Studio Visit: Samara Greenwood Architecture
By Keely Malady
Samara Greenwood Architecture is a young, boutique architectural practice focused on creating homes with heart. Founded by CWC Member Samara Greenwood, under her direction the team have an approach to design that is without pretense and is firmly focused on people – their hopes, dreams and everyday way of life.
What inspired you to start your own practice? In many ways, the business began itself. My youngest daughter was nine months old when I was asked to help a couple who were struggling to understand the architectural process.
While I originally only agreed to help scope out their needs and prepare a brief, I fell in love with the project and decided then and there to use it as inspiration to create a more ‘user friendly’ architecture and design practice.
‘Listen' and ‘Heart’ are quite unusual key words in an architectural firm’s mission statement - why are these important to you? The focus on ‘listen’ actually came from a workshop attendee – who commented how great it was to spend the day with talented architects who listen. We were so taken with what he said that we have used it as a kind of motto ever since!
A lot of the time I meet people whose experience with Architects has been more difficult than it needs to be, where the designer’s vision has taken over and the client feels forgotten in the process. I wanted to create the kind of practice that I would want to engage as a client. Listening is critical to that process, balancing our skills in understanding our clients with our expertise in translating their needs into beautiful designs that work for them.
In that same sense, the ultimate aim for us is to find the ‘heart’ in each design, to produce beautiful pieces of architecture with the ‘human factor’ built right into the core.
What factors drove you and Anna (Castles) to start the Dream Home Workshops? Anna and I met whilst working at the same architectural firm many years ago and have been friends ever since. Over lunch one day, I was describing to Anna the new methods I was developing to understand my client’s needs at a deeper level. She then simply stated ‘that would make a great workshop’ – and so the adventure began!
Both Anna and I love the conversations that arise during the workshop. We are amazed at how much the attendees get from each other, as well as from us. I know they appreciate the opportunity to spend a whole day with two architects who are willing to talk about pretty much anything (oh and we do!). It is a really warm and open experience, designed to make people comfortable with both the design process and with figuring out what they really want and need from their home.
The Dream Home Workshops are held at our tree-top studio in Ivanhoe. Again, people tell us this is a really great part of the day, as they get to step outside of their normal, everyday lives and have quality time in a beautiful, inspiring environment. We do love it when they say that!
Who are your typical clients, and why do you think they are drawn to SGArch’s new approach to architecture and design? We attract a broad range of clients, but there are some common factors we are beginning to notice; when they first come to us, most clients feel ‘stuck’ in some way – perhaps they have lots of ideas but don’t know which ones will work best, or maybe they know what they want and need someone who can translate those dreams into a great design – whatever it is, our job is to help them get ‘unstuck’ and moving forward to their goals.
Our clients want a home that works beautifully, is well built and feels amazing – what we call the dream home trifecta. Many clients haven’t been through the architectural process before and aren’t sure what to expect, so we take them through what is involved as clearly and concisely as we can. We love how pleased and surprised they are by the detail we go to, and how involved they feel in the evolution of the design from start to finish.
How do you approach the next step, making ‘dream home’ aspirations a reality? The first step in any project, small or large, is exploring all the (many!) factors that are taken into account to determine the best design strategy.
Basically, we listen, ask a lot of questions, and then more questions about the answers to those questions, then do some research, then try a few ideas out, then ask more questions, until both we and our clients feel we’ve hit on the best course of action. This is a process that takes a fair bit of experience and intuition to navigate, but is so much fun at the same time! We call it our ‘house doctor’ strategy – you tell us your problems and, together, we’ll find the cure.
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Find Samara and the Dream Home Workshops online at www.sgarch.com.au, or on Instagram @samara_greenwood.
Keely Malady is a twenty-something year old graduate architect living in Melbourne. Her passions include art, design and the environment, both built and natural. Keely’s blog, Small Talk & Co., is on a mission to share the brilliance of big hearted entrepreneurial thinkers from around Melbourne and Australia with the world. Find Keely on Twitter and Instagram @keelymalady or on Facebook /smalltalkco.
{All photos by Martina Gemmola}
Virtual visit: Page 8 Mornington
Eleesa Howard at Page 8 Mornington contacted me a little while back about stocking Conversations with Creative Women: Volume Two. A little research into this coastal establishment led me to want to find out more about the shop and Eleesa herself!
