The Creative Type Passionate plantspeople Lauren Camilleri and and Sophia Kaplan of Leaf Supply.
A mutual love of plants led art director Lauren and florist Sophia to launch indoor-plant business, Leaf Supply. They’ve since co-authored three books on plant care.
Lauren: My parents instilled a strong work
ethic in me. Dad is very creative and I think, subconsciously, I was inspired by that. It certainly led me down a creative career path.
Sophia: My parents always encouraged us to try
everything. They were very open-minded and supportive of whatever we chose to pursue. Nonno grew lots of herbs and vegetables and I really enjoyed spending time gardening with him.
L: The variety of the work is probably one of
the most appealing aspects of running Leaf Supply. Between updating our socials, creating marketing material and getting my hands dirty potting up plants, it’s a nice change for someone who used to be pretty much chained to a computer. S: I love that no two
work days are the same. We might be visiting nurseries to select plants, shooting products for the website, putting visuals together or writing copy for our books.
L: Working with plants is inherently therapeutic and encouraging others to bring plants into their lives is a genuinely lovely pursuit. The opportunity to be creative – whether that’s styling plants in a space, creating beautiful content, collaborating with amazing brands or producing our books – also makes me happy.
S: Music always makes me happier. When I’m working, I love listening to podcasts – favourites include Conversations, The Daily, All in the Mind, and Ladies, We Need to Talk. L: I’ve always loved having music playing while I work, except if I’m writing. Classic soul is the perfect vibe when I’m designing. I’m also a sucker for a true crime podcast or The Junkees podcast for a laugh and some nostalgia.
S: Finding the balance between being creative and the nitty gritty of the business can be
challenging. We’ve just celebrated 100k copies sold of our books. I never thought I’d be an author, so this feels like quite an achievement, and I’m very proud of us both. L: Publishing our books was something we never expected
to do but producing them and seeing people genuinely love them is something I’m super proud of. Our latest book, Plantopedia, recently won an award and Sophia and I were seriously chuffed not just for ourselves but all of the awesome people we worked with to create it.
S: Having your own business can be overwhelming
at times, but I try to make sure we take a good break every year. I’m getting better at switching off from work without feeling guilty. It’s easier now that I have a toddler and there’s not much choice but to focus on him when we’re together. L: Finding balance is a perpetual struggle, but I’m trying to implement a few things to improve it. Exercise is a big one. Fridays are my day with my daughter, Frankie, and I switch off from work on that day and
just work focus done on anyway! her. Not that she’d let me get any
S: Working with creative friends is always a big source of inspiration. beautiful gardens or spending As is wandering time in through the bush.
L: Collaborating with people from different disciplines
lead to incredibly is always creative very nourishing outcomes. and I find can that really exciting and rewarding.
S: I have a long list of people who inspire me! I designer love the Piet grassy Oudolf, perennial the Brutalist landscapes architecture of of Ricardo Bofill, the garden musings of Alice Vincent and Monty Don, indoor plantspeople like Anno Leon and Jane Lloyd, and floral wonders like Ruby Barber, Amy Humphreys, Jardine Hansen and Eliza Rogers. L: I love the work of Australian artist Lucy O’Doherty and the sculptural and stunningly textured architecture of Sydney’s Smart Design Studio. The biophilic design of Conservatory Archives in London is divine.
S: My favourite plant has to be Monstera
deliciosa, aka Swiss cheese plant. A fastgrowing, easy-care, graphic beauty that’s a great place to start. I also have a thing for cardboard palms ( Zamia furfuracea) and Australian native elkhorn ferns ( Platycerium
bifurcatum). L: Monstera deliciosa got me hooked on indoor plants and I have many in my collection but I’m yet to find a philodendron I don’t love.
S: My idea of luxury is a wild but well-tended garden, both indoors and out. L: Luxury? I’d be happy with a night in a hotel on my own.
S: In terms of travel destinations that have inspired my work, I love the verdant, rambling gardens of the English countryside, and the incredible floral foraging in the French Alps.
L: Travel is a huge inspiration for me. When I lived in London, I loved visiting the Barbican Centre for the exhibitions, the architecture and the plants. The opportunity to shoot there for our second book was a dream come true.
S: A dream project for us would be to make
a TV show. Something fun and casual. Perhaps an excuse for us to peek at the plants and spaces of cool creative people.
L: There is no shortage of great cafes and
restaurants in my area [Alexandria, NSW]. Mecca or Welcome Dose in nearby Rosebery would be my pick for coffee/brunch. For dinner, it’s Pino’s Vino et Cucina, hands down.
S: Where I live [in Sydney’s Annandale], Cornersmith makes great coffee and has a beautiful food ethos; Cherry Moon is my pick of the bakeries. Close to our studio in Marrickville, Double Tap Coffee has great service, good coffee and simple, yummy food. # leaf-supply.com
“Seeing people genuinely love our books is something I’m super proud of.” Lauren