Kapow! That’s the sound Australian brand Kip & Co made when they first launched on to the homewares scene back in 2012, making a playful splash with a collection of vibrant bedding in a range of fun prints. While design-minded Aussie parents high-fived each other with glee because they no longer had to ship decent kids bedding from overseas, Kip & Co’s launch effectively put a much-needed boot up the bottom of po-faced bedding brands that refused to move beyond the safe, boring or plain old naff – for both kids and adults.
Their latest collection, Hibernate for autumn/winter 2015, sees the brand develop their unique signature style of bright colours and mix-and-match-and-clash patterns for their extended lifestyle range, which now encompasses textiles for home and bath, as well as branching out into pyjamas and nighties for the first time.
The great thing about Kip & Co is that just one piece can instantly lift a room and add a much-needed dash of personality. And even if you’re not mad about prints and a little scared of using colour in your home, you can stick to their beautifully luxe range of velvet cushions and soft-hued blankets.
In fact, Kip & Co works beautifully with any kind of decor or style – take Lauren and Matt’s Geelong home, for example. Have a look at their master bedroom, which features Kip & Co’s new red and peach check blanket and amazing new On the Dot black rug. While the addition of these Kip & Co textiles adds colour and texture to the room, it remains a sophisticated and serene setting.
The Tiny range includes Nap Wraps, Swanky Blankys (names as adorable as they are!) and cot sheets. Kip & Co’s homewares and PJs for babies and kids feature bright rainbows, puddles, very berry, banana and radiowave prints. So much fun, and not a train or fairy in sight.
It’s around this time of year that we pull out our winter PJs and discover it’s about time we replaced them. We’ll be heading straight to Kip & Co to brighten winter bedtimes with On the Dot jammies and teal with gold lurex check bath robes. And possibly some for our kids too.
The Block: Triple Threat might be done and dusted, but as the contestants bask in the golden glow of their super-impressive bank balances today, we’ve picked some of our favourite homewares and furniture pieces from the series.
Give your home an instant style update with a pretty palette of soft pastels, warm coppers and natural timbers – just hover over the images below to see product details and click through to buy.
Have you been watching The Block: Triple Threat? Lisa and I have been tuning in, and we couldn’t help but admire the stamina of the contestants – and the stunning results. How crazy was the auction last night? Despite the huge sacrifices and intense pressures, I’d be extremely chuffed to walk away with upwards of $700k profit. (Though as Jen from Interiors Addict astutely pointed out on Twitter, this wouldn’t even get you a three-bedroom home in Sydney).
The upshot is that we were given an insight into some amazing renovations which resulted in some incredibly beautifully rooms, with clever and creative craftmanship, sophisticated styling and a carefully edited selection of some of the best fittings, finishes, furniture and homewares around. After much consideration and comparison of notes, Lisa and I have narrowed down our top 12 favourite looks from the series. Read on and tell us if you agree with our selections.
1. Darren and Dea’s master bedroom
Moving away from safe white walls and timber floors, Darren and Dea took a brave risk with their dark and moody textural sisal feature wall using Schumacher wallpaper (Haruki Sisal Charcoal), which combined with European pendants and a stunning four-poster bed, lent a sophisticated and architectural element to the room.
2. Josh and Charlotte’s ensuite
The custom timber vanity by Ingrain Design was an inspired choice by Josh and Charlotte, and it’s beautifully enhanced by the tone and texture in the bluestone tiles from Beaumont Tiles.
3. Jess and Ayden’s staircase lights
Jess and Ayden went for the ‘wow factor’ with their choice of pinecone pendant lamps; the design subtly reflecting the gaps of light in the staircase.
4. Tim and Anastasia’s terrace
As a last-ditched effort on a budget, Tim and Anastasia finally delivered with their beautifully-designed terrace. We love their choice of plants, and the view looking upwards is enhanced by their fabulous choice of Yvette Drum Pendants from Beacon Lighting.
