Black, White & Rouge. Daylesford. Homewares | Gifts | Vintage | Handmade

Daylesford Makers Market: November 27

2010-11-26T14:18:00.000+11:00

It's on tomorrow and it's a big one - over 50 stalls full of goodies for a handmade Christmas. The award-winning Daylesford Makers Market opens at 10am and runs till 3pm.

And if you want to make a day of it, don't forget that it's also Daylesford Show Day!

Winners! Daylesford Makers Market

2010-11-12T15:25:00.000+11:00

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the Hepburn Tourism awards night as part of a group from the Daylesford Makers Market, which was nominated for an award in the Tourism Operator category. And we won!

I think this is a fantastic achievement, especially given that the first market was held just two years ago, and it's only been running regularly this year.

The board praised the standards and organisation of our market: 'a very well organised and professionally operated Makers Market selling quality product. The Organising Committee combines their individual skill sets in business management and marketing. The Market has a clear vision and feedback from stallholders and visitors provides input into long and short-term goals that are monitored monthly'.

Allison Jones, the market's founder, was there to accept the award and was a bit overwhelmed! But this is a great reward for her hard work and vision in getting the market going. It's proving to be a drawcard for Daylesford as well as an outlet for so many talented artists and crafters in the area. I love being part of the organising committee with a great group of skilled and enthusiastic people, and hope that we can continue to build on what Allison has started!

Image: Tourism Hepburn

Daylesford Makers Market: November 6

2010-11-04T15:12:00.001+11:00

It's on again this Saturday, November 6! Once again, we have plenty of new faces as well as some very popular regulars. We also have delicious Turkish gozleme prepared on the spot; Mama's Gozleme were recently written up in The Age as one of Melbourne's best market snacks.

At the Town Hall in Vincent Street, 10am to 3pm.

After this one, there are only two more markets before Christmas: November 27, and the Twilight Market on December 18 from 4pm to 10pm. Mark them in your diaries now!

See you on Saturday!

Alphabet drawers

2010-11-01T15:33:00.000+11:00

This is incredible. A handmade chest of drawers, with each drawer fronted by a letter. The drawers vary in size as you can see below. A dream piece ...

From here. Found via Design*Sponge.

The bad news and the good news

2010-09-02T15:34:00.000+10:00

So the bad news is that Wolf at the Door has closed its doors. Magali and Jason are concentrating now on their new space, Stockroom in Kyneton, so they have moved Wolf at the Door over there. We will miss them here, but I guess it just means more trips over to Kyneton to keep up with them!

The good news is that we have another fantastic new space that's just opened in Duke Street - Sister George! It's a beautifully renovated home/gallery with some stunning art and handmade goods. I particularly loved the quirky handmade hats. They even have hats for people who don't wear hats! They're all made here in Daylesford on site at Sister George. So make sure you pop in for a look next time you're in Daylesford.

Great article about "Handmade Love"

2010-08-30T15:47:00.001+10:00

This is a cool article about making things by hand and what it means, by fashion designer James Cameron. One of the comments reminded me of the time my husband snuck into my craft supplies and made a Christmas gift tag with a black cat on it for my gift. Such a great feeling when someone makes something just for you!

James' handmade teddy is deaf and blind though - hmmmm ...

[Photo by James Cameron]

Daylesford Makers Market: September 2010

2010-08-22T16:35:00.000+10:00

Daylesford's excellent Makers Market is on again in a couple of weeks: September 4 to be precise! There will be heaps of new makers as well as some old favourites, so it's well worth a visit. It's back to the usual hours, 10am to 3pm, at the Town Hall. Mark it in your calendar now so you don't forget!

Stockroom is open!

2010-07-16T16:55:00.000+10:00

I went to Kyneton on Wednesday to check out Magali and Jason's new venture, Stockroom. It is stunning, of course! They've done heaps of work on an old butter factory (which has more recently been a woolstore) to turn it into a fabulous, creative gallery and retail space. They've left much of the space in its natural industrial state, and reused many of the fixtures and fittings in creative ways.

Here's Magali standing in their clothing "forest", which surrounds the cute "changing cabin".

Image by Megan Spencer

As always they have a great mix of new and vintage stock and amazing artworks, including Jason's own sculptures. So if you're in the Kyneton area, pop in and check it out - I guarantee you will love it!

Amsterdam: Made by Hand

2010-07-08T14:37:00.001+10:00

I just started reading Amsterdam: Made by Hand, a new book by Australian interiors stylist Pia Jane Bijkerk. I picked it up in Melbourne last week because I knew it would give me heaps of inspiration for displays, and I'm loving it so far. It's a small book but I'm rationing it so I've only peeked at a few pages! (I know, I'm silly!)

Pia Jane Bijkerk has been living on a houseboat in Amsterdam since 2007. Amsterdam: Made by Hand is a collection of photos and stories about makers of beautiful handmade goods and artworks, and the shops where their work is sold. It's a companion to her book Paris: Made by Hand. The format of the two books is the same but you can definitely tell that the two cities have very different feels, which to me says that Pia's captured the essence of each city's style.

