New England Style

At Hale Mercantile Co, we are passionate about the quality and integrity of the products we create and recommend. Our hard work, care, and passion for what we do is rewarded when we see Hale Mercantile products styled in a beautiful space. Suffice to say we get a buzz when we see how our products are loved and cherished by others. This is why we are excited about this particular blog feature we are about to share with you. Nestled in the quiet river-sde town of Jugiong, beside sweeping paddocks in the countryside of NSW, sits an unassuming old fashioned country pub by the name of The Sir George. This hidden gem brings old-world nostalgia and contemporary comfort together. Originally built in 1852, the historic venue has been restored to create an eclectic space filled with character and charm, and now includes a restaurant, boutique bar, accommodation and artisan bakery. Just off the hume highway between Sydney and Melbourne, The Sir George makes for the perfect watering hole or overnight stop for the weary traveler. Grounded in a philosophy of simplicity and authenticity, you’ll be treated to a menu of locally sourced Hilltops produce, a quaint beer garden, and fresh-baked goods. Should you decided to stay the night, you’ll be welcomed into warm and homely rooms adorned with stunning linen by Hale Mercantile Co. With everything The Sir George has to offer, you’ll find it hard to leave! The Sir George showcases Hale Mercantile Co Crush Linen Throw, Flocca Linen European Pillowcase, Basix European Pillowcase, and Linen Cushions Image sources: www.sirgeorge.com.au www.instagram.com/thesirgeorge

On the third floor of a Soho loft in Manhattan is where you will find all your dreams have come true. The Apartment by The Line is a creative and diverse approach to retail and is a concept store like no other! The Apartment by The Line is the brick and mortar store of the stylish eCommerce shopping website, The Line. This is a must visit place for those who love retail and interior design all in the one place.     The concept was created by New York stylists Vanessa Traina and Morgan Wendelborn who set up shop as The Apartment, a very clever and stylish way to sell online products to an offline consumer. In side this shop-able apartment, everything is up for grabs and there is something about the way that the products are visually merchandised in a related way that makes The Apartment such a special shopping experience. It is a place where shoppers can gain inspiration for their own homes décor or their own fashion and beauty, all in a place so unique from today boutiques that can often be over filled with unappealing products.     With coats hanging on the wall hooks and loose change scattered on the side table, it is this sort of attention to detail which gives The Apartment a human element and authentic aspect. The general purpose was to put something together based on how people actually live because if you are going to spend $18,000 on a chair, you might want to experience it for yourself first!     If you can’t make it to see The Apartment, you can still shop directly from the online website, The Line. Here you will find pieces featured in The Apartment which are all carefully chosen products from established and emerging designers. They also offer a growing range of online and offline services, including by-appointment shopping, personal styling and interior design consultation.  The Line is bringing new meaning to the phrase “Make yourself at home” and you can visit The Apartment Monday–Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday’s: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Apartment by The Line76 Greene St, New York, NY 10012(646) 678-4908 Photos courtesy of The Apartment.

Juz Kitson is a ceramicist from Sydney’s Central Coast who has been based in the Chinese city of Jingdezhen (often known as the world renowned porcelain capital) for the last 6 years. Kitson uses her fascination with organic forms to create objects of unsettling beauty.       Her work consists of wall sculptures, taxonomic collections of small works displayed in groups usually built around that enduring signifier of love, death and desire – the heart. Just as Kitson’s sculptures appear undefined in their very form, they also blur the barriers between living and decaying.     We are absolutely fascinated with Juz’s work here at Hale and we were so lucky that she was kind enough to ‘Take Five’ with us and give a rare insight into her fascinating world.   HMCo: Tell us a little bit about your background – what path led you to what you’re doing now? I learnt from a very early age that I wanted to pursue a career in the arts, attending art school at The National Art School in Sydney and surrounding myself with an eclectic group of people from all walks of life meant I was exposed to a lot about art, music and culture. Originally I wanted to pursue photography but I became sidetracked by the endless possibilities of ceramics and have never looked back. HMCo: What does a typical day of yours involve? A typical day doesn’t exist in my world. I thrive on chaos and tend to be ‘go go go’ all the time. I lead a very nomadic lifestyle, constantly moving; I need a lot of visual stimulation to make the type of work I do. The different landscapes and cultures I surround myself in influences the type of work I make. A day involves; a coffee of course, healthy breakfast, yoga or a walk with my Tibetan spaniel, check emails, a few phone calls and then straight into the studio. My work is incredibly labour intensive and often demands 10-16 hour work days. I’m a night owl, so often I burn the midnight candle. HMCo: Who inspires you inside & outside the design world? I’m inspired by strong independent women in the contemporary art scene. The artists Patricia Piccinini and Del Kathryn Barton, the gallerists Jan Murphy and Roslyn Oxley, the curator Alexi Glass, the writer Miranda Darling and Chinese artist Cao Fei based in Beijing. HMCo: Which other Australian designers, artists or brands are you loving at the moment? I’m loving Skarfe at the moment, based in Sydney’s Potts Point and working collaboratively with artists to produce the prints for their beautiful scarves. In terms of ceramics I’m a big fan of my fellow contemporaries like Brendan Huntley, Lynda Draper and Glenn Barkley. All pushing the traditional notions of a medium steeped in history onto a contemporary platform. HMCo: What would be your dream creative project? Most of my work to date has been site specific within the white cube gallery space. A dream project would be to cover an entire facade of a beautifully designed architectural building with hand built porcelaneous objects or to create a major suspended ethereal installation in a foyer with objects illuminated with LED Lights. HMCo: While you are based o/s - what do you miss most about Australia? I’ve been based in Jingdezhen China for 6 years - for me it’s the hustle and bustle I’m attracted to there, the realisation of ideas in a short period of time and accessibility to materials and processes. It’s a fast paced life and I thrive on it, although I often miss the Australian bush, the diversity of our land here is like nothing I’ve seen elsewhere in the world.    