5. Darren and Dea’s bathroom
In keeping with their theme of dark feature walls, Darren and Dea made a dazzling statement with their choice of tiles (Luxor Charcoal CB-Porc Semi-Polish 600×600) from Beaumont Tiles.
6. Darren and Dea’s terrace
Creating a stylish and sizeable oasis with loads of room for entertaining was a clever move by Dea and Darren. We love their choice of plants and the way they’ve created different ‘zones’ in what is essentially an inner-city backyard.
7. Josh and Charlotte’s guest bedroom
We love the light and bright mid-century Scandi vibe in this room, combining layers of textiles with custom timber floating shelves and a rather handsome Soho butterfly chair from Coco Republic.
8. Jess and Ayden’s kitchen
Creating a timber feature wall in your kitchen using floorboards (Regal Oak from Carpet Court)? Genius. We salute you, Jess and Ayden.
9. Josh and Charlotte’s terrace
That timber feature wall (North Coast hardwood Greyskin Cladding 110×12 from Mitre 10)! Those hanging timber lamps (a special order from Inge Jabara Landscapes)! And the pops of greenery (made using Flora Felt Panels 300x600mm from Fyto Green)! A vertical garden with a point of difference makes a big impact in Josh and Charlotte’s terrace.
10. Josh and Charlotte’s master suite
Josh and Charlotte have cemented their signature style with another amazing custom-designed floating timber unit by Ingrain Designs. We also love their choice of curtains and blinds (Warwick Fabric Joe Curtains in Ash from Carpet Court), which soften the clean lines and exposed architectural features of their master bedroom.
A fabulous sisal feature wall combined with a nice pop of colour via the Mud pendant lights, along with a sophisticated selection of textiles in the palest pastels and soft neutral hues (love the pink and green Jardan cushions) sets the standard for Darren and Dea’s signature style throughout the series.
Tell me: did you watch The Block: Triple Threat? What did you think of the auction last night? Are you going to watch the next reality renovation mash-up show? So many questions! Please de-lurk and tell us what you think in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.
Every so often a new book comes along that makes you sigh with inspired satisfaction as you flip through every beautifully-designed page. And then you go straight back to the beginning and read it again carefully, engrossed in small details and new-found discoveries. Snail Mail, by Melbourne creative Michelle Mackintosh, is one of those special books.
Snail Mail author Michelle MackIntosh.
Dedicated to the old-school art and romance of letter-writing, Snail Mail is a beautiful read from the start of its airmail-stripe-edged pages to finish.
As a book designer by day, Michelle’s attention to detail is both inspirational and instructional, packing her impressive little tome with original tips and generous advice on how to create the perfectly-crafted letter – with both words and artistic style.
My favourite bits? Michelle’s curated examples of beautifully-written letters in history; her thoughtful suggestions on what to include in a care package; practical tips on how to write those tricky letters; and step-by-step letter-writing-themed projects.
There are also loads of cute and clever ideas scattered throughout the book, such as terms of endearment themed by decade (“60s Mod/Pop: Birdie; Babe/Baby/ Sugar/Honey; Pet; Pussycat”). And if you’re an indie music fan, you’ll also appreciate her lyric-tinged themes and quotations.
Snail Mail is packed with gorgeous styling and inspirational photos of the most beautifully decorated envelopes, parcels and stamp collections. There’s also a bunch of templates and cute stickers at the back of the book.
If you’ve ever collected stamps as a child, written letters decorated with your most prized stickers to a pen-pal, developed an appreciation of the cute or kawaii, had an obsession with stationery, or delighted in receiving a ‘just because’ letter in the mail that’s not a bill (or pings into your Gmail inbox), you’ll probably get a big kick and immense pleasure out of Snail Mail.