Tell us about Page 8. It seems like more than a place to buy books, but a hub for the local creative community. How long has it existed in Mornington and what kind of customers does it attract?
You are right, Page 8 is so much more than a place to buy books. I guess you would call us a lifestyle shop. It was started eight years ago by a local couple. They started the business while having three beautiful boys, they did an amazing job. We aim to be the place that customers can come and find something a little fresh, quirky, interesting, creative and inspiring. Our customers are across a range of age groups and backgrounds. One minute, there will be a grandmother looking for an interesting gift for her grandchild. Next, it will be a business man checking out the selection of Architecture books, then a group of teenagers looking out for latest Frankie mag! Such an enthusiastic and wide variety of customers, which I love. I guess we have something for everyone!
What labels do you stock?
We love stocking local designers and crafters along side quality brands from Melbourne and internationally, such as: Polli, pigeonhole, wewood, telegram, make me iconic, pony rider, keep cups, Salus, Elk, Spider & lily, Printspace, Down to the Woods, One Sunday Morning, Gozi & Pop, Once Made, Lascari, to name just a few! We also stock the latest across a range of books, including children's titles, cookbooks, art, photography, graphic design, interiors, architecture, gardening , craft and design…..so many!
What is your background personally? What did you study and how did you find yourself at Page 8? This is a bit of a long story as I have ‘fallen’ into many things. I finished high school and found myself in the real world pretty quickly. I started out in retail and then worked in an amazing place called the Organic Market Café in Stirling, SA. I learned so much about food and life there, I loved that job.
In between, however, I did have two little people come into my life. I had my daughter at 23 and then a few years later had my son. This is where the creative side of me really took hold! Being a stay at home Mum, I felt the need to do ‘something’. So I started to sew clothes for my kids and then quilts, mostly using beautiful vintage fabrics and materials. It was around this time that I was given the oppurtunity to work as part of the visual merchandising team for Country Road. I loved it and realised I had a natural talent for design and display.
After a few years my husband and I moved interstate and I had a fresh start in hosplitalily. This lead to the oppurtunity to opening my own little cafe, which was great fun but a steep learning curve.
Due to the 'surprise' of our youngest son popping into our lives, the café was too much to continue. So again I was home with a new baby and going a little insane! I was itching to do something. This is when I got back into sewing. I started doing markets, making and selling bags, quilts and cushions under the name 'dorothybills'.
We moved to Victoria four years ago and settled on the beautiful Mornington peninsula. I continued on with markets and also stared working at Page 8 in the old cafe. Somehow, I cant even remember, I stated working in the shop helping with the visual merchandising there. Then as time went on I became the Manager. In October 2013 new owners took over the store, and now I am both manager and buyer which I love! I am truly lucky to have an amazing group of wonderful ladies to work with and support me.
What creative things do you enjoy doing outside of work? As my life is so busy, I seem to have a lot of half-finished projects. I'm current making a twine coil basket, painting some plant pots and have managed to sit down with my teenagers and dabble creatively while they are doing their art homework.
I think that’s why I love to surround myself with creative people and their goodies, even though I may not be creating as much as I used to, it makes me happy knowing I'm helping others get their work out there in some small way.
What's on your summer holiday reading list? I just finished, finally, ' Let's pretend this never happened' by Jenny Lawson, which made me laugh out loud with tears rolling down my face!
Also on my bedside table is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Cloudstreet by Tim Winton,which I cant wait to read, and the latest issue of Frankie. I must admit I have a weakness for magazines and interior book such as Beci Orpin's new book Home and A Place Called Home by Jason Grant. Lots of constant stimulation and inspiration!
Thanks Eleesa! You can find Page 8 on Facebook or visit the store at: 188 Main St, Mornington, Victoria.
{Photos by Danielle Trovato}
Bricks & Mortar: Shelley Panton Studio
Today we visit the new store location of CWC member and former CWC speaker Shelley Panton in Melbourne's Prahran.
In 2011 you were a CWC guest speaker, but for those who weren't able to attend, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to open your first studio/shop?
