Decoration + Design

With over 15,600 visits, more than 500 exhibitors and eight globally renowned design leaders unveiling their latest collections and forecasting future trends – Furnitex and Decoration+Design further cemented it’s status as Australia’s largest furniture and furnishings trade fair.
Lighting the way for contemporary interiors was the Lightsource attraction, joining the line-up for the first time. The Fair put the spotlight on the latest in lighting products, technologies and trends for commercial, retail, industrial and outdoor spaces.
Hotel + Hospitality Furnishings also returned as a key attraction after its popular debut in 2010, bringing the best products and innovative directions for the hotel, motel and hospitality industries.

But it was VIVID – the Vibrant Visions in Design competition – that took centre stage highlighting 45 of the freshest faces in Australia’s furniture design talent.
The inspirational pieces highlighted the innovative growth of the furnishing industry and proved its future is in good hands with the next design generation.

Work has already begun for the next installment of FURNITEX and DECORATION + DESIGN in 2012.
Decoration+Design will be held in Sydney from 1-3 February 2012 at the Sydney Exhibition Centre.
Furnitex returns from 19-22 July 2012, and will introduce the co-location of the Flooring & Finishes with ATFA show for the first time in Melbourne.

For more information visit:
www.furnitex.com.au
www.decorationdesign.com

Now in its second year, Lightsource is back bigger and better than ever before.
Conveniently co-located within the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre alongside Furnitex and Decoration + Design, Lightsource is a highlight of the State of Design festival showcasing the very latest in lighting products and technologies for commercial, retail, industrial and outdoor space.
Wondering through the stands today it was easy to see why the fair has become so popular.
From sculpted wooden lamps with incredible touch sensitive LED lighting at Tribe Design, to clustered globe lighting with changeable coloured cords at About Space, it’s a visual feast for the senses.
Make sure you stop by this weekend and light up your world.
Click the `read more’ link below for a sneak peek at some of the lighting on offer…

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For the most exquisite line up of home wares, this year’s Decoration + Design is not to be missed.
It’s all there – from designer decor to hand crafted cushions and toys, artistic wallpaper designs, luminous lighting and retro fittings sure to make your house a home or brighten up your work space.
Each stand has it’s own individual character, carefully styled with a designers eye to capture your imagination and transport yourself into a similar room at your own abode.
You can’t help but be inspired by the products on show, there really is something for everyone.
So here are a few photos from today to give you a taste of what’s in store when you visit the show over the weekend.
Don’t forget the co-located shows Furnitex and Design Made Trade all happening within the State of Design festival.
Head to the website for more info, www.decorationdesign.com.au

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Inspired by a love of natural, vintage and whimsical pieces, the team at Golly Gosh spent countless months sourcing fabrics and hidden treasures from markets, boutiques and stalls around the world to create their latest children’s collection.
Using the remnants of very special and often hand-printed vintage fabrics they discovered en route, the team crafted a truly unique hand-made range.
It’s this hand created construction that makes you really feel the love that has gone into making each design.
The latest 2011 offering is a timeless range for boys featuring crochet toys and rattles, cushions, ornaments and mobiles for the bedroom or nursery. The range also highlights retro designs of cars, pick-up trucks, caravans and aeroplanes in soft hues of blue, grey, cream and stone.

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It is possible to create high fashion designer rugs with an ethical state of mind.
Armadillo&Co founders Jodie Fried and Sally Pottharst are two such designers with a conscience, weaving fair trade practices into their hand made rugs.
In fact, their entire brand is built on the principle of Fair Trade and every single purchase from their luxury range donates back to building facilities in the weavers’ communities.
“Our artisans are our extended family,” says Jodie. “We treat them all with the care, respect and love one would a father, a mother, a sister or a brother.
“The intricate tradition of carpet weaving has been passed down through generations, so many of our people are indeed families.
“They are all carefully selected for both their hands and their heart – that is, not just their skills but their sensitivity to our design vision – and every individual is treated like one.
“They are paid above average wages and they are integral to their local community’s livelihood.
“Most importantly, they are carrying on a lineage that deserves preservation. We believe handicraft like theirs needs to be in good hands.”