And you just might want to enter our special giveaway…
WIN! Snail Mail Prize Pack
To celebrate the launch of Snail Mail, the awesome gang from Hardie Grant are giving away a special Snail Mail prize pack to one We Are Scout reader, including:
– A copy of Snail Mail
– Buttons A5 Journal designed by Michelle
– Buttons 3 Mini Notebooks designed by Michelle
– Buttons Boxed Notecards designed by Michelle
It’s simple and easy to enter, just follow these two simple steps:
1. You must be on the We Are Scout mailing list to be eligible. Not on the list? Enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
2. Simply leave a comment below, telling us in 25 words or less about the best snail mail you’ve ever received.
This giveaway has now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered, the winner has been announced.
This is an edited extract from Snail Mail by Michelle Mackintosh published by Hardie Grant RRP $29.95 available in stores nationally.
Prize pack photography by Lisa Tilse for We Are Scout.
Yesterday I took you on a wee tour of the gorgeous Geelong home of Lauren and Matt Wilson, as part of Inside Out magazine’s Open for Inspection series, in collaboration with Bugaboo. One of the highlights of this functional and beautifully-designed family home was the careful attention to detail, with a stand-out selection of affordable artworks, homewares and furniture.
I’ve shopped Lauren and Matt’s key pieces, so you can get their Scandi-inspired, colour-infused look, too (just hover over the images below to see product details and click through to buy).
Sometimes I find an incredible home in the pages of an interiors magazine and I find myself wanting more. I want to run my hands along the concrete benchtop, have a good poke around in the garden, and marvel at other’s people’s Really Good Ideas.
I recently got to do just that when the editor of Inside Out magazine, Claire Bradley, along with the lovely folk from Bugaboo, invited me along to their Open for Inspection tour at the Geelong home of Lauren and Matt Wilson. Lucky me! As a long-time subscriber of Inside Outmagazine, I was excited to meet the super-talented team and spend the morning in what was really an incredibly inspirational family home.
Photography by Nikole Ramsay, courtesy of Inside Out.
(As an aside, I’m terribly proud of the fact that Australian interiors mags have established themselves as some of the best in the world, with international design bloggers amongst some of their biggest fans. Go Aussie homes mags! Go Aussie editorial talent! I know how hard these guys work and they really do deserve kudos for kicking some serious publishing goals in a pretty tough climate. Who said that print is dead?)
Matt and Lauren’s home is a perfect lesson in functional Australian family living at its best. It’s their eighth renovation – Matt runs Built By Wilson, a company that specialises in architectural homes – and they reckon they’ve finally got it right for their family, including sons Teddy, 4; Henry, 3; and Jimmy, 8 months; and Elvis the kelpie.
The home is a renovated ‘30s Californian bungalow in the Geelong suburb of Newtown, and carefully considered open-plan space embraces liveable design – and it looks darn good. Have a closer look at some of my favourite spaces.
Kitchen
Lauren in her beautifully appointed – and spacious – kitchen. Photography by Nikole Ramsay, courtesy of Inside Out.
One of my favourite rooms in the house, the open-plan kitchen combines beautiful materials, splendid finishes, and loads of storage with an excellent view of the living room, play room, outdoor deck and backyard. Claire pointed out that the proportions of the kitchen are just a little bigger than what you would expect, which is a luxury itself.
The proportions of the elongated dining table, designed and made by Matt, combined with the Ubabub Sundae framed print, sets a colour-filled scene for expansive family living in the dining area. The curved-back ‘170’ timber chair by Takahashi Asako from Feelgood Designs are a great choice of dining chair, and it’s in this space that Lauren and Matt’s Australian spin on the Scandi theme really shines.
Claire noted that Scandinavian style works so well in Australia because it suits are environment so well – despite completely different climates. Our light-filled homes work in harmony with Scandinavian design and furniture, and this house captures that relationship perfectly.
Living room
There are three hero pieces in this room: the pale pink curved-back ‘RO’ feature reading chair by Jamie Hayon; the beautiful choice of art print by Michael Muir; and the custom-made floor-to-ceiling timber cabinet, which Matt designed himself. It features a glass door which slides across to close off adjoining play room, providing a clever and practical way to display treasured objects while protecting them from curious kids.
