News – Page 2 – High Demand Skills

2014

Nicole’s Journey

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After working in Real Estate for many year I developed a strong interest in property and homes.

Always passionate about beautiful things for the home, I would scour through magazines reading every fine detail. Falling in love with the homewares on each page of the magazine, I often wondered why I couldn’t find these locally and always dreamed of opening my own homewares shop.

After having my two boys and building my own home, I met Donna who told me all about the Hunter Design School. I was immediately interested and decided to follow my dream and enrol in the Certificate of Colour and Design back in 2009. I then continued on to complete Colour Planning and Consulting and Interior Design. During my 3rd year, as part of the Interior Design course, I set out my business plan and vision and established my business, Chrysalis Interiors.

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After a few years of consulting and styling, Chrysalis Interiors became Chrysalis Interiors and Homewares and I opened my first lifestyle retail shop in my home town of Redhead in March 2014. I was quite particular about what I wanted… no shopping centre or strip, just a cute little building I could transform. Its funny actually, as part of the Colour Planning course one of the projects was to draft a colour scheme for our own shop and if I look back at the picture now it is almost exact to what Chrysalis looks like.

I currently stock a varied array of furniture, homewares including cushions, throws, artwork and home decor. I have a small clothing range and also stock jewellery and accessories. I strongly promote local designers, artists and craftspeople and have a number of unique products in my shop from local creatives. I love the feedback that I get from my customers who are now coming from far and wide and spreading the word that Chrysalis is a great one stop shop for gifts and homewares.

We also offer an interior design and styling service from the shopfront. This, for me, is the most exciting part of the business as I am able to now source some amazing products from large furniture pieces to cushions and lighting and help peoples vision for their home come alive. The knowledge I gained from my studies now assist me on a daily basis from colour placement and presentation in the shop to my interior design and consultancy business.

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Chrysalis Interiors and Homewares is located at 1/18 Steel Street, Redhead and is open daily from 10am.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Introducing Bristol Paint’s Colours 2014/2015

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Find out more about The Hunter’s colour palette soon…

Who is Kate?

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Kate is a passionate floral designer and event stylist, with a background in Interior Design and Photography, and a lifelong love of flowers inspired by her grandparents.

Living and working in the Hunter Region with her fiancé, two cats, two dogs, a horse, five chickens and whatever birds and wildlife wander through on their endless travels.

Living simply and consciously is something Kate trying to do, by finding out how our individual actions contribute to the world we live in.

She aims to both reflect and protect the natural world around us, not just in style but also in her practices. Using a range of traditional and inventive techniques and methods, without relying on toxic or unsustainable products like floral foam and imported flowers laces with pesticides and chemicals.

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Kate loves to use Australian grown, seasonal flowers and foliage in her arrangements, and aims to recycle her materials and recourses as often as possible.

Follow Kate here as she is about to launch her new and exciting business adventure, Two Wild Hands.

Coming up…Kate’s Wreath Making Workshop.

Saturday 8th November 2014. Find out more here

Pastel Love

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Spring is here and with it has emerged soft sophisticated pastel hues.

Pistachios, sugary pinks, pale lilacs, chalky blues and buttery yellows have walked from the runway into our homes.

Here’s a few tips to use when decorating with these soft shades.

create a colour pallet with the pastels paired with soft greys, mushroom browns and white.
give your room a boho feel by accenting with cooper and gold.
add spark with neon’s and bright colours
use your pastels as a subtle accent in artworks, cushions, lighting or small furniture pieces

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SPOTLIGHT Islander Pendant Shade

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Natalie Long, owner and creator of Bowerhouse, is inspired by her own journey to discover her passion and doing the things she loves best…travelling, collecting and creating.

Natalie has designed and curated a collection of rattan products, including this oversized rattan Islander Pendant Shade.

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As she traveled the rural areas of Indonesia, Natalie found her inspiration for the Islander Pendants from the traditional rattan baskets and pendants she discovered. Collecting some old baskets, she worked with the artisans to come up with the form and structure for her pendants.

Working in collaborations with the artisans in villages of Java Indonesia, her rattan designs are a mix of vintage decor paired with a modern aesthetic, utilising traditional craftsmanship.

Bowerhouse aims to help you love the way you live and create a home filled with treasured items to inspire and bring joy.

Check out more from Natalie at bowerhouse.com.au

New Collection from South Pacific Fabrics

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South Pacific Fabrics are excited to announce, the arrival of the 2014 collection from SAHCO

Future Folklore is a collection inspired by traditional folk elements and futuristic design.

Detailed pattern and sophisticated form can be seen everywhere, from the geometric upholstery to the cross-stitch seen in the elegant draperies.

Contact South Pacific Fabrics to arrange a showing of this contemporary collection or view the collection online

Hunter Young Professionals

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Hunter Young Professionals (HYP) provides opportunities for young people to network in a business environment, gain new management and leadership skills, interact socially together and support the local community, so that they can develop as the business leaders of tomorrow.

Events occur monthly and include interactive workshops, inspiring talks from prominent business people and casual social get togethers, such as a Winter Warmer dinner at the Newcastle Club each year.

OUr next event in May tackles the big stuff over coffee and breakfast on the foreshore: buying a house, legalities you might not have considered in de-facto relationships, the foreign world of super (of the annuation kind) and writing a will (yes, even young people need them!)

Find out more about them here and don’t be shy to come along and say hi – they-re a friendly bunch!

Welcome Michelle

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This year we have the absolute pleasure of welcoming Michelle Melville from Zest Colour + Design to inspire and train our Certificate IV in Design students.

Having worked within a family owned and operating building business for over 18 years, Michelle gained a desire to develop her passion for functional and aesthetically pleasing design by studying Interior Design and Colour Consulting.

Since then Michelle has launched her own design studio, ‘Zest Colour + Design’, and has worked on both residential and commercial projects throughout the Hunter.

Michelle also works with Dulux and Inspiration Paint to help develop colour schemes for their customers.

2013 Christmas Designs

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Our 2013 Certificate IV in Design students had loads of fun designing and printing a Christmas Tea Towel.

After developing their designs, they worked through the process of cutting stencils, mixing paints, arranging placement and finally screen printing them onto beautiful linen tea towels. There was plenty of mess and experimenting, whilst valuable lessons were learnt from the placement, colour mixing, team work and the importance of a dry clean screen. Everyone had so much fun and the results were amazing.

Having designed and produced amazing products, the tea towels were taken to The Olive Tree Markets, where both products and students joined PlumTart textiles in selling their wares.

A huge thank you to everyone who purchased an original Christmas tea towel, but it doesn’t stop there! All profits have been given to Compassion where it will be used to support Compassion’s Critical Interventions. This will assist Compassion in removing any obstacles that stand in the way of a child’s healthy development and their ability to reach their full potential.

We also congratulate Lesley Regnis on winning the ‘People’s Choice Award’ for her ‘Bush Christmas’ Design.

Here are a few of the other designs…

Kirsty Evans Arlene Rowland Donna O'Connor Jessie Koos Adam Cairns Julie Kosy Robyn Hayter Stuart Janes

INSPIRATION finds for a babe

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Baby Ari is now amongst the school activities and the wonderful world of design.
We have found so many beautiful things for a beautiful baby boy. Here are a few of our favourite things to inspire a nursery design.

Using soft hues, minimal contrast and curved lines have help create a nursery with a nurturing and relaxed atmosphere. The perfect get away from the energetic and loud brother.

Lender Cot and Draws Set with a Gather Kids Crochet Knitted Blanket