On top of this, Jodie and Sally work closely with the local school near the artisan villages under the Indian organisation, Care & Fair – an initiative against illegal child labour in the carpet production industry in India, Nepal and Pakistan.
“We are ardent supporters and vocal advocates of this cause. Absolutely no child labour is in any way employed in our rug making,” says Jodie.
“At Armadillo&Co, we voluntarily collaborate with this vitally important organisation and we are consciously active when it comes to community involvement and evolvement and happily contribute financially to local education.
“Our most recent and very rewarding project was purchasing play equipment for a local school.”
Jodie says when purchasing any rug or carpet made in India, to look for the ‘KALEEN’ label which is issued by the Carpet Export Promotion Council of India. This orgnisation guarantees that child labour was not used in the manufacture. So naturally, all of the Armadillo&Co rugs made in India carry this label.

We spoke with Jodie before the design duo debut their exclusive `Designer Collection’ at Decoration + Design tomorrow in the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.

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Windows can be tricky to decorate. The traditional curtain is a common choice but tends to be heavy in appearance which can block much of the sun and light from a dark room, and they also need to be dry cleaned regularly. Wooden blinds have been popular in recent years, but they often fade easily and quickly become dust traps.
So architect Meriam Salama and Marianne Sourial founded Melbourne design consultancy, Twenty Six Letters and devised a stylish alternative with DecoGlide™. The unique screen system lets you control the light, channelling it through decorative and intricately detailed laser-cut panels.

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RIMT textile design student, Eloise Roberts and her designs

For the third year running, Silk Trader is delighted to showcase the next stunning collection from the RMIT Design Awards at Decoration + Design.
This program is offered exclusively to Diploma students of the RMIT Textile Design and Development Program and celebrates important industry and education links that enable the students to create unique designs especially for the Silk Trader business.
The design brief encourages the students to submit original design outcomes for limited production runs for niche market products.

Silk Trader’s Aisling Gallagher reviews the designs

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Our home should be an extension of our personality, according to homewares designer, Jennifer Dumet.
Her successful self-titled brand is certainly a magnificent extension of Jennifer’s personal love for design and innovation with decorative wire lamps and hand-crafted ceramics in her preferred neutral tones.
Her latest collection explores new techniques and applications, especially within ceramics and wire and the results are simply stunning.
Jennifer spoke with Decoration+Design blog on the new range, her source of inspiration, and how make-believe houses as a child inspired her passion for design.

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Looking for a customised solution for your outdoor living space?
Entanglements create some of the the most intricate and detailed metal sculptures tailor made to suit your outdoor setting.
Celebrate the natural environment of your home with rustic floral-artwork lighting or overhead shading with Banksia nut roof panels featuring leaf-like cut outs that spread dreamy shadows across your patio.

The multi-award winning outdoor décor and design company can add warmth and textual beauty to any exterior space sure to inspire the outdoor designer.
Each unique piece is handcrafted and custom made using traditional Australian materials that reflect and enhance the natural landscape.

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Screwed Up by Erica Wakerly

Whether it’s a bold or subtle change you’re after, wallpaper is an old school technique that can bring your home into the modern world.
While printed paper can conjure up images of your grandmother’s dowdy floral walls or the dated decor you’re used to seeing people rip off when they renovate, then think again.
Wallpaper has made a comeback within interior design circles and award-winning UK designer, Erica Wakerly is at the forefront of the trend’s resurgence.
In a recent interview with Furniture Fair Online Erica states, “To cover a wall is now an expression of taste and modernity rather than a convention. Pattern can transform a space. It adds warmth and character, it can humanise and create ambiance.”
Erica’s latest digital wallpaper designs feature subtle metallics which she says is `sympathetic with its surroundings, reflecting colour and light so it becomes integrated with the interior as a whole.’

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