This was a talking point for Joseph, who said that “a lot of people would have shelving and then feel the need to fill it, and it would become incredibly distracting and visually heavy. But Lauren’s created this really gorgeous selection of smaller vignettes.”
Play room
You can see the play area just beyond the glass cabinet, which also opens up into the back yard. The clever use of Bolon carpet tiles from The Andrews Group are the hero feature of this room, which create a gorgeous geometric pattern while ticking the practicality-with-kids box. They’re made from vinyl so messes can be easily and quickly mopped up. Combined with the ‘Babanees’ table setting from Green Cathedral and Elroyink prints, the play room is a bright and cheerful space that both adults and kids can enjoy together.
Kids’ room
I love any space that features a brave use of colour, and you can’t get any braver than the boys’ orange bunk bed from Domayne. It’s a great choice for two boys, with the bottom bunk at floor level so the two-year-old can just roll out of bed in the morning. Colour and pattern is also introduced into the room with the Cotton On bedding, which has great price points and can be changed around easily.
Master bedroom
Master bedroom. Photography by Nikole Ramsay, courtesy of Inside Out.
One thing that really stood out for me in Matt and Lauren’s home is how they’ve been really clever with their use of colour and texture, and you can see how this comes together in their master bedroom.
A Kip & Co cushion and blanket, combined with the gorgeous Lola Donoghue artwork, are unexpected choices of colours that somehow work wonderfully together. Soft greys are introduced with the lamps from David Moreland Lighting and the BoConcept chair.
Spare bedroom
Inside Out editor Claire Bradley, Rebecca Judd, and me – checking out the spare room. Photography by Nikole Ramsay, courtesy of Inside Out.
According to Claire, this is the “The best-looking spare room.” Clever use of colour is again achieved in this room, with echoes of the reds and pinks from the upstairs master bedroom.
I really love the attention to small details in this room, like the door handles from Interia, which are made from one hundred per cent recycled timber. It takes the room beyond the ordinary and expected, which is a nice point of difference for your typical spare room.
Bathroom
Clean lines and beautiful details in the Matt and Lauren’s bathroom. Photography by Nikole Ramsay, courtesy of Inside Out.
This just might be my dream family bathroom. Featuring timber cabinetry and a free-standing bath, this light and bright space is all about clean lines and a minimalist setting, but it’s the details that really bring it to life, including the herringbone arrangement of the floor tiles from Academy Tiles and the Stephanie Ng Design ‘Scoop’ pendant light.
Lauren’s tip for the best bath for kids? Don’t go for one that’s too rounded – you need a good flat space in the middle for extra stability.
And that’s the end of my tour of Matt and Lauren’s inspirational house. Get the full story – and more amazing pics and details – in the May issue of Inside Out, on sale now. Thanks to Inside Out and Bugaboo for inviting me along to Open for Inspection.
If you love the look of Lauren and Matt’s home, check back here tomorrow for my shopping guide on how to get their style.
Photography by Nikole Ramsay and courtesy of Inside Out, as indicated. All other photography by Rebecca Lowrey Boyd for We Are Scout
I’m finally getting around to cleaning up my studio, which has been the general dumping ground since we moved into The Treehouse over a year ago. Do you have one of those rooms? The one where you chuck everything and close the door when you have visitors?
I’ve been looking for a bright and cheery rug – something that has loads of texture, pops of colour, and will complement my mid-century Danish/Aussie furniture. ’70s Moroccan Boucherouite rugs have been trending for a couple of years, but I think they do a good job of ticking all of the required boxes.
Boucherouites are one-of-a-kind woven rugs made by women in small villages in southern Morocco. They’re made from recycled scraps of nylon, cotton and wool, and are designed for domestic use. The blogosphere and Pinterest went nuts for them about a year ago, but many high street stores are producing their own versions in current collections. I love the vintage rugs from Moroccan-based Etsy shop Pink Rug Co, where prices start at around $785 and go up to $3.5k.
Do you love Boucherouites too, or have you moved on? Maybe you’ve found another good source for vintage Moroccan rugs? Let us know in the comments below.