I had been working as an event stylist and producer before the GFC hit in 2008 and work dried up. With a bit of time on my hands I took up a short course in pottery while I worked out what to do next. I was also house hunting at the time, and stumbled across a quaint century-old butchers store in Middle Park. I saw 88 Park Road as an opportunity to have a go at building up my own studio ,where I could handcraft my ceramics alongside stocking other local artisans and craftspeople's wares.
I opened the store and studio space (living out the back!) in 2009 and my shop range grew to include artful books, furniture and staples home wares.
In August 2013 we relocated to 440 Malvern Road, Prahan, as the landlords wanted to develop 88 Park Road and I felt my business had also outgrown the space. The timing was right. I am loving my new location and the business has continued to grow.
Can you tell us about the process of moving your shop and studio to a bigger location? What were some of the challenges and what have been some of the highlights of your new location so far?
Finding out I had to move both my house and my shop in one hit was overwhelming. Whilst I knew business was ready to take the next step of moving to a larger premises with a busier frontage, actually finding the new site proved to be quite a challenge of top of running the day to day of my business. I had to constantly remind myself that the right place would turn up, and it sure did, at the 11th hour.
The new location has proved to be a wonderful move, trade has increased dramatically, but then so have the overheads. All in all, I’m glad for the move as I feel I am in the right place for healthy long term growth. If I had my time again I would have taken a bit more of a break plus invested in getting some more help as I took a bit too much on and suffered fatigue in the first few months from trying to keep up with admin, training staff, producing my work and the day to day of shop keeping.
My work ethic is very strong, probably partly based on the fear of having to ever having to write a CV or apply for another job again! I’ve had my fare share of setbacks in life, but this has taught me resilience and gives me passion and energy to do what I do.
What are your favourite products instore at the moment, and why?
I’m loving colour and copper at the moment. Plus I’m a big fan of Adriana Christianson’s stoneware beakers. I picked up a few earlier this year at a pottery fair and loved them so much I decided to stock them alongside my own ceramics.
I’m also loving our current range of recycled timber frames, beach umbrellas and books. Summer is my favourite season!
Can you tell us about some of the special in-store events you have planned for 2014?
In March we are hosting two Dinners in the Studio for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. I’ll be collaborating with chefs Perry Schagen and Josh Powell, and winemaker Paul Scorpoto celebrate all things artisan and water inspired for the table. Tinker by Printink will also be printing our napkins, which each guest will get to take home.
We’ll also continue our Meet the Maker Q& A series as I thoroughly enjoy interviewing and sharing the stories of makers whom I stock.
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Thanks for the virtual visit Shelley!
Shelley Panton Studio 440 Malvern Road, Prahran, Vic Opening hours
If you would like to know more about Shelley's career path you can listen to Shelley's 2011 CWC speaker event on our Podcasts page - FREE for everyone!
All images by Caitlin Mills
Bricks and Mortar: Saint Gertrude Design & Letterpress
By Catherine Harvey There is something intrinsically beautiful about letterpress that everyone seems to love. Perhaps it's the tactile nature created from the combination of ink on a soft cotton stock. Or maybe it's the knowledge that letterpress is a centuries old art form that is mastered by so few. Whatever the reason, there has definitely been a huge increase in the amount of letterpressed paper products being produced over the last few years.
As a designer, I notice the reactions of clients when they feel something that has been letterpressed and it's generally always the same - moving their fingers over the print whilst 'oohing' and 'aahing'. It is this tactile quality that surpasses many other printing techniques as a favourite of mine. And it seems I am definitely not alone. Amy Constable also shares this love and has taught herself all about this impeccable artistry over a number of years while running her business Saint Gertrude Design & Letterpress.
At a time when there wasn't a great deal of information on this centuries-old printing technique, Amy bought herself a 800kg letterpress (affectionately known as Gordon) and began the process of educating herself on the history of letterpress and the knowledge required to actually be able to use the press. Now let me tell you about Gordon… the best word to describe him is impressive. He commands attention and respect from the moment you see him - maybe this is primarily due to his large size or perhaps the fact that he's a very good looking press! The other thing about Gordon is that he is quite daunting and after watching Amy show me how he works, I have a new found appreciation for the skills required to operate a letterpress machine. It is indeed manual labour that requires a lot of love, time and effort. But the results you can achieve are clearly worth this effort.
