GlobeWest have carved a truly enviable niche in Australian interior design. The Melbourne-based company’s strong reputation is founded on their skill in understanding the market – their ability to balance the elements of Australia’s unique lifestyle with a gorgeous aesthetic, harnessing quality materials. Their furniture ranges are inspired by the sweeping diversity of the Australian landscape, married with the sophistication of city living.
Established over a decade ago, GlobeWest continues to grow. They are now known for their soft furnishings as well as their signature furniture, meaning that their customer base – which includes Australia’s leading interior designers and boutique retailers – can furnish entire spaces from the GlobeWest collections, allowing them to achieve a cohesive look.
Visitors to Decor + Design last year will remember GlobeWest’s incredible exhibition stand, which had more traffic than Piccadilly Circus. We are delighted that they will be back at Decor + Design in 2017, which will take place from 20 – 23 July at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
This year GlobeWest’s 108 sqm stand will showcase nineteen new indoor and outdoor collections and hundreds of brand new products. It will also see the debut of GlobeWest’s ‘Collections 2018’ – the first-time Australia has had a chance to look at pieces that will feature raw edged marble, timbers with unique geometric features, feathered and herringbone bone inlay designs.
With Decor + Design just two weeks away, we sat down with GlobeWest Design Manager Keti Lytras for insights into one of Australia’s leading interior companies.
GlobeWest are all about Australian living. What fundamentals of the Australian lifestyle and aesthetic do you seek to address through your collections?
We are! The Australian way of life, our love of the outdoors and entertaining have an influence on how we want our environments to look, feel and function.
As Australians, we are serious about style and appreciate aesthetics, but don’t take ourselves too seriously.
That is obviously reflected in our homes. First and foremost, our residential spaces are about family and friends – creating functional rooms that are built for living. Making this a foundation to our product development ensures our creative team are balancing lifestyle with a love of all things beautiful.
Aesthetically, our country’s varied landscape and its stunning environmental elements provide never-ending possibilities for design. It’s impossible not to be inspired by them!
Our product team is based in Melbourne but we take a national approach to design and curation. We understand the nuances of each state, from urban to regional living. This means that the climate – together with the diverse architecture and landscape throughout the country – influences our ranges.
Ultimately, we know style conscious Australians want to create unique, personalised living spaces that reflect who they are. We count design professionals and some of the country’s leading retailers among our customers. Our varied approach gives them tremendous creative scope.
Our customers trust us to provide furniture for just about any client brief so we develop a vast, progressive collection covering the most loved interior styles. Beautiful and distinctive silhouettes in countless materials, finishes and colours to fit contemporary, modern, classic/luxe, retreat (coast and country), and global eclectic interior looks.
How important are international trends when it comes to the design choices that GlobeWest make? Are there any go-to sources of inspiration?
We’re continuously searching for beautiful new materials and experimenting with new craftmanship techniques, shapes and contours because that’s what inspires our customers. As creatives, they want to work with fresh, stimulating pieces to excite their customers and make rooms unique.
Myself, Product Managers Jessica Sexton and Ella Wright, and co-founder Stephen Mendel travel far and wide internationally for inspiration but it’s equally as important to keep our fingers on the pulse of Australian design, fashion and art.
Our culture is so individual and Australians are open minded and bold with design – that’s one of the most exciting things about living and working here. Why not celebrate our surroundings? We live in the most beautiful country in the world.
You released five new collections in May including the Seed collection, including woven leathers and timber finishes, injecting personality warmth into the traditional black and neutral tones of minimalist furnishings. How have this and the other collections been received? Are there some pieces that are doing particularly well?
We’ve found customers absolutely love Seed as well as the Horten and Belmond furniture collections.
People are falling back in love with black oak, cocoa tones, and dark timbers, and our increased range of coloured velvets has been particularly well received.
Our Saskia & Evie (Cushions, rugs, throws) have exceeded all expectation with major media also picking these up which is exciting. Our homewares – especially rugs – have become an increasingly key part of the collection, enabling specifiers to create the perfect foundation for their rooms. We are humbled that so many spaces are now starting with and being completed with GlobeWest.
Bogart Slope 3-Seater sofa; Vittoria Retreat Ottoman; Elle Round Marble Block Coffee Table; Aura Arrow Rug. Image: GlobeWest
GlobeWest will once again be a major exhibitor at Decor + Design in Melbourne, July 20 – 23. Your stand last year was amazing and one of the busiest areas at the show. What can trade visitors expect this year? Any surprises in the offing?
Thank you! We often say that creating our collection is a labour of love and that’s what we hope attendees to Decor+Design get to see and experience.
We’ll again create a 108sqm booth to showcase 19 new collections and hundreds of brand new products across our customer’s favourite collections.
Visitors can expect to see 12 new indoor and 7 new outdoor furniture collections. It’s been a huge year for product development and the show is really the culmination of so much. It’s the debut of Collections 2018 – the first time anyone will get to see our new ranges.
Surprises? We hope so!
Look for raw edged marble, timbers with unique geometric features, feathered and herringbone bone inlay designs.
The addition of statement Travertine stone in block forms is utterly beautiful and works incredibly with more sculptural sofas. Inlaid timbers arranged in varying patterns is presented with a softer touch in the Aiden collection, and Beckett features intriguing metal inserts for a minimal aesthetic.
We’re also really excited about our Evora and Balthazar collections. Evora brings an edge to light oak features with embossed consoles, brass and pearl accents and unique, slatted consoles and coffee tables. Balthazar offers a new bohemian feel, including Moroccan style worn looking pieces plus stunning handmade pendants with beaded designs in a dusty grey, or leather in a natural brown.
Beautifully handmade rattan has been integrated into many more silhouettes.
We’ve extended our velvet mix and are thrilled with the outcome. The palette has taken a sophisticated turn and includes navy quartz, rose and the prettiest of peppermint tones.
Our Tahiti outdoor range has a striking, angular teak frame with durable cushions in a lovely dove grey providing a relaxed, contemporary feel. The new Maldives range offers new thick woven designs in black charcoal or white, for a commanding look.
There’s just so much to share and we can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks!
Tahiti angled sofa chair; Tahiti angled 3 seater sofa; Noosa slat coffee table; Evie linen cushions; Evie linen throw. Image: GlobeWest
I’m told you’re also dressing the Seminar stage. What can attendees expect to see there?
This year, we’ve collaborated with House & Garden Magazine which has been wonderful.
Editor Lisa Green has shared the direction they are seeing in interiors and curated a selection of GlobeWest products for the stage that echo that. She has such a refined eye and given our mutual focus on Australian living, we are very aligned in our thinking. She’s inspiring and it will be beautiful.
What keeps GlobeWest coming back to Decor + Design?
This trade event is the perfect fit for us. Our heartland is in interior design and boutique retail and there’s nowhere else we can see so many of our customers.
It’s also great putting faces to names and getting to know new design professionals and retailers.
And whilst we love spending time with them in our showrooms nationally throughout the year, there’s a special vibe that happens when the interiors community comes together over 4 days. Nothing beats experiencing the reaction to the new collection first hand!
Juno boris 3 seater; Juno conrad sofa chair; Elle luxe rectangular coffee table; Vionnet hourglass stool.
Image: GlobeWest
Don’t miss GlobeWest at Decor + Design 2017 – they will be at booths B11 + B12. Register now as a trade visitor, as well as for the Australian House & Garden International Seminar Series, which will feature Tim Street-Porter, Sibella Court, David Hicks, Adelaide Bragg, Mr Jason Grant and more.