fair (see above) including Ascot, Baron, Baha, Serengeti, Amalfi and Azzuro (you can see a sofa from this fully upholstered outdoor range in the bottom right of the image above). There’s too much in their new collections to describe here, but you can visit Globe West’s website to request a catalogue. There’s a lot of variety in their range this season and it’s all great design as usual.
For further information click here.
Satara showed new outdoor pieces at the fair including the Bliss Chair (above left), available in Irish Coffee, Black and White and the skal funky bar chairs and stools which also blend well with the Bliss range.
The skal collection is made of teak and synthetic wicker and is also available in the same colours.
For further information click here.
Villa Maison launched the Bastia cabinet above. I found this piece very arresting with its bleached old pine finished. The inside is finished in Old White water based paint. It measures 200cm high x 73cm wide and 44cm deep. It a lovely piece suitable for any room in the house. I’d put it in a hallway.
The Dylan desk also from Villa Maison (above left) is made of bleached old pine and has a modern feel white retaining a rustic look. It measures 170cm long x 80 wide and 75cm high.
I can see myself working quite happily at this desk.
For further information email Denise denise.mcgregor@villamaison.com
The new Nan&Pop range from Night Light Studio is inspired by an old backyard classic.
It took me back to childhood holidays on the central coast.
The NAN&POP chair and small table have been revisited with a modern touch. Sitting wider and deeper than her predecessor, NAN&POP is a colourful character that will turn heads. It’s made of Powder coated steel and spray enamelled hardwood.
For further information email liamien@gmail.com
At the other end of the spectrum was the new INOX range from Devon Lifestyle. It has a lovely streamline, contemporary design yet the pieces are also very stable, strong and comfortable.
The range is made with a 304 stainless steel frame and Bayline fabric made by Ferrari. The fabric has exceptional tear strength, excellent UV radiation and mould resistance and is very robust.
For enquiries phone Marette on 07 3207 5929 or email devaus@bigpond.com
The picture of the Husk dining table from Designs in Timber doesn’t really do this lovely table justice.
Made with solid US Oak with a wash finish, the table is matched with Yoda dining chairs and bench covered in Husk Cloud. The total effect is very soft with the beautiful grain of the timber highlighted in the wash finish.
For further information email Rebecca d.i.t@bigpond.com
The Los Rios Trunks above from Islander Imports are a set of two, the small being 88cm wide x 47cm deep x 43cm high and the large is 1060cm wide x 66cm deep and 51cm high.
The Copacabana Bench set also from Islander comprises a table 150cm long x 90cm wide and 78cm high. The benches are 120cm long x 35cm wide and 45cm high.
For further information, click here.
This stunning chair really caught my eye.
It was an entry in The Edge in which 56 designers from Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Singapore competed with 80 products.
The seat is deceptively comfortable. The comfort comes from the shape of the slats and the amount of spacing between them.
The chair is made with Form ply, an industrial product used on building sites.
Aesthetically the black coating contrasts to the timber ply and because it’s designed to be used outdoors it’s also very durable.
The timber used is a plantation pine. For enquiries call Nit on 0448 957 967 or email nita@ringsoftime.com.au
Above are images of the award winners in THE EDGE, for further enquiries please contact Uli Hasel
uli@aec.net.au or phone 03 9654 7773.
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