TRAVEL NOTES | THE COTTAGE, BYRON BAY • TALIAH LOWRY

 

Taliah Lowry was about to buy a property in the hills overlooking Byron Bay but changed her mind when she spied three funnel web spiders in the pool. As luck would have it, a few days later she found an original fisherman's cottage closer to town and the beach. The place had everything she was looking for, and soon transformed it into a character-filled home for her family of five.

However, Taliah enjoys renovating. She's transformed more than six properties in just over 10 years. And so she made the The Cottage available as holiday accommodation, and started a new project.

Here she shares some of her recommendations for any stay in Byron Bay.

EAT

Breakfast Bayleaf, Roadhouse or the newly refurbished Beach, which used to be called The Beach Cafe. 

Lunch Beach, Harvest or Three Blue Ducks at The Farm.

Dinner Fleet in Brunswick, Roadhouse, St Elmo's, The Italian at Pacific.

SHOP

Home Haveli, Bisque, Island Luxe, Our Corner Store, Newrybar Merchants.  

Him Island Luxe, Nami, Unplugged.

Her Island Luxe, Spell, Nami, Our Corner Store. 

Kids Paper Aeroplane. 

Food The Farm, Green Garage, Santos, Baz and Shaz, and always the farmers' market in Byron or Mullum. 

VISIT

- Farmers' market Byron on Thursdays 7-11 or Mullumbimby farmers' market on Fridays. 

- The surf festival, writers festival, beach front markets, Bangalow markets, Billy car derby, old and gold in Brunswick. 

INSIDER TIPS

Best day out is brunch at Harvest then a short drive to Killen Falls, with a picnic and some good friends. 

Best little walk is the rainforest walk from Broken Head caravan park to Kings Beach. Easy walk and gorgeous picnic areas, often no one in sight. 

Best beach day is always Whites Beach off the dirt road near Broken Head. It's a long hike down but worth it. Best beach in the world. 

Best place for lunch is the Doma Cafe in Federal - Japanese inspired and casual outdoor setting. My favourite! And it's always nice to stop in Bangalow on the way back for a little shopping. The new little shopping area near Bisque is divine with local fashion, ceramics, florist and cafe.

Best hair salon is Mudhoney in Bangalow. 

images courtesy of byron beach abodes; portrait chris warnes/warnes & walton
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THE EDIT | SARA LUNDGREN

As part of the relaunch of Daily Imprint, we are introducing a range of new features. Today we have a Sydney-based tastemaker sharing some of her favourite things.

Meet Sara Lundgren, founder and designer of Zakkia.

Read her Daily Imprint interview here.

Zakkia is one of the makers that has been selected as part of the Imprint House launch collection. Here, here and here.

Zakkia will be exhibiting at the upcoming Life Instyle event in Melbourne, 4-7 August. Register now to attend this trade only event at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton.

Above is a sneak peek at some of the products that she will be launching at Life Instyle as part of Zakkia's 16:02 Collection.

This post was sponsored by Life Instyle, an event I have attended many times over the years. All editorial content was produced independently. Thank you for supporting businesses that help to make Daily Imprint possible. - NW.

THE EDIT

Coffee – I’m actually not a coffee drinker! I do like traditional Vietnamese Coffee though.

Tea – Rise & Shine by Ovvio

Treat – Swedish Marabou chocolate

Skincare - Kiehls

Soap – Bjork & Berries Dark Rain

Fragrance - Philosykos solid perfume from Diptyque 

Candle – Our ZAKKIA Sommar Concrete Candle

Sunglasses – Ray Ban Aviator Classics in Gold

Hat – I don’t wear hats.

Wallet – Don’t have a wallet. My bag doubles as my wallet.

Bag – The LCS bag from Dylan Kain.

Notebook – Moleskine Black notebook with plain paper - no grids or lines!

Jeans – Dr Denim Zoe

Shoes – 948 Funkis clog in vegetable dyed natural leather.

Jacket – I have an old leather jacket I got ages ago that I wear almost every day.

Swimwear – Zulu and Zephyr

Flowers – I love a bunch of eucalyptus leaves.

Plant – Cactus – a plant I can’t kill.

Refreshment – Berries! Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries…

Sleepwear – My boyfriend’s old t-shirts.

images courtesy of zakkia

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INTERIOR INSIGHT | O'GRADY ST BY CAROLE WHITING

Carole Whiting is a Melbourne-based interior designer.