Citing craftsmanship, innovation and research as their core values, one of our favourite online journals, LE PARADOX' ethos befits HMCo's philosophy of culture, tradition, pride and centuries of craftsmanship. A recently published article by Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Cecilia Musmeci caught our attention where she chats to Italian label Archivio J.M. Ribot and their artisinal approach to creating garments. Describing Archivio J.M. Ribot's collection as "digging into the past to give a new identity to clothes that have a memory," Cecilia expressed that she "really hopes we will have the chance to actually touch and see the pieces in person as they are truly outstanding. One can sense the incredible craftwork behind each stitching." So do we. ARCHIVIO J.M. RIBOT – CAPSULE I Nostalgia is an active and useful creative tool that brings the old times back.In this spirit, Archivio J.M. Ribot digs into the past to give a new identity to things that have a memory. Officially launched last year, Archvio J.M. Ribot is a research clothing project split in two capsule collections: Riforma, consisting of one-of-a-kind pieces created by combining antique parts of clothing from early 20th century, and Archivio, a series of limited edition garments made with ancient fabrics collected in a textile archive throughout the years. The concept that inspired the project subverts codes of sartorial conservatism, showcasing a great engagement with craft...      

It would be hard to imagine anyone more passionate about ceramics, and the more imperfect the better.Interior designer Janine Vasta takes us to meet Justin van Nierop, artisan, designer and founder of the Melbourne tile gallery Urban Edge Ceramics.     Justin van Nierop started Urban Edge Ceramics 15 years ago in an inner city Richmond warehouse that he says had seen better days. “It was supposed to be a hobby project, a toy.” Justin set up the showroom after the pace of the successful Sydney renovation company he ran with his sister left him looking for something more low-key. Instead the thriving business now sees him crossing the globe several times a year in search of the best and latest surfaces in Europe and beyond. But meeting Justin you get the feeling that nothing he does stays small for long. He’s the kind of person who reminds you that success really can come from following your passion and trusting your own sense of style. Oh, and that perfection is way overrated.     The highly skilled Portuguese artisans Justin has teamed up with to produce his latest collection had a hard time understanding that he wasn’t seeking a faultless tile. “The first samples they produced were just too perfect,” he says. “It was a really difficult process. They just didn’t believe that we actually wanted the tiles to have wobbly edges and for the glaze not to be perfectly even and flat.”     Justin says that his partners in the new range are Portugal’s only government certified producers of ceramic tiles. “They kept looking at us and saying, ‘but no!’,” he laughs. “These guys have been conditioned to create the perfect handmade tile. It was a bit of a shock when we actually wanted them to relax a bit.” The result, “Fifth Element Handmade Tiles”, is completely artisan-made, from sourcing and mixing the clay and grinding the pigments for the glaze to the firing process that creates the little imperfections that make every tile in the collection unique. “Everything is done as it has been for centuries,” he says. Laying them out on the table back in Melbourne, Justin looks like a proud father. He loves them. He dreams about them he tells me unashamedly. “They’re my gems.”     This isn’t such an odd analogy when you consider Justin trained as a goldsmith in Sydney and spent his childhood fixing old watches with his father, a Dutch watchmaker and jeweler. The youngest of five and the only boy, he learnt from his father to love and respect handmade objects and the artisans who create them. This passion for craft and the happiness that comes from beautiful textures and surfaces shapes the collection at Urban Edge Ceramics.     Justin’s Dutch-born mother played her part too, making everything at home from bread and cakes to clothes by hand. “Nothing was bought," he says. “It was the seventies and there was a lot of sameness but everything we had was handmade.” Fast forward to 2015 and Justin thinks his mum’s handmade fashion would be way cool today. “Handmade clothes, handmade food, handmade whatever is cool now,” he says. “It’s self-expression. Whatever is cool for you is cool.” For Justin, along with his fierce anti-sameness ethos, certain inspirations never falter. When I ask him where he finds most of his products for UEC he’s quick to single out Italy as his go-to place for everything from lifestyle and coffee to tiles. “The Italians are the best,” he says. “I know them and I know their quality is going to be first class." But he’s also ready to add a new muse to the list. “Lisbon is amazing,” he says, recounting the story of a dinner for two in the Portuguese capital (Justin works and travels with his partner Mia) that turned into a late night sightseeing tour with the local couple at the next table. “The Portuguese are so open, ” he says. “They say ‘this is our style’ but they’re not too proud to reinvent themselves and try new things. I could move there tomorrow."