Born this way
MARK PATRICK’S DEBUT HOMEWARES STORE IS AN EXPLORATION INTO ONE-OFF DELIGHTS AND COLLABORATIONS.
ENTERING MARK PATRICK’S just-opened homewares store, Born, located in the heart of a small coastal town north of Sydney, brings with it a delicious sense of discovery. Born — an acronym of the words borrowed, old, refurbished, new — is a magic culmination of a lifetime of travel and collecting for Patrick, the former MD of a Sydney-based PR and event company, who left the city for a sea change three years ago. When he first moved to the area, the eloquently spoken Patrick took up full-time gardening on his expansive one hectare block near MacMasters Beach in Kincumber. It didn’t take long, however, to lose his green thumb. “I grew bored,” he explains. “Nature kept beating me. After a year of work, a hailstorm came and 35 minutes later there was nothing left. That’s when I decided to open the store.” Interspersed among Patrick’s expertly curated vignettes featuring objets from travels as far afield as Africa, New Guinea and Afghanistan are handcrafted works by a collective of creative friends who contribute to the one-of-a-kind-feel inherent to the store’s ethos. Former antiques dealer Joan Bowers supplies sumptuous bedding as well as a capsule collection of clothing, French-seamed and made in India using locally sourced, vegetable-dyed organic cotton. Paper artist James Gordon, who also styles the store, creates an exclusive line of his quirky, three-dimensional artworks; there’s delicate porcelain from Chiang Mai by designer Colin Davies; handmade objets from Patrick’s long-term partner Geoffrey Veivers’ Tall Gums collection; and another exclusive — delightful illustrations from renowned children’s artist Louise Pfanner. “I’ve really just grouped together a whole a bunch of friends,” says Patrick. The final ingredient to the gallery-style space is selected works from artists who make up the thriving coastal community. “I get a lot of people coming in… I really want to support local talent,” he says. Destination retail at its most creative, Born is also a savvy investment in the future for Patrick, who plans to fund his love of tableware and travel — he managed four overseas trips last year — with help from his new venture. “I’ve always travelled but the idea is as soon as I turn enough over, I’ll jump on a plane and go on another trip... It’ll only get busier, and then I can travel more.” From Kincumber to Colombo, for Patrick the magic of Born is just beginning. Visit born.net. au.