Read her Daily Imprint interview here.

Here she talks us through the design process for a house she worked on at O'Grady Street in Melbourne, a project she worked on during her time at Whiting Architects.

Carole recently established her own design studio - Carole Whiting Interiors and Design.

What was the brief and the design considerations? The idea of this house was to have a very open plan but keeping all the functioning areas hidden from view. It was a fine balance between functionality and aesthetics. Everything is right there but it’s also not apparent. So we created a hallway with concealed doorways leading to the dining room, bathroom and loft bedroom. We hid appliances in practical areas like the cool drawer (wine fridge) within the living space and built a butler’s pantry/laundry at the rear of the living room behind the area that visitors see but no door or corridor leading to it. It’s all “hidden in plain view”.

What approach did you take? It was a typical Edwardian four rooms at the front of the house and a hallway leading to the rear. We demolished a series of small rooms at the back and built the big “barn” structure with the pitched roof. The rear boundary was on an angle so we straightened the internal space up by introducing the two “crates” crossing over each other and put the kitchen at one end with a 7m long joinery element that led from the kitchen to the laundry.

What materials and palette did you choose and why? Very simple materials and a clean palette. We were on a budget, and we used colour - gentle tonal colour to define elements within the space. I wanted it to be warm and so there’s very natural oak floor from Admonter, leather handles from Made Measure and gentle natural tones in the furnishings. I added black to the space in the window seat and high windows area to give some depth and drama to the space.

What obstacles did you encounter, and how did you overcome them? It was mainly the small block we were dealing with and the outlook at the rear was to a big ugly purple building. So we orientated the house to capture as much sun as possible and block out the rear view.

What’s your favourite feature? I think it’s the light - the rear of the house gets beautiful east and northerly light all day and the courtyard is the most magical place to be most of the year.

images courtesy of carole whiting and whiting architects; photography sharyn cairns

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DAILY PRACTICE | ARI ATHANS

Ari Athans is a Brisbane-based jeweller and artist.

Read her Daily Imprint interview here.

Her next exhibition Volcanic Bloom will be at Edwina Corlette Gallery from 2-23 August.

Describe a typical working day I like to start the day with an early leisurely ride around the lovely Brisbane River bike paths - it’s magical this time of year. The mornings are usually spent at my jewellery gallery/workshop. I work on the design and production of jewellery for the store and client commissions, such as wedding rings. I prepare work for the jewellers, meet with clients, order materials and lots of general shop stuff. The afternoons are spent at my home studio where I develop new jewellery pieces/collections. Sometimes I do some clay work but mostly I paint. When the kids come home from school, it’s the usual after-school stuff. I like to cook, walk the dog and then spend another hour or so in the studio. I also go to Clayschool one night a week.

What are your preferred tools, materials and equipment? In no particular order: Pantone box of coloured cards, gemstones, enamel paints, hammer, torch, pointy nose pliers, powdered pigments, wax carving, paper models of random things, BRT clay and oxides, gold, silver - all materials have their unique physical and optical properties.

How do you dress for your job? Mostly casual as nice things get trashed. I’m on my feet all day so comfortable shoes are a must. I’ve started to sew again; very, very simple dresses and tops. I have an extensive fabric collection that needs to be used.

What is the current state of your desk or creative space? Clean at the moment as I’ve just finished work for the Volcanic Bloom show at Edwina Corlette Gallery, which opens 2 August. We try to keep the jewellery benches as neat as possible as it is very easy to lose small things! However, when I am in the thick of it my space is usually messy.

What’s your approach to managing technology - from emails to social media? It’s always at the bottom of my list but essential. I have a website that needs to be constantly updated with new/sold works. I do mailouts for new collections/exhibitions. I enjoy documenting works in progress so Instagram works well for me. 

When and what do you have for lunch? If I am at the shop then we have miso with fresh veg or a giant salad.

What’s your preferred pick-me-up? Coffee and collage.

How do you combat creative lulls? I always have different mediums on the go so creative lulls are few. When it does happen I do a really good spring clean of the studios. I often find things that spark new projects. 

What role does silence or sound play in your day? I love working in silence mostly but I enjoy flicking through digital radio for old Greek folk music.

