Regional Shopping Guide
DURING THIS TIME WHEN WE MUST STAY AT HOME, JUMP ONLINE OR PICK UP THE PHONE TO SUPPORT THESE REGIONAL STORES.
NEW SOUTH WALES The Beauty Room
The town of Warren, in New South Wales’ Central West, sits on the Macquarie River and services many of the surrounding wool, cotton, sheep, cattle and broadacre farms. While crippling drought has affected the area in recent years, The Beauty Room has been providing locals with welcome distraction when they need it. Laura Noonan describes her shop, opened in 2012, as a “fresh modern space, providing women with a place to meet and enjoy beauty and retail therapy”. The restored building boasts high ceilings, pure white walls, polished timber and concrete floors. Laura offers waxing, tinting and spray tanning, along with a colourful range of clothing, accessories, homewares and baby products. She admits bags and wallets are her weakness — there’s a stylish option to suit everyone, be it in leather or neoprene. And as if we needed an excuse, it’s great to support our rural communities in tough times, so if you’re not nearby you can shop from home via @thebeautyroomwarren’s Instagram page. 132 Dubbo Street, Warren, 0409 913 137, facebook.com.au/ thebeautyroomwarren
The Studio
Not far from Warren is the little town of Trangie. It’s home to another amazing retail gem, one that multi-tasks as an open art studio and espresso bar. Named simply The Studio, the whitewashed space is light-filled and uncluttered, selling on-trend homewares in cool neutrals and earth colours. Owner Lottie Mccutcheon brings a free-spirited approach to the space and her energy is catching. “We thrive off our relaxed vibe and the local chit-chat of our customers catching up,” she says. “We always have something new going on — it’s not unusual to find someone painting in the middle of the store or doing yoga in our adjoining building. We love that anything goes and that we aren’t bound to the ‘normal’ rules of running a café.” She adds, “We have regular pop-up stores that join us and we absolutely love collaborating.” Lottie tells us people often stumble across the store and are surprised to find great food, Bills Beans coffee, her bohemian homewares and indoor plants in such a rural setting. Follow @thestudio_trangie on Instagram to find out about upcoming art exhibitions, in-store market days and the arrival of new brands. 14 Dandaloo Street, Trangie, thestudiotrangie.com.
NORTHERN TERRITORY Messa Living
Andrea Savvas has lived in Darwin for as long as she can remember. Her many years in the local retail scene, first selling footwear then interiors, has taught her one very important lesson: to stock a diverse range of products, especially when servicing a smaller market. Messa Living brings this mantra to life, with clothing, natural skincare, rugs, cushions, furniture, wall hangings, and an impressive variety of tableware on offer. It’s evident that Andrea really understands her clientele and is mindful that there are no major department stores in the city. She sources smart-yetmainstream homewares for her customers, by the likes of Salt & Pepper, Keepsake and Peter Lang, then merchandises them with unique products from local artisans. She believes in buying things she really loves (her style is minimal, slightly tropical), but is always happy to source one-off pieces at customers’ requests. Moved by a quote she read while on holiday in Rome with her family in 2015, ‘less house, more home’, it’s inspiring to see the way Andrea has reflected that sentiment in her business. You can browse Messa Living’s products online or via Instagram @messaliving. Shop
T3, 56 Smith Street, Darwin,
(08) 8941 3663, messa.com.au
QUEENSLAND The Linen Cupboard
Yamba-born Karena Wilson moved from Brisbane to Dirranbandi for the love of her life. She remembers the first time she drove down the main street of the tiny farming town, admitting a tear rolled down her cheek at the thought of such a change from city life. Fast-forward to one year later and she was taking a leap of faith on her recurring thought as to whether a retail store could possibly work in the area, as it had many years ago when the town was booming. Karena wanted to bring more convenience for locals. “No one wants to drive a two-hour return trip to buy a small present, a new set of sheets or a work shirt to replace the one that was torn on the fence the day prior,” she tells us. Eight years on and the shop is five >
“We always have something new going on — it’s not unusual to find someone painting in the middle of the store or doing yoga in our adjoining building.”
times its original size. Dirranbandi’s answer to a country department store, Karena tells us The Linen Cupboard has “everything from beautiful soft sheets by trusted brands such as Canningvale, to lovely linens for the kitchen, to classic storybooks you can curl up on the couch with and read to the kids”. She adds, “I’m still standing and I’m not going to let this drought get the best of me.” You can shop Karena’s collection, which includes wallets and bags by Status Anxiety and Elms & King, candles by Ecoya, quirky linen tablecloths from Kip & Co, hankerchiefs in Liberty prints, and warm woollens by Eb & Ive, in store or via her website. 34–36 Railway Street, Dirranbandi, 0438 402 478, thelinencupboard.com.au
Chase & Hide
Word of mouth is a powerful thing and we know it’s alive and well in our rural communities. Vynka Greenhalgh attributes the success of her studio Chase & Hide to this, saying it was Toowoomba locals who spread the love about her unique cow hide floor rugs. Once displayed over the fence at her sons’ primary school, with plenty of weekend market stalls to follow, Vynka now sells the rugs, artisan-designed bags, wallets and other leather travel goods (tanned without chemicals) via her website and from her private Art Deco studio. Humble about her reputation for excellent customer service and small-town business values, Vynka muses that “most people are just really drawn to the leather or have been sent along by a friend”. Follow @chase_and_hide on Instagram to catch her pop-up shops in Toowoomba’s Grand Central mall, make an appointment to visit the studio or shop online. Jellicoe Street, Toowoomba, 0439 667 255, chaseandhide.com.au
SOUTH AUSTRALIA Living by Design
Tim and Rebecca Bowring were still living in London when they bought Tim’s mother’s iconic Adelaide Hills business, Balhannah by Design, in 2015. Tim, then a merchant banker, and Bec, finance director at global retail-giant Top Shop, both knew they wanted to raise the bar in the Australian furniture scene. Having since moved home, they rebranded the shops as Living by Design and now operate five throughout South Australia, plus a booming online outlet. Tim tells us the huge range of furniture, homewares and fashion is curated to be beautiful yet affordable and is exclusively co-designed with partners, both here and in Europe, Indonesia, Vietnam, China and Japan.