Can you believe it’s almost May? And with Mother’s Day just around the corner on May 10, it’s time to start thinking about gift ideas.
Mother’s Day is always a good time to make something personal and meaningful, rather than dashing out to the shops at the last-minute and buying one of those vacuum-packed gift baskets of bath products. (Not that there’s anything wrong with bath products – we love a good bath! But it’s also nice to put a bit of thought into something special for Mum.)
So with that in mind, Officeworks set us a challenge to put a creative spin on two DIY personalised gifts for Mother’s Day. Officeworks is a great one-stop-shop for everything you need to create personalised presents at their Kodak Picture Kiosks.
For these two DIY projects, Rebecca pored over old family photo albums to create two gifts for her Mum. One gift will be coming from Rebecca, using faded old family photos from ’70s. Rebecca also found more recent photos of her four-year-old son with her Mum. She thought they would make a special gift for Grandma.
Make photo display cards
Rebecca’s son helped her choose some favourite photos of him with his grandma, including: on holiday in Hawaii, exploring the gardens and scouting for clues to their ancestry. With the photos and a scan of a painting on a USB stick they headed off to the Kodak Picture Kiosk at Officeworks to have them printed. They chose the ‘Social’ photo option so the printed images have a white border like old school Polaroids.
A personal touch was added by hand writing a note and the date under each photo, and Harry wrote ‘Grandma’ under the painting print to create a card.
All up Harry’s personalised Mother’s Day Gift to his Grandma cost less than $5, plus a bunch of flowers!
Make Photo block family photos
These fabulous vintage photos from their family caravan trip around Europe – three kids in the back of the car in the summer of 1977 – were the starting point for a gift for Rebecca’s mum. We didn’t want to alter the colour on the photos because the vintage palette adds more character to the lovely images.
In addition to photo prints, for this project you’ll need a roll of Scotch Expressions tape, decoupage glue and a brush to apply it, timber blocks, and sandpaper.
We purchased a length of timber from the hardware store and asked them to cut it into lengths the size of the photos. If the edges of the blocks are a bit rough give them a light sand.
The available timber width was slightly too narrow, so we trimmed off the edge of the photos. To trim your photo to fit, place it face down on a cutting mat and put the timber block on top, making sure the edges are aligned. Then, using the timber as a guide, cut the excess off with a utility knife.
To add a bit of extra interest to the timber we used the tape to create diagonal coloured corners on the blocks. The tape is slightly translucent, so butt the pieces up to each other rather than overlapping them.
Then paint the decoupage glue on the backs of the photos and stick them to the timber blocks, and you’re done.
While she was at at the Officeworks Kodak Picture Kiosk Rebecca also made a simple card with a sweet message for her mum.
This Mothers Day gift cost less than $10 and it’s something that will bring Rebecca’s family some laughs as well as bringing back memories of a lovely summer long ago.
Along with their simple photo printing, the Kodak range at Officeworks has an extensive line-up of personalised items (including mugs, jigsaw puzzles, and aprons), so you’ve got loads of options for creating something thoughtful and personal for your Mum (or your Grandma, Aunty, Sister, Mother-in-Law, Stepmum – or any other special person in your life).
For more information on Officeworks’ Print & Copy products and services or to find a store near you visit officeworks.com.au.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Officeworks. We only partner with brands that are a good fit with our blog, our aesthetic and what you, our readers, enjoy.
Tutorial by Lisa Tilse and Rebecca Lowrey Boyd. All photography and styling by Lisa Tilse for We Are Scout.
This post was originally published on We Are Scout.
Admirers, fans and lovers of Leila ‘Skinny Wolf’ Sanderson, rejoice: she’s etched out a cosy new home for her exquisite handmade wares online, and she’s officially open for business. And yes, there is an abundance of Leila’s covetable rosettes in stock.
Skinny Wolf is the manifestation of Leila’s childhood dream to be “a legit shopkeeper”, and she’s done a rather good job of it, too. The new online shop is filled with Leila’s handcrafted creations, including bespoke quilts, cushions, tea-towels, softies and her famous signature rosettes.