What's the last thing you do before finishing work for the day? I photograph the work whether it’s finished or not. It generates new ideas and perspectives. I then play with images in Photoshop; this works particularly well for painting. I also upload new jewellery pieces to the website.

images courtesy of ari athans and edwina corlette gallery

INTERVIEW | NATALIE WALTON

For more than nine years I have been sharing the stories of creatives from around the globe. Today I want to tell a little of my story, as it’s integral to a new chapter for Daily Imprint.

I believe in beauty - in pursuing, capturing, and celebrating it. But I am also a practical person. I enjoy order and simplicity. These two elements have been a thread throughout my work - as a writer and stylist.

As Hemingway said, “Write the truest sentence you know.” This quote has been pencilled in my notebook for years. I believe in paring down to the essence of a feature article or interior space. When it comes to styling, I like to distill ideas when creating room sets and editing homes for interior photography. When the noise is removed beauty can breathe.

After years of working on a best-selling interiors magazine, and styling people’s homes, a new variation on this truth has emerged. It’s time to simplify the art of creating a home. Too often places have cushion covers, towels and tableware that has past its use-by-date. Or key items are missing, such as a simple-shaped vase to suit a range of flowers. Also, many places lack the necessary texture to help create warmth and interest in a home.

Daily Imprint has always been about celebrating beauty everyday. It has now been brought to life with Imprint House, an online store that features homewares handpicked for their beauty and utility. Each item in the launch collection - Everyday Essentials - is multipurpose and can work just as well in a city home as a coastal house or a place in the country. (Incidentally, I have lived in all three over the past five years.)

As part of this new chapter, there will be some new and exciting features on this site. Tomorrow I will introduce DAILY PRACTICE - an insight into how leading creatives structure their working day, their preferred tools of the trade and the ways they get through creative slumps. I look forward to sharing the interview with you, and many more.

And, for those of you who are interested, subscribe to Imprint House's newsletter for discounts and special offers. Or follow the Instagram feed for giveaways and other news.

Which five words best describe you? Stop, look, listen and go.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? I have woven two careers together for many years - writing and styling. But they are not as different as they might seem. They are both about telling a story - about a person, a home, or a space. They both stem for my innate curiosity about the world around me, and are a way for me to explore ideas about how we choose to live. This site, Daily Imprint, has also been doing this for more than nine years now, with a focus on the paths people take in life. Even after all of this time, I’m still fascinated by the decisions people make and the journeys they take. While it has been more than 15 years since I completed Bachelor and Master degrees in the Arts (first majoring in English Literature and Gender Studies at the University of Sydney, and then in Journalism at the University of Technology Sydney), I still enjoy learning. But now I’m a student of life.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Life is a work in progress. That is, nothing is perfect, we all have to make compromises, and we all make mistakes. But it is the people who don’t get caught up on this and just keep pushing ahead that break through. Which is all another way to say, don’t sweat the small stuff. But still think big.

What’s your proudest career achievement? That each day is (still) exciting.

What’s been your best decision? One of my hardest decisions has also been my best - to leave full-time employment at Real Living magazine and go freelance. I come from a family of people who have always been employees, who have placed importance on the security and stability of that. Leaving full-time employment felt not just like changing jobs, but choosing my own path in life - one that put trust in my own ability and belief in myself.

Who inspires you? Years ago I was more in awe of those who were in the spotlight for their careers - film-makers and artists such as Julian Schnabel, fashion designers like Vivienne Westwood, and writers - almost all of them, but especially the Modernists and more recently Junot Diaz and Donna Tartt. And while I still hold all of these people in high esteem, now it is those around me who lift me. The small empire builders, the artists who pursue beauty, and the photographers who help us all see. And still the writers. I will always place them on a pedestal.

What are you passionate about? Doing the best that I can. Leaving a positive mark on the world. Loving my children. Having a wonderful family life. Enjoying my home for the place it is today. Being an explorer of the world. And taking time to breathe.

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Right now, I’d love to see my dad again. He lives in the UK, and it’s been too long. I am very much his daughter. I burn the midnight oil, just as he has done throughout his career. I get my love of words from him. As well as my interest in people, countries and cultures. 

What dream do you still want to fulfil? They haven’t changed - to publish a book, to create boutique accommodation, to live in New York and Paris. I’m getting closer on some counts, though.  

What are you reading? After a couple of years of reading mostly non-fiction, I have almost finished Where Angels Fear To Tread. I’ve also been listening to audio books as I now live 90 minutes north of Sydney. Enjoying Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

images courtesy of imprint house; photography chris warnes, styling natalie walton