seating

Butterfly Coat Rack in red, AUD $129 by UTE Australia (Also available in black & white.)

UTE Australia is based in Melbourne, and as the name suggests, they focus on utilitarian application & simple functionality. Product designer Kain Lucas and marketing executive Graham Smith teamed up to launch the label in 2007, developing products with timeless appeal - innovative designs made from carefully chosen materials such as bamboo & reclaimed timber. The UTE range of homewares feature geometric shapes, clean lines and design features such as contrasting timber grains (highlighted in the Profile Bathmat pictured further down the post).

Blending the old with the new, the UTE Australia Butterfly Coat Rack (pictured above) offers a stylish solution for tight spaces! The traditional bentwood styled coat rack head has been rendered using modern manufacturing techniques, and is available in super sleek white, black or red.

Bowlboard, AUD $59.95 by UTE Australia

UTE's Bowlboard was an obvious favourite at Platform (at LIFE inSTYLE). The four food prep bowls inlaid flush to the surface of the board are a clever addition to the mould resistant Carbonised bamboo chopping board, and I love the shape of the board itself.

Link Placemats (AUD $39.95 set) & Coasters by UTE Australia

The Link Placemat & Coasters (pictured above) are ideal for both indoor and outdoor entertaining. The designs are cut from polyethylene - chosen for its strength, durablity and non absorbant properties, as well as its sleek look & curious texture.

Profile Bathmat, AUD $99 by UTE Australia

The Profile Bathmat (pictured above) is a design which celebrates its materials. The frame is made from a marine grade Cedar plywood, scalloped at each end to fit the Tasmanian Oak slats. The exposed end grain and natural oiled finish really make the most of these timbers.

The design of UTE's Universal Knife Block (pictured below) enhances its material in a similar way. The parallel vertical lines resemble the grain of the Carbonised Bamboo. They also accommodate knives of all shapes and sizes, making the Universal Knife Block more flexible than other models.

Universal Knife Block, AUD $69.95 by UTE Australia

Selected UTE Australia products are available from the following stockists and all products can also be ordered online from www.ute.net.au. (Check UTE's STOCKISTS page to find out who stocks what!)

NSW: Top 3 by Design (Bondi Junction, Crows Nest)
VIC: MAKE Designed Objects (Carlton, Melbourne), RG Madden (Richmond, Carlton, Melbourne, South Melbourne), Bed Bath n Table The Works (Hawthorn), Ludo's (Toorak), House Brighton (Brighton), Kitch 'n' Stuff (Richmond, Frankston), The Bathroom Store (Moorabbin), Safari Living (Prahan East), Kleen Design (Fitzroy), Blend Design (Collingwood), Kif and Katast (Prahran, Clifton Hill), SAS Design & Concepts (Geelong), Azeno (Ballarat)

WA: Cut It Out (Perth)
QLD: Gibsons Homewares (Noosaville, QLD), Kitchenware Plus (Loganholme), Lime Homewares (Cairns), Zabu (Cairns)
TAS: Luxe (Hobart), Homebody (Launceston)

The Danks Street Festival is being held in Waterloo (Sydney) this Sunday (26.10.2008) and over 80 designers' stalls will inhabit the warehouse of the pyd building. With over 30 000 visitors expected, it will certainly offer great exposure for both emerging and established Australian labels, including those whose products are pictured here: Eliza Mok, Millicent and Frank, Forbidden Linen, Klei and Zaishu. The Danks Street / Young Street area has fast become one of Sydney's well known & dynamic creative precincts and pyd is a unique destination presenting the best in interior design. The building actually takes its name from the bordering streets: Phillip, Young and Danks.

The delicate creations pictured above are part of the 'Shan Shan' collection brooches (left, US $35) and bowls (right, US $55) hand cast silicone rubber by Eliza Mok. 'Shan' represents coral in Chinese, and she uses the different stages of the coral life cycle as a metaphor to represent her past experiences through jewellery and object design.

The timber "Alphabet" by Millicent and Frank is pictured above. This Australian label creates a variety wall hangings, objects and centerpieces. Many feature clean crisp lines and geometric shapes, and of course, the gorgeous curves of serif typefaces.

Forbidden Linen is an unusual collection of "textile titillation". Sydney designer Louise Murphy has joined forces with London based artist 'UnCut', to create a seductive selection of erotically inspired textiles. The image above features a twin handkerchief set (US, $50) - women's kerchiefs are finished with lace while men's are sewn with metallic coloured cotton.

We first posted about Klei back in March 2007, and they keep producing more & more original ceramic creations. With a gorgeous muted palette and organic shapes & textures, each piece is one of a kind... Pictured here are the Pebble Necklace and "two faced" Rivet Rings. View many more designs at Klei's blog.

Well known and admired by many is Zaishu, "a hip combination of style and substance". Using certified sustainable materials, innovative ideas and a collaborative design approach the Zaishu is a versatile slot-together seat and/or table that serves equally as art. I really love the hand-printed artwork in the Australian Bushland design pictured above (AUD $350).