The Design Writer

By Penny Craswell

Over the past 10 years or so, we have seen in increase in choice for customers looking to buy bedlinen from local brands selling their own designs. And now that we are spending a lot more time at home and the weather’s getting cooler, here’s five of my favourite quilt covers currently available for purchase online in Australia.

1) With an array of earthy colours and patterns, Sage x Clare is an online retailer selling bedding, but also other homewares, apparel and accessories. The Mathilde Stripe quilt cover is just gorgeous (pictured here in Lemon, but also available in Punch and Parchment) and also check out their range of awesome and funny bath mats.

By Penny Craswell

Three artists Kirra Weingarth, Dennis Golding and Carmen Glynn-Braun have designed and completed a mural at the Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab at UNSW in Sydney. The Lab is a specialised arts unit within the UNSW School of the Arts and Media that supports teaching and practice-led research, and manages the School’s performance venues, rehearsal studios and technical resources.

While each of the three mural artists have quite distinctive styles, they are all UNSW alumni and all are Indigenous: Kirra Weingarth is a descendent of the Biri and Juru people of North East Queensland, Dennis Golding is a Kamilaroi/ Gamilaraay artist and Carmen Glynn-Braun is from the Southern Arrernte, Kaytetye, and Ammatyerre nations across Central Australia.

By Penny Craswell

This house in The Hills District of Sydney was designed for a retired couple and built as a secondary dwelling on the couple’s son and daughter-in-law’s property. A simple design with one bedroom, Fundamental House features two connected pavilions – one for living and one for sleeping – and a skillion roof that slopes gently up from front to back.

Architects Sandbox Studio worked with the owners to choose a site for the building in a place that had minimal impact and clearing of trees, and used passive design principles (north orientation, high thermal mass, and cross-ventilation).

The 2019 Design Census has just been published in the United States, showing important insights into who makes up the design industry but raises important questions about their visibility. In Australia, there is little comparable or consistent information about gender in design. Guest contributor Jane Connory reflects on the invisibility of women in graphic design.

The 2019 Design Census survey was run by Google, the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) and global research firm Accurat, and widely collected data across the United States. This data set is progressive because it was collected and analysed through a gendered lens—something rare in the design industry and in most surveys in general (Caroline Criado Perez, Invisible Women). As well as female and male genders, respondents had eight non-binary options (non-binary, gender nonconforming, gender fluid, trans, gender questioning, a-gender, bi-gender and pan-gender) to choose from. There were also the options of ‘other’ and ‘prefer not to say’.

Nic Granleese, Eszter Riga, Celeste Bolte and Ben G Morgan from BowerBird report on the World Architecture Festival in Amsterdam, held from 4 – 6 December 2019.

The World Architecture Festival (WAF) has been a fixture of the global design and architecture calendar for over 10 years. The event includes speakers from across the globe, as well as presentations to juries of the WAF Awards each year. It is an opportunity for architects to meet, learn, and to teach. In 2019, the team behind BowerBird.io attended the festival in Amsterdam as Media Partners, uncovering stories of architecture from international and Australian architects.

We had previously attended the World Architecture Festival in Singapore, so we knew it was an exciting event that acts as an annual gathering place for architects. What we had underestimated was the sheer scale of the interaction. WAF (as it is affectionately known) is close to the hearts of many architecture practices, and the annual awards program is highly regarded internationally. 

By Penny Craswell

I’m excited to announce that my first book has been published by Thames & Hudson Australia!

Australian design has forged its own unique trajectory, influenced by geographic isolation, a distinctive natural environment, and a modern sensibility.

By Penny Craswell

Sydney industrial designer and UNSW academic Rina Bernabei has turned her hand to ceramics in a new range. So what’s the difference between designing for production and making by hand? We asked her to find out.

Tell us about your industrial design work. And why the move to ceramics?

While, I have always loved ceramics from afar, I actually got into ceramics when I received a grant to do a 3D ceramic printing project. I felt I needed to understand the material more so signed up to a four-week course, which included wheel throwing.

By Penny Craswell

It’s that time of year again, when we spend up big to give presents to friends and loved ones, with many gifts ending up surplus to requirements and just so much extra landfill. One option is to donate to charity in lieu of a gift. If this approach appeals to you, Care Australia is offering Christmas Gifts that Save Lives and the Australian Red Cross has Real Good Gifts. If you still want to buy something tangible, make an ethical choice that puts profit in the right people’s pockets without doing harm to the environment. Here’s ten options to get you started in your hunt.

1.This Christmas Bon Bon features graphics inspired by leadlight windows and is filled with delicious chocolate. According to the Shop Ethical! App, Haigh’s Chocolate is a Member of the World Cocoa Foundation committed to creating a sustainable cocoa economy and signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimisation. Only $19.90 from Haigh’s.