Daylesford Makers' Market: July 2010

2010-07-02T13:11:00.001+10:00

It's on again tomorrow! I've been so busy helping to organise that I haven't had time to blog it, but the Daylesford Makers' Market is on again tomorrow at Daylesford Town Hall from 10am to 5pm. So if you're in town or feel like a drive to beautiful wintry Daylesford, it'll be a great day. Lots of familiar faces and some exciting new stalls. Spread the word!

Some of the best "shelter" blogs

2010-06-20T14:16:00.000+10:00

Yesterday The Age published an article about some of the best and most popular interior design blogs. There's not much overlap with my favourites (which you'll find listed in my "I love blogs" section on the right) but I'm very surprised they didn't include Decor8, which is probably my fave at the moment. Decor8 is written by Holly Becker, and it's always stunning and well worth a daily visit!

There are so many fantastic, beautiful blogs out there for people interested in design.

Image from Flickr Commons.

Original mid-century posters found in the London Underground

2010-06-11T16:56:00.001+10:00

Workers recently discovered these original advertising posters from the late 1950s while doing some restoration work on Notting Hill Underground station in London. The area where they were found has been out of use so the posters are in pretty good condition. The graphics are amazing! London Underground plans to preserve them in their current location. You can see more images here.

Images from London Underground via Flickr.

Daylesford Makers' Market: June 2010

2010-05-31T17:15:00.004+10:00

Daylesford Makers' Market is on again this Saturday ... With more than 40 stall-holders there will be a great range of high-quality art, craft and design items for sale. Jewellery, homewares, kids' clothes and toys, all handmade by local and regional makers. And new to the market this month is freshly brewed coffee by Grounded Pleasures - I hear Craig is an excellent barista and this will be the best coffee in town!

The Daylesford Farmers' Market is also on this Saturday, so why not make a day of it? The Farmers' Market starts at 8am and runs till 1pm; the Makers' Market starts at 10am and runs till 3pm.

For more details, have a look at the Makers' Market blog. So come and check it out if you can!

Helvetica

2010-05-08T17:42:00.002+10:00

Image from Fontshop.com

I got a link to this great story in the FontShop newsletter this week. Graphic designers know all about this, but if you're learning or just interested in graphic design or typography it's well worth a look. The article, by typographer Indra Kupferschmid, gives examples of how to create different moods in your work by careful choice of typefaces to combine with Helvetica. Amongst the looks she discusses are neutral, informal, technical and classy.

Helvetica, believe it or not, is quite controversial! Many designers love it and use it extensively, mainly because they consider it a communicator's typeface - it's very clear, usable and easy to read. Others think it's really boring, a safe choice when you don't want to take any risks in your work ... The wonderful documentary Helvetica by Gary Hustwit explores usage of Helvetica in our surroundings, its history and development, and the controversy surrounding it, via interviews with well-known graphic designers on both sides of the divide. It's beautifully photographed, has a great soundtrack, and it's funny (especially the extra interviews at the end). I highly recommend it (and I have one copy left!).

Paper: Tear, Fold, Rip, Crease, Cut

2010-05-02T12:26:00.001+10:00

Here's another new art book ... An amazing collection of projects by paper artists, covering origami, paper folding, paper cut artworks, book art, sculpture and even paper clothing and furniture. You would not believe what these creative people are able to make from the humblest of materials.

The book also includes histories of paper manufacturing and the art form of paper cutting, and fascinating information about traditional, modern and even mathematical origami.

Amongst the artists featured are Noriko Ambe, Mia Pearlman, Ingrid Siliakus, Yulia Brodskaya, Rob Ryan and Jen Stark.

So beautiful!

Meet Mrs Wagner, the tattooed lady

2010-04-26T15:24:00.001+10:00

This is Maud Stevens Wagner. She was the first female tattoo artist to gain fame in the United States, having learned the art from her husband. Maud was also a circus performer, which I guess explains why she was able to carry off such an unusual look in the early 20th century!

Why am I writing about Maud? Well, amongst the paperweights that I stock in the shop, I had one with this image, called "Mrs Wagner". I bought it just because I thought she looked pretty cool - I had no idea that Mrs Wagner was her real name. But just before Christmas a young girl came in with her mother, and when she spotted the paperweight she exclaimed excitedly and announced that this was Mrs Wagner, and she had all these tattoos because her husband was the first tattooist to use an electric tattooing machine. Turns out this girl loves circus lore and is a big fan of Mrs Wagner. She asked her mother to buy the paperweight for her for Christmas, saying that it was sure to become a family heirloom.

Oddly enough, I had another young girl in last week who, on spotting the Tattooed Man paperweight, asked if I had one with a woman. Circus lore seems to be popular amongst girls at the moment! Who would've thought?

Home Love and more ... New books!