If Living by Design sounds familiar, it might be because you already follow @livingby_design on Instagram. Their inspirational feed depicts dreamy residences (think sprawling country houses, Hamptons homes and cool city dwellings) that are architectural but classic, with modern lifestyle elements making them extra covetable. You’ll find this timeless aesthetic reflected in Tim and Bec’s collection, so next time you’re imagining being curled up on that couch or entertaining on that fabulous outdoor table you can click through to the website, head into the flagship Adelaide Hills store or visit the Norwood, Barossa, Victor Harbour or Port Elliot locations.
5/37 Onkaparinga Valley Road, Balhannah, (08) 8388 4213, livingbydesign.net.au
TASMANIA Ecoco
Tucked away in a heritage precinct of Launceston, Ecoco might be a little off the beaten track but it’s certainly no secret. The store comes highly recommended by interior lovers all over Australia and has a loyal Instagram following (@ecoco.com.au). Adored for its calming atmosphere, neutral-toned furniture, textured homewares and owner Di Loone’s authentic eclectic style, the shop is frequented by locals and is a destination in itself for visitors. Guests are even known to book a few nights at Di’s interior-designed accommodation upstairs, just so they can experience what’s below. Browse hardware by Society Inc, Annie Sloan chalk paint, slip-covered sofas, cushions, lamps, mirrors, and an exceptional array of framed and canvas prints. Di says her customers can’t get enough of her linen clothing and bedding (keep an eye out for luxurious Beduoin Societe bath and hand towels, landing soon) and in the cooler months, a cosy range of wool and cashmere. 51 Balfour Street, Launceston, (03) 6331 6440, ecoco.com.au
VICTORIA Clay Beehive
Milawa is a small rural town at the heart of Victoria’s renowned King Valley Wine and Milawa Gourmet Regions. It’s here that Melanie Eliades works, from a humble space she calls Clay Beehive Studio. She makes wonderfully textured ceramic plates, bowls, mugs and cups, with, she tells us, “the roller door open most days, no matter the weather, and with dogs as studio mates, plus a large selection of birdlife”. It’s clear Mel takes her inspiration from nature, namely the backdrop of majestic 100-year-old river red gums nearby. The studio is open by appointment where, depending on stock levels, you can pick
“Everything from beautiful soft sheets by trusted brands... to lovely linens for the kitchen, to classic storybooks you can curl up on the couch with and read to the kids... I’m still standing and I’m not going to let this drought get the best of me.”
up platters in moody blacks, delicate white petal bowls, misshapen rustic side plates made with gritty clay in shades of cream and mottled greys, as well as her more colourful signature spotted pieces. Follow @claybeehive on Instagram for more, shop Mel’s range online or visit stockist
7th Pocket in Yackandanda.
Milawa, claybeehive.com
Ink & Feathers
If you’re visiting Warrnambool, at the end of Victoria’s glorious Great Ocean Road, you might be there to spot whales and enjoy the idyllic seaside location. We can highly recommend adding a quick trip to the heart of town to your itinerary, to seek out Ink & Feathers. Mother-daughter duo Sharron Elliott and Faith Bermingham stock a chic and vibrant collection of largely Australian giftware that contributes to the ‘art of living’ — the ethos that informs their thoughtful buying. Shop hand-screen printed cushions by Bonnie and Neil, fun and funky Kip & Co textiles, travel goods by Byron Bay’s Wandering Folk, wall tiles by Jai Vasicek, Pottery for The Planet’s reusable coffee cups and cool decorative planters by Angus & Celeste. Follow @inkandfeathers on Instagram to see more. 90 Fairy Street, Warrnambool, (03) 5562 2770
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Frisky Deer
Frisky Deer is the brainchild of former accountant and self-confessed serial renovator, Dee Donegan. Dee describes her shop and café as “a haven of handmade and vintage furniture, artwork, gifts and, more recently, clothing”. She and her husband Dayle expanded to a custom-built two-level space in coastal Mandurah last year, having initially opened in 2015. Even with high ceilings and lovely big windows, Dee says “it feels warm because there are so many pieces made from elements of the earth, that are real and have a story”. Customers come for the Margaret River Roasting Co. coffee (served in handmade ceramic mugs with homemade cakes) and, more often than not, leave with a purchase from Dee’s playful on-trend range. “Some of our favourite artists are Kaz Morton Ceramics, Lumiere Art & Co., Sunday Lane and local WA creatives Laced with Kindness, Mae Button Ceramics and Lost & Found Art Co.,” she says. “We love Australian brands Robert Gordon, Jones and Co, Status Anxiety, Salus and Papaya, too.” You can follow @friskydeer_interiors on Instagram and shop online. The Observatory, 12 San Polo Vista, Mandurah, 0438 020 484, friskydeer.com.au