Creative People

We’re back with our second instalment of Getting It Done – our video series created in…

Before she was a florist, a 16-year-old Shahn Stewart thought her destiny was to be a librarian. One work experience rejection letter later, and she turned to floristry to mix up her professional options. It was love at first sight.

That stroke of fortune was eleven years ago, and with more than a decade’s floristry experience now under her belt, the Yorta Yorta woman achieved a huge career milestone mid-way through last year: opening her own store!

Alchemy Orange is Shahn’s new floral studio located in East Brunswick, Melbourne, where she constructs bold, exciting arrangements and installations from raw, natural and foraged materials.

Roses hold a sort of miraculous quality. There is perhaps no flower more imbued with the symbolism of love, beauty and devotion.

Soho Rose Farm in Victoria has a bit of a love story of its own. When more than 8000 rose bushes were set to be destroyed on a retired flower farm in Drysdale, florist Kristy Tippett and her husband Brock stepped in to save them. The couple corralled a team of people, who worked tirelessly to uproot and relocate  each individual rose bush, to be replanted on Kristy and Brock’s own farm, 2.5 hours away. Despite no experience with commercial growing, Kristy has spent the last three years tending to the roses, and cultivating the most glorious flower farm.

We talked to Kristy to find out a little more about the journey of Soho Rose Farm, and the magic of the humble garden rose.

Getting It Done is our newest video series, created in partnership with Adobe Acrobat!…

Beloved Melbourne foodie Julia Busuttil Nishimura had a fruitful 2020, all things considered. She brought her second baby, Yuki, into the world, and her second book, A Year of Simple Family Food was released!

Julia, her husband Nori, Yuki (1) and Haruki (5) recently welcomed us into their delightful home in Melbourne’s inner north, and we got to chat to Julia about wild, wonderful motherhood.

Since 2018, artist Emily Imeson has been travelling around Australia living and painting out of a four wheel drive. Engagement with nature is so central to her practice, she seeks new environments to immerse herself in as often as she can. Paradoxically, change is her only constant.

While traversing the vast landscape, Emily’s focus has been narrowed to a few simple necessities: water, food, shade, weather, nature, and painting. This talented artist is living the  lifestyle most of us can only dream of!

Artist and proud Gumbaynggirr woman Aretha Brown has accomplished more than most 20-year-olds. She…

Nothing says urban jungle quite like the Collingwood warehouse of interior and plant stylist Ryan Klewer (aka Plant Charmer) and his partner, artist Ellen Porteus, that we featured last year. Our jaws hit the floor!

But the plant guru’s new store is a world away from his explosive, colourful home. Nestled in Melbourne’s Brunswick East, the retail space (which he designed and built himself!) is a serene, pared back oasis from the bustling city beyond its walls. (You might have even glimpsed a sneak peek of it in our Small Business Summer School video with Fiona Killackey last week!)

Join us inside his tranquil haven, and learn more about this enchanting Plant Charmer!

Late last year we featured the story of Maggie May and Josh Kelly of Think Thornbury and their young son Remy in our family column. Josh had just started undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and despite all the challenges heaped on this little family, their positive outlook was super inspiring.

Well, we are so happy to share an optimistic update. Good news only in 2021, please!

Brothers Jack and Mark Fearon have technical training and an eye for good design. As a plumber and a boiler-maker by trade, these guys bring a unique skillset to their fabrication company, ensuring each of their creations perfectly balances form and function.

The pair run Brothers Fearon Fabrication from Burleigh Heads in Queensland, where they design and manufacture aluminium furniture by hand. Drawing on their roots in fabrication, production and metalwork, Mark and Jack crafted ‘The Bread with Butter’ collection, which is now stocked by our all-time fave Instagram seller – Curated Spaces. Add to cart!