2010-04-16T17:36:00.003+10:00

I've just received a new collection of books! First up is the just-released Home Love by Megan Morton, who writes a column for Good Weekend. The book's subtitle is "100 inspiring ideas for creating beautiful rooms" and I agree that it's very inspiring ... Heaps of photos of beautiful rooms in many different styles, plus lots of decorating advice. It's also beautifully presented as a hardback complete with a ribbon bookmark (which I always love!).

Next is The Find by Stan Williams. This is an American book that looks at integrating vintage, market and op-shop finds into your decor. The book covers furniture, home accessories and tableware amongst other topics. Again, there are many amazing photos and lots of tips.

In a similar vein, I also have some more copies of Flea Market Style, which is one of my all-time favourite decorating books - every page is just stunning and always makes me wish I had a bigger house! It's popular and keeps selling out so I'm happy to have it back in stock like an old friend!

And for the arty/crafty people, I have a few new and interesting books. The Art of Looking Sideways describes itself as "a primer in visual intelligence, an exploration of the workings of the eye, the hand, the brain and the imagination". Its author, Alan Fletcher, says in the book that it "has no beginning, middle or end. It's a journey without a destination". Full of intriguing photos, drawings, musings and useless information, it's a large and highly unusual work.

For those who like to make, there's D.I.Y. Design it Yourself by Ellen Lupton, which is a handbook for designing everything from business cards to T-shirts. I've had a copy of this myself for years and found it to be very useful as a kick-starter for design projects.

And finally, perhaps the most amazing "book" I've ever come across: Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far, by designer Stefan Sagmeister. This one's a collection of 15 "signatures" (slim unbound booklets), each with different graphics, that fit inside a die-cut slipcase. You can shuffle them around so the "cover" of the book can have many different looks. Beautiful.

Something old, something new, something rough, something smooth

2010-04-11T16:04:00.004+10:00

Now this is an interior design philosophy that I really love! It describes perfectly (and memorably) how to put together a room that works from a design perspective. I first came across this pithy saying in a guest post last year on Design*Sponge, and it's stuck with me ever since. The post was by a designer called Jason Martin.

Following this philosophy means that you will never end up with a room that feels too matchy-matchy or unlived-in. It almost guarantees that it will feel warm and welcoming. The 'something old' could be a piece of vintage or antique furniture that may be showing a few signs of its long life; 'something new' may be a modern couch or lamp; 'something rough' could be a rug, a textured cushion, or a woven basket; and 'something smooth' could be as simple as plastered walls or polished floorboards, or even a mirror.

The underlying reason that this philosophy works so well is simply that it conforms to one of the 'principles of design' - contrast. (As it happens, contrast is my favourite principle!) Jason is describing a contrast between old and new, and between rough and smooth.

Here's a good example:

Image from Skona Hem

This image combines a vintage (or vintage-style) table (the old); a clean-lined modern lamp (the new); a large woven basket and a visually textured floor (the rough); and a stunning teal wall (the smooth). Although all the elements are quite disparate they come together beautifully as a unique expression of the owner's taste. And as well as the contrast, the similarity between the pattern on the basket and the pattern in the parquetry flooring is a subtle example of another design principle, harmony.

I aim to follow the 'something old, something new, something rough, something smooth' philosophy in my shop as well as at home . . . This is why I started stocking small pieces of vintage furniture such as cabinets and chests, as well as glassware and ceramics. Although the majority of the items I stock are modern, mixing in some vintage pieces really softens the effect, as well as giving me a chance to show my customers ways of integrating pieces they may already have into a contemporary home. I really love the warmth that a few vintage items bring to a room.

What's it all about?

2010-04-11T14:39:00.005+10:00

Welcome to Black, White & Rouge, a gift and homewares shop in beautiful Daylesford, Victoria. My name is Sarah and I'm the owner.

So how did Black, White & Rouge come about? In October 2008, my husband and I gave up our 20+ year careers in IT and moved to this lovely country town. We were the classic "tree change" cliche! In recent years I had developed an interest in interior design and done some part-time study in the field, so I decided to open a shop with the aim of bringing a new mix of modern, vintage and handmade items to the market here. I opened the doors in November 2009.

A bit about Daylesford ... It's been popular with tourists for many years, initially for its spas and more recently also for its fine dining and shopping! There's plenty of accommodation ranging from B&Bs to luxury hotels and guesthouses, and it's also a popular destination for day trips from Melbourne, about 1.5 hours' drive away.

Amongst many places worth a visit are: the recently renovated Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa; the Lake House restaurant and hotel; wolf at the door gallery and Red Star Cafe in Hepburn Springs; Lavandula lavender farm; and the Lark handmade shop in Daylesford.

Daylesford now also has a monthly Makers' Market showcasing handmade goods from makers throughout central Victoria. The Makers' Market schedule can be found here.

In this blog I will be writing about interior design, decoration and styling; highlighting new items in my shop; and building a community of design aficionados from Daylesford, central Victoria, Melbourne and beyond! So stay tuned for more posts, feel free to become a fan on Facebook, and comment away so we can get to know each other.