“I am constantly inspired by flora, fauna, colour, friends, memories, history, and fairy tales. Finally having my own shop – and putting my name on it – means that I can blend all of these things in a beautiful and functional way. Made using only natural materials, a lot of love and hard labor – I hope that these things become much-loved family heirlooms”, says Sanderson.
“My wares are all inspired by what I liked to do as a kid… playing house, dressing up, drawing, picking flowers, playin’ in the mud and reading fairy tales.
“And well, I guess I never really grew up ‘cause they’re all the things I still love to do! Explore, take a look around but don’t stray too far from the path as there might be a wolf hiding behind those trees! All products are designed and hand-made in Melbourne, Australia, on my dining room table.”
I’m rather taken by Leila’s quirky collection of miniature teepees, which are intended to be a home for your child’s favourite toys. They’re made from recycled yacht sails and feature tiny poplar timber poles, hand-stitched details and a little calico bag for carrying it around. Leila can also make larger custom teepees by request.
I’ve already mentally decked out my four-year-old son’s bedroom in Leila’s quilts, pillowslips and softies, with a mini teepee on the shelf and rosettes festooned on his walls. But I’d just as much love it all in my own room. Get clicking, scouts!
The fashion folk descended on Sydney this week for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, and my Instagram feed was awash with model selfies, backstage pics, fashion blogger selfies and street style pics. But one particular girl caught my eye, who just might be Sydney’s style answer to Alexa Chung: Chloe Hill.
Snapped by several street style photographers over the course of the week, Chloe demonstrated a particular knack for putting together a series of impressive outfits with an unexpected mix of print, pattern, colour and texture.
Chloe is the Fashion Market Editor at InStyle Australia, and you can also follow her at her personal style blog, bychill.com.
Here’s what Chloe wore this week. For your shopping pleasure, I’ve linked to the pieces that are available to purchase online. Have fun.
Enter the whimsical and colour-saturated art of APAK and be instantly transferred to fantastical worlds of dreamland forests and galaxies where the everyday – painting a rainbow, dreaming, gardening, having a picnic and feeding birds – is made magical and meaningful.
‘Bear Offering’ by APAK. Artwork courtesy of Outre.
‘Cosmic Garden’ by APAK. Artwork courtesy of Outre.
APAK is husband-and-wife duo Aaron and Ayumi Piland, who create their playful and utopian artworks from their “hermit’-like studio in outer-Portland, Oregon.
I’ve got my eye on APAK’s forest-setting dreamscapes for our living room wall, but their imaginative story-book worlds would look equally at home in a baby’s nursery or in a child’s bedroom.
‘Good And Plenty’ by APAK. Artwork courtesy of Outre.
‘Follow Close’ by APAK. Artwork courtesy of Outre.
APAK’s new exhibition, ‘Pieces of Dreams’ will be showing at Outre gallery in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth from today, and will feature an array of original paintings and prints. Out-of-towners and international fans can also join the APAK List for news about future shows and new prints.
‘Planting the Future’ by APAK. Artwork courtesy of Outre.
‘Dream Conductor’ by APAK. Artwork courtesy of Outre.
Colour blocking isn’t going anywhere, if Australian rug design company Armadillo & Co‘s new custom rug collection is any indication.
The new bespoke Marle collection features blocks of tonal colours in three different designs – Fold, Pleat and Tuck – for a contemporary take on the traditional flat weave.
The soft marled effect is achieved by weaving natural yarn with a coloured yarn in Argentinian wool. The overall look is soft and subtle, displaying a sophisticated use of colour pairing.
The bespoke collection is mainly a trade-only program, however it’s available to the public through various retail partners.
Our latest scouting adventures have led has to brand new online paper party supplies store, The Chaos Club. The brainchild of Australian craft/design duo Fiona Michelon and Anita C, The Chaos Club is a new destination for fun party decor and accessories.
