Local garden

I walk past this garden on the way to the shops. I love the fact that even in the city you get such generosity and a feeling of community....

Jordy Fu

Jordy Fu Angel Lamp

Its been over a week since I last wrote, I just don't know how The Design Files does it every day when work gets hectic. Hopefully I will get to pick her brains one day as I really love her blog.

I spotted these lamps in the latest edition of Green Magazine. They are made by architect Jordy Fu. They are such beautiful sculptural pieces and remind me of fairy tales. I would love to see the shadows they would cast...

The lamps are made from recycled paper and treated so they are not flamable.

I Ran The Wrong Way

Yesterday was blessed by the little kick you get from a small world experience that makes you feel like all the pieces are fitting together.
I'd been meaning to head into a cute new store on Cleveland St I Ran The Wrong Way and only when another store didn't have what I was after did I remember about this new shop.

When I entered, I realised I had previously worked with owner and founder Melinda Tually as she is another filmy who has moved into the sustainable design industry. Mel set up the store on a whim after a friend kept pestering her to check out this great space for lease. I understand why- the architecture in itself has so much character, and Mel has added to that with a warm eclectic mix of second hand furniture acting as displays for the vast mix of products.
She stocks Keep Cups, Bio PLates, Bholu soft furnishings and more.
This tiny store is loaded with so many green products it feels like you could keep looking for hours and still find something new.

Tika

I used to pop into the old Skipping Girl shop for a bit of fun on my way walking to my friend's house in Bondi. Sadly it is no longer there, but I discovered some very skipping girl looking products at Koskela last time I went there (on a tangent, I must write about Koskela).

It turns out Skipping girl has teamed up with a Peruvian woman to make a range of sustainable accessories, toys and homewares called Tika.
'Its aim is to combine the Peruvian women’s traditional knitting and crochet techniques with Allen’s own contemporary design skills to create a new and original range of lifestyle products.'
'At the Peruvian end of this unique partnership are 280 women from two of the capital’s most populated districts, Tres de Mayo and Cerro Candella. The aim is to help these people of the Candela district earn a sustainable income for them and their families.' (images and text from website)

Tika also has a whole section on their website in relation to their involvement in community development projects. Such an inspiration.

Sydney classic

Cloth has to be one of Sydney's best sustainable homewares stores.
I remember when I first saw their products- I was working on a TV series and someone had bought some small woodblock prints for set dressing, I thought they were the best thing about the whole set! I've been a fan ever since and regularly try and squeeze them into a project I am working on.

Besides being so unique, the Cloth fabric range is so inspiring because it is all made using hemp and linen, in a small shed in rural NSW. The small batch production method sticks to the keeping it local theme.The shop also has a great range of reupholstered vintage furniture.

Love love.

Keeping it in the family

Sydney festival has started, Obama has announced $2.3 billion in tax credits for clean energy manufacturing, and today I'm going to post about my ever so talented cousin.

Anna Wili Highfield started creating her hand made paper and found object sculptures when she had her new baby and took time off working as a scenic painter Opera Australia.
She crafts her animals by sewing torn cotton archival paper, and that is much better for longevity on recycled timber block stands.
What started off as a one off bird mobile for her young daughter, has now become Ana-Wili's business, with her being commissioned to exhibit at the Rockerfeller centre in NYC later this year.
Such a talent.

Memories of the north

Jan Billycan 'Kirriwirri'

Jan Billycan 'Kirriwirri'

Lydia Balbal Gjinabalyi 'Kalarmidi'

This time last year I had just come back from working on The Circuit having spent three and a half months in Broome- a magical part of Australia.
I was lucky enough to spend time with the wonderful people at Short Street Gallery.
Short St is the longest indigenous running gallery in Broome, the gallery endeavours to purchase indigenous artworks from established and reputable community owned Art Centres. This ensures that artists are paid the market value for their work and the integrity and reputation of the artist is respected.
Short St has been responsible for showcasing many spectacular artists that many otherwise never have been seen such as Alma Webou, Jan Billycan, Lydia Balbal Gjinabalyi.

This is the first day of your life

Hooray for my first post!
I am an Art Director working in the film industry based in Sydney...this comes with it's ups and downs. I originally got into the film industry with this blind belief that it was a way of utilising art to change the world. Well that might not have actually happened but one great bonus is that as I am continually sourcing and searching I stumble across the most fantastic sustainable products constantly.
So Goodie is all about showcasing these amazing designers, artists, companies that are doing their bit to create beauty whilst considering the world that they are a part of. In various ways.

I was in Planet Furniture yesterday looking for some ceramic lamps and thought they are a wonderful place to start.
Planet's bespoke range is made using certified sustainably grown range timber from re-growth australian forests rather than old growth or rainforest timber. Their products are all made locally by handcraft, limited batch production and ethical practices.
And their shop always looks stunning!