Design Notes

"...Be kinder and trust the process. Everything happens for a reason..."

"...Aim to find a path that motivates and excites. I’m so lucky that I wake up majority of days excited about what lays ahead. Being your own boss is also wonderful in helping juggle family and work life balance..."

"...I believe in the genius of mistakes. Although ideas are often personalized per project, sometimes when you work through them you realize they don’t belong. I trust that most ideas are born for a reason, and they may actually have been manifested for a future creation..."

"...Being a working mom has made me appreciate the time I have with my daughter even more. I make a conscious effort to be present when I'm around her. Her current age is beautiful in itself, as she notices the little things like bees on flowers and the birds. Sometimes, it's nice to slow down and appreciate the small moments, blocking out the negative and fostering good energy for the creative process.. "

A Moment in Place with Montarna Pitt  Physically, where are you right now? Are you at home, on holiday, in the office or elsewhere?   I’m at home in Paddington, Sydney, drinking a coffee in my kitchen. How does your current...

".. My mother uses a euphemism to describe friendship. "Friendships are like trees - Sometimes branches break off, some will bear fruit" It's always been a good reminder to make hard choices. If someone's morals don't align with your own - Get out the chainsaw! Hahaha.. "

"..I dream of weekends spent at home, getting lost in a book, working in the garden and cooking. During the week I run on such a tight schedule, finding creative refuge is as simple as having no plans and being as far away from my phone and laptop as possible! .."

 

".. I think creativity and creative practices have helped me get through some of my most challenging times. I often rely on craft practices as meditative practices to help me cope with stress. Things like knitting, sewing, and cross stitching are all activities that take me out of the “here and now” and fuel my creativity and keep me calm.."

“In many ways my entire life is an achievement outside the expectation. I grew up very far away from the lifestyle I have today as an immigrant child with parents living off the social welfare system... certainly not an expected...

“...The biggest personal milestone aside from my beautiful children has been finding my inner confidence, my own voice and essentially my own style. All those things I had questioned for so many years. I dropped out of school at 16,...

“When I first started my blog aged 22 and started to put myself out there… I felt quite a lot of negativity and judgement from peripheral friends. I had to really put the blinkers on and pretend no one I...

“My biggest achievement is to have been able to find my voice and express my stories without trying to please anyone. What you see at Maison Balzac is my true, honest perception of the world.” - Elise Pioch Balzac French-born, Sydney-based,...

Having followed her trajectory almost since its beginning,  we wanted to chat a little more with Rachel Donath about how she lives, the interior objects she loves and the things that she can’t live without.

“When it comes to visualizing the potential of creating a positive impact, my childhood has played a large role. I have gone through my life with so much gratitude for the opportunities that came with being granted asylum to the...

“My clients are people who understand that…I am selling my time and my instruction, but what I am also selling is every book I have read, every movie scene I have been influenced by, every concert I have been an...

“Storytelling is woven through everything I do… I believe that when you follow your passions, the energy that goes into your work is woven with this magic...” - Amanda Shadforth Amanda Shadforth is an artist in the purest sense. Her’s...

“I have loved every minute of my life—the tough parts of growing a business are really what you look back on and reflect on as the best years.” - Natasha Schweitzer    While design runs in her blood, Natasha Schweitzer...

“I am proud of myself for listening closely to that quiet whisper of instinct and for taking a chance on what I love.” - Ashley Kane Harper While many of us found inspiration in mood boards made of magazine tears,...

Donath believes the most striking spaces convey a confident expression of the personalities and people who inhabit it. They're anything but cookie cutter. Which is something that can be said about the quality furniture that's become synonymous with her name. It's objects as art. Slow furnishings. Quality pieces made in good conscience and with intention.

“{What are my personal and creative rituals?} Playing my beautiful Grand Piano. Always by myself - it's my personal time. Nothing makes me happier.” - Jason Jones Jason M. Jones knows a thing or two about savoir-faire. Owner of Melbourne’s iconic...

“The most important factors in my success are personalization, consistency, honesty, and speed. This combination has been vital to the development and growth of my business.” - Gab Waller Queen of the coveted, Gab Waller has reduced the little black...