‘Fast’ Homewares

I don’t know about you, but I remember when I used to head to Kmart or Big W and come home with a new set of plates, or a cushion cover, or even blanket, and feel so proud of myself that I had found something functional at such a low price.

What I didn’t think about what the quality and the ‘sameness’ of the products.

Don’t get me wrong. Whenever I am back in Australia, I still hit Kmart with the force of a cyclone. In fact I have lost count of the number of times I have had to add additional weight to my luggage, just so I can get all my goodies back to Indonesia. Here in Jakarta, there is a bit of a joke amongst Australian expats about the fact we are all, always in Kmart shorts and Target t-shirts (I don’t care what others say, Target t-shirts are so much better than the ones at Kmart).

However, as I get older, I have become a lot more aware of the impact of what I buy. When I do buy those $5.00 shorts at Kmart, I wonder how is it possible to produce items so cheaply and still pay the people who made them a fair wage?

Listen, I am not here to be the morality police. I get why we buy these cheaper items. I really do.

However, from a position of vanity, I have become a little bored with always dressing like everyone else. That said, as fashion is not really my thing, to date, I haven’t really made much of an effort to change my practices.

However, when it comes homewares, well, that is something entirely different.

Living in Indonesia and getting out and meeting with small business owners and those who do the work themselves, I have come to realise that there is something so special owning a piece of decor that is ORIGINAL.

While once people used to come to my home and comment that they had the same items as me, now they say “Wow! Where did you find that?!”.

And I love that.

I love that when you come to my home and I serve you a salad, you are served in a beautiful colourful bowl made by village women in southern Lombok.

I love that I bring you your drinks on a handwoven tray made by an elderly craftsman in my own suburb here in Jakarta.

I love that you sit against cushions that I personally sourced at a local homewares fair.

These items are not necessarily expensive. Often they are definitely not! But they are UNIQUE. They are INTERESTING. Often they are COLOURFUL, and in my personal experience, they are good QUALITY. That is because the people who make them do so by more traditional techniques, taking their time to get it right. Sure, they might have imperfections, but that is part of their charm. And that is what makes each item different.

This is why I created Interiorology Homewares. As we progress further into 2024, I am now consciously shifting away from e-design and towards producing and selling my own range of homewares.

At the moment, I am selling a small amount of personally curated items that really represent the colour and beauty of Indonesia.

However, I am also working with a local company to turn plastic waste into beautiful serving platters that you can show off to your friends.

In the future I am also looking to expand into my own range of personally designed textiles (and maybe wallpapers) but that part of the business is still a while away.

I do hope that you will come with me on this journey. It is new to me, but something I am genuinely passionate about.

Ax