A follower of fashion, or not

Just recently a very dear friend of mine sent me a very irreverent piece taking aim at the interior design industry. Without going into specifics (a bit rude for the delicate ears of Bendy St), it took all the recent trends that had been beautifully styled and showed them in a more light weight light so to speak. The worst offender was the Keep Calm and Carry On phenomenon. I loved a lot of the pieces that were lampooned but I could see that the intention had been lost in over styling and cliche. I love my Keep Calm and Carry on T-Towel. It was given to me by a friend who could see that in the midst of setting up a new business and looking after three kids etc etc I was slightly frazzled. It takes pride of place on my laundry door as a reminder to obviously keep calm but also that my friend was thinking of me and I smile every single time I pass it. It hasn't dried a dish in its' lifetime which also makes the anti housewife in me smile too.

Bendy Street has given me the opportunity to visit some beautiful homes, our products have been featured in gorgeous magazines and I love hearing how every piece that we sell will take its' place in someone's home rather than their display house. My two favourite houses belong to very creative passionate people and not a single item has come out of a styling catalogue but rather as a result of an adventure or wanderings both near and far. Everything in those homes meshes together perfectly because there is a story behind each piece. Just like Bendy Street, there is a reason behind every product on the shelves and I hope that those products relate to you in some way too.

The photo is of our latest window and it was the cliches I was thinking of when I put it together. One of them was wall art phrases. So, up went "La Dolce Vita". But it goes proudly above a collection of postcards I took around Canowindra. They are not postcards of the usual Canowindra landmarks but essences of what I love about this area. I found an old glass bottle in a paddock that had been made here and it was in mint condition - snap, a vast open paddock under a pristine blue sky - snap, drunkenly stacked haystacks, a result of our beautiful rich fertile soil along the river - snap. I am still snapping with the camera as there is so much in this area that does in fact create La dolce vita. Mixed with this is the latest trend for the industrial, up-cycled reclaimed look which I love. Surrounding us, are winemakers and fruit growers who regularly use fruit crates and industrial machinery to create the magic that they do. These are all "trends" that we live with and enjoy which made it easy to create a space in my beloved window that was not so much about being on-trend but giving a nod to the beauty around us and bringing a bit of it home.

I was recently asked to describe the shop. I was slightly medicated due to a handy dose of night time formula cold and flu so I am not sure I made much sense. But I said that Bendy Street is kind of Melbourne, but not, kind of daggy, but not, a bit of Sydney, quietly stylish and a little bit country, but not. It is about the experience rather than the product (I can hear professional retailers gasping at me now!) and, we take this to our online store too so that you get an in-store experience online, which as an online shopper myself I find missing at other sites.

So if like me, you like fashions, trends and new products but still want to keep your personality in your home maybe a wander through Bendy Street is in order so we can be a bit slightly off - trend together and love every minute of it.

Enjoy Kate

P.S. Don't forget our upcoming workshop with Kim Knox Thurn of The Style Project Saturday 17th or Sunday 18th March. She will put what I have just said into much more order and show you exactly what I mean with her own pieces she has created. I am really looking forward to the prizes and giveaways! You can buy your tickets online too or give us a call in the shop and we will look after you.