Australian home decorating: Local design is more beautiful and original than ever

WITH Australia Day tomorrow and all things Aussie - from plastic flags to toy koalas - suddenly becoming must-haves, there’s never been a better time to explore contemporary local design.

Outdoor furniture retailer Tait designs and makes its range right here in Australia to stand up to our harsh climate.

WITH our national day just around the corner, all things Australian, from plastic flags to toy koalas have suddenly become must-haves.

But in all our patriotic fervour, how many of us stop to consider where those symbols of Australia are designed or made?

Chairwoman of the Authentic Design Alliance, Anne Maree Sargeant, says there’s no better time to support local design, which is producing more beautiful, original work than ever.

The latest Carraway range was hand painted in the Sheridan Sydney Design Studio.

Ceramicist Kim Wallace produces each plate, bowl and dish by hand in her studio on the Sunshine Coast.

“We are inventive by nature and being a country without borders our own design vernacular is emerging at warp speed,” she says.

“We have one of the world’s fastest-growing contemporary design cultures.”

Our use of materials such as Australian timbers is inspired, as is our ability to draw on the raw beauty of our landscape.

Indeed, the rest of the world has been happy to embrace the work of local designers such as furniture designer Adam Goodrum for Italian firm Cappellini and lighting designer Christopher Boots for French luxury brand Hermes while Marc Newson has worked for Alessi, Iittala and Smeg, among other international brands.

“Good design does not always have to be expensive but it must have a purpose”

The Spiral 180 pendant lights by Tasmanian industrial designer Duncan Meerding. Photo: Terence Munday.

Linen cushions from Utopia Goods.

Style for a lifetime

While many of us love local design in theory, it can be seen as expensive with one-off pieces sometimes selling for many thousands of dollars.

Anne Maree suggests that we need to take a more European approach, particularly to buying furniture. She says we should ditch the cheap replicas that don’t stand up to the task in favour of handcrafted investment pieces that will last a lifetime.

“Good design does not always have to be expensive but it must have a purpose — and it must innovate to be understood as good design,” she says.

“Good design doesn’t go out of style. It’s just good.”

Essentials range including posy vase, large oval vase, Tube vase, all from Jones & Co.

The humble cockatoo is a strong seller for bone china specialist Australian-owned Jones & Co which does its design work locally.

Linen tablecloth in Paradise Ultramarine from Utopia Goods.

But local design doesn’t have to be expensive.

Online sites such as Etsy reveal a thriving and affordable local handmade market, while sole practitioners such as ceramist Kim Wallace and collectives like Workshopped showcase an array of homewares at affordable prices.

Australian design is also evident in mass-produced product made overseas. Ceramics company Jones & Co does its design work right here, while iconic bed linen brand Sheridan creates new ranges of sheets and quilt covers in its Sydney studio.

Melbourne designer Christopher Boots has worked with fashion house Hermes. These lights from his BCAA and ORP series.

“Our design team are inspired by their journeys around Australia, where the unmistakably Australian colours, landscapes and quality of light they encounter informs their seasonal design process,” says Paul Gould, group general manager for Sheridan.

“Every Sheridan product is put through our exhaustive regimes at our testing laboratory in South Australia, to ensure our customers are buying the highest quality products globally.”

Our stories, our way

Perhaps the best thing about buying Australian designed and made products is that they are telling our stories for our conditions.

Outdoor furniture retailer Tait has been designing for Australian conditions for more than 20 years.

The extendible Baker table from Design By Them was designed by Nicholas Karlovasitis and Sarah Givson as a wedding gift for friends to built memories around.

Potter Cameron Williams has created a tableware range for Robert Plumb using clays sourced from mines around NSW.

Owners Gordon Tait — a former sheet metal worker — and Susan Tait understand our harsh environment providing practical advice for keeping their furniture looking its best for longer.

Co-director of textiles company Utopia Goods, Sophie Tallow, says we’re in a unique environment that ought to be celebrated.

“It’s integral to the cultural identity of the country, creating that sense of place,” she says.

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Local heroes

• Buy once and buy well. It may cost you a little more but it's been built to last. Just ask anyone with Parker or Moran furniture.
• Looking better for longer. While designer outdoor furniture from Europe may look amazing, it's not always up to the task in out harsh climate. Going with local materials is often a better option.
• Instant gratification. Buying local will mean shorter delivery times. Plus, you can generally talk to the manufacturer. 

Originally published as Australian home decorating: Local design is more beautiful and original than ever