After their appearance on the first series of The Block then again for Location Location with Debroah Hutton, Gavin Atkins and Warren Sonin teamed up in 2003 to form Designer Boys – a popular, line of wholesale boxed art and prints designed exclusively for the interior industry at wholesale prices.
Initially they focused on styling properties for sale in which they styled over 750 properties in less than 3 years. Not only did they achieve amazing financial results for their clients, they also forged a fantastic reputation within the industry. The hands-on experience they garnered was just what they needed to take the Designer Boys business to the next level, where they focused largely on interior design and decoration for commercial and private projects.
In 2007 they made the move to the Byron Bay hinterland where they share their passion for living more sustainably and started a wholesale artwork business.
“After working in the industry we discovered that most of the artworks available to interior designers is largely mass produced and not unique,” said Gavin. “We wanted to build Designer Boys into a creative art house supplying unique and beautiful artworks to the interior design community.
“All of our work is full of soul and is made by craftspeople who love what they do. Our collective objective is to work in an environment where creativity remains supreme and our love of natural beauty is honoured in our artworks.”
We took five with the designers to chat further on their inspirations and what we can expect from the Designer Boys upcoming new range when they exhibit at Decoration + Design from 6-8 February, 2013 at the Sydney Exhibition Centre.
Where do you source your inspiration? And how do they drive you and influence design?
We’ve always been inspired by art, natural beauty and global culture. During the last year, we’ve travelled to some of the world’s most populated and isolated places. We’ve photographed and sketched along the way with a mission to create a travelogue of objects of desire drawing on the striking colours, exquisite textures and natural beauty around us.
From these experiences, we have personally designed many of our exclusive artworks in-house and have worked with the most talented craftspeople to bring our creative designs to life. We’re also continuing to work with amazing local and international artists and photographers to create an inspiring print series.
The beauty of this year’s collection is a reflection and appreciation of our experiences abroad as well as living in Byron Bay. It is also about our on-going commitment to championing unique artworks over mass production.
You are about to showcase the brand at D+D Sydney – why did you choose this event and what do you hope to gain?
D+D provides the perfect platform to showcase our beautiful artworks to interior designers and retailers in a vibrant and bustling environment. We’ve just came back from Maison et Objet and D+D feels like a mini version of this world class design exhibition.
Tell us what visitors can expect to see when visiting your stand at D+D Sydney?
We will be launching our entire new collection and catalogue for 2013 at D+D with more than 200 artworks to choose from. Most of these new artworks have been personally designed by us and we’ve also collaborated with a growing number of local and international artists to create an exclusive print series unique to Designer Boys.
For more information, visit decorationdesign.com.au