Amy started Saint Gertrude Design and Letterpress in 2009 and since that time has primarily been involved in creating beautiful wedding stationery. From save-the-date cards to custom designed invites, Amy knows how to achieve the perfect stationery for your big day. In addition to this, Amy has also recently created her own retail collection that includes cards and prints inspired by children's stories.
It all seems to be happening for Amy - including possibly holding some Letterpress Workshops in the future at her new studio.
And this isn't just any studio. Amy and her press now reside in Little Gold Studios (how good is this name!?) in Brunswick. The studio is filled with natural light, lots of plants and is the ideal environment for a creative to thrive. The space is shared by like-minded creatives from a range of other disciplines and I was instantly impressed with how the space had been so beautifully decorated. Let's just say I wanted to leave my job and move in, it was that good.
My afternoon with Amy (and Gordon) was a pleasure and I can only recommend that if you get a chance to attend one of Amy's letterpress workshops, then do. It will be memorable, inspiring and, like Gordon himself, impressive.
Saint Gertrude Design & Letterpress Little Gold Studios 13 Little Gold Street, Brunswick, Victoria 3056 Email: hello@saintgertrude.com.au
All photos by Catherine Harvey.
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Catherine Harvey lives and breathes design. Working at one of Melbourne’s top studio’s, she is rarely ever away from her computer. She loves to keep up to date with the design industry in a global and local context and follows too many blogs to count! You can follow her findings here.
Bricks and Mortar: Bequeath & Bestow
By Catherine Harvey Bequeath & Bestow is a vintage furniture and homewares boutique owned by Chella Monaghan. Chella not only owns this store, she also manages it full time - sourcing all the unique items and restoring all of the pieces of furniture herself. What this creates is an eclectic mix of 'one-offs' that would easily satisfy a range of tastes.
Although the store is relatively new (having opened in July 2012), and also relatively small, within it contains some of the most lovely and affordable pieces of furniture that I have seen.
Chella's has added her own personal touch to the many items and in this way it is definitely an easy store to come back to again and again. Fortunately, since the stock changes quite quickly, you can return and enjoy a unique experience each time you walk in - what you saw in the store last week has probably sold, but it has also been replaced with another equally amazing item.
In addition to keeping up with the demands of a retail space, Chella devotes a lot of her time to ensuring that Bequeath and Bestow's Facebook page stays current and provides an accessible way for customers to find out what is in store now or what may be coming into the shop in the future, along with the prices. The Facebook page describes the store perfectly. "We have an eclectic mix, so whether you are after the French provincial look, a bit of rustic, a little taste of industrial, something up cycled and reinvented for a new life or maybe just the quirky, please drop by."
Chella has embraced the shop's location on Brighton's Martin Street and has even joined the Traders Association to promote and help attract more people to the area. The street itself, I must admit, does seem to lack it's own identity and sense of community. But although Martin Street may not currently be a destination in itself, Bequeath & Bestow certainly is.
144 Martin Street, Brighton, Victoria 3186 Phone: (03) 9596 7591 Wednesday - Friday: 10am – 5pm Saturday: 10am – 4pm Sunday: 10am – 2pm
Catherine Harvey lives and breathes design. Working at one of Melbourne’s top studio’s, she is rarely ever away from her computer. She loves to keep up to date with the design industry in a global and local context and follows too many blogs to count! You can follow her findings here.
Bricks and Mortar: Total Balance - Kate James
By Catherine Harvey Kate James loves working with people. In particular, her clients are generally 'creative' types who have reached a point in their lives where they need to do something differently but don't know how to do it on their own. In many ways, I wonder if this is the nature of a lot of creative people and their insatiable desire to improve themselves and strive for perfection.
I, myself, am a perfectionist and through this character trait I also know that it causes a great deal of angst and introspection to ascertain what will actually make me happy. With all people - women in particular - I can understand that there is a level of difficulty in finding the correct balance in your life. From juggling your career, your family, social life, exercise and general wellbeing there seems to exist a constant pressure of having to do it all - and be happy.
This is the area of expertise that Kate identifies with and provides her clients insight into. The notion of deciphering what you value in life may seem quite simple, however, I think when each of us actually tries to articulate this, the answers become far more complex than we first realised. It's quite easy to say that we would like to be happy but actually achieving this is another story. For example, Do you believe you would be happier if you were earning more money?
Having recently attended a Happiness Conference, Kate discussed with me that studies have indicated that financial happiness reaches its peak at around $50-60,000 per year and that even when you receive more than this there is a marginal difference in your levels of happiness. This reminded me of the stories you hear about people winning Tattslotto and that shortly after their elation of the increase in money their happiness levels return to their previous state. So, if we all know that money doesn't create happiness then the next important question remains - what does?
Kate's approach to assisting her clients is to take on a mentoring/coaching role. Her methodology is to uncover the answers that you already have. With eleven years of training behind her, I can tell you that even from the short time I was there I noticed a difference in my own desire to discover what I most valued in life and how I could actually achieve my dreams. As a creative myself, I know that I need to dream. It keeps me sane to imagine a different reality. I think the challenge in this lies with assessing where my strengths actually are and being practical about what I want to do and how I can achieve this.
What Kate offers isn't the traditional 'bricks and mortar' retail experience. It is, however, an exploration of the mind to truly ascertain what you value, what your dreams are and also creating a situation where you are accountable for taking actions to achieve these goals. Sometimes all you really need is someone to listen for you to uncover the answers. And really, if you can achieve this then surely you have found something that money can't buy.
Total Balance - Career, Business and Life Coaching 454 Collins Street Melbourne 3000. P 9505 0424. totalbalance.com.au
Catherine Harvey lives and breathes design. Working at one of Melbourne’s top studio’s, she is rarely ever away from her computer. She loves to keep up to date with the design industry in a global and local context and follows too many blogs to count! You can follow her findings here.
Bricks and Mortar: Empire Vintage
By Catherine Harvey Vintage, adj. - Too old to be considered modern, but not old enough to be considered antique. Source: Urban Dictionary.
There is something about the word 'vintage' that instantly conjures up an image in my mind of an amazing collectible that I don't have, but definitely want. There is a distinct sense of accomplishment when I find a unique item that could either be a perfect addition to my home or a thoughtful present to someone who has it all. Empire Vintage is exactly the store to find these unique pieces.
The design aesthetic, as described by owner Lynda Gardener, is "a mix of vintage industrial, rustic, country, touch of French, which forever evolves and changes, however the aesthetic is always vintage. I may change colours and styles but it must always be old and filled with character." And character is certainly what fills this store. There is an eclectic mix of old jars, boxing gloves, gardening books and industrial lighting (along with pigeon hole shelving that contains plenty more) that really does cover a large spectrum of potential 'finds'.
The store itself, perhaps similar to the items it houses, also has it's own unique history that has evolved over the last twenty years (to be celebrated next March 2014). Firstly, the interiors were decorated in country rustic, then it became more feminine with lots of whites and florals whereas now the current, and very recent, fit out has an old hardware store feel that has been painted with charcoals and greys. The aesthetic changes to the store does, fortunately, coincide with the fact that Lyn also runs her own interior design business (Gardener & Marks). In addition to this, she also owns and runs the boutique accommodation in Daylesford (The White House) which is basically a combination of 'Empire Vintage' in an actual 'home' environment - styled, of course, by Lyn herself.
Now Lyn (as you can already tell) is a woman with drive. Her career began as a visual merchandiser/stylist for Levi Strauss setting up concept stores and training employees around Australia. It was this, along with being a collector from a young age, that propelled her into the business woman she has become today. As to work and life balance, Lyn now manages to juggle all three businesses whilst at the same time giving herself every weekend off. Now that is inspiring! How has she achieved this? As she says, "I have believed in myself and always given opportunities a go. I never wanted to to hear myself saying, 'I should have or I could have.' " So, to this day, Lyn still has a list of challenges she would like to achieve - including one she is secretly working on right now so keep your eyes out for what's next.
In the meantime, you could always head to Empire Vintage to find the next item for your own collection.
63 Cardigan Place, Albert Park Victoria 3206 Phone: (03) 9682 6677 Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm Sunday 11am – 4pm
Catherine Harvey lives and breathes design. Working at one of Melbourne’s top studio’s, she is rarely ever away from her computer. She loves to keep up to date with the design industry in a global and local context and follows too many blogs to count! You can follow her findings here.