Is there any other interiors company that has captured the Australian aesthetic quite like GlobeWest? Visitors to this year’s Decor + Design show will have the opportunity to gauge for themselves from July 19th – 22nd at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. The design powerhouse has increased their stand size this year to a massive 144sqm, with the always stylish space also including a dedicated outdoor living showcase. It’s going to be a big show for one of Australia’s leading furniture and homewares brands!

Design Online caught up with GlobeWest Marketing Leader Kirsten Thompson ahead of the brand’s 2019 launch at Decor + Design.

We’re delighted to welcome GlobeWest back as one of the major exhibitors at Decor + Design 2018! For those who aren’t familiar with the brand, can you give us some background on the company, as well as your current operations in the Australian market?

Thank you, it’s great to be back!

GlobeWest is an Australian owned company based in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 2004 and still run by brothers Stephen & Alan Mendel, we create distinctive furniture and homewares for beautiful spaces.

Inspired by uniquely Australian Living, we’re dedicated to creating and curating collections that celebrate our surroundings and transform your everyday. We are obsessed with texture and when developing each new piece, integrate distinctive characteristics to deliver inspiration to our customers.

We have State Offices and Showrooms throughout Australia and are now a leading supplier to the Australian Interiors industry, having been embraced by leading boutique retailers and a huge cross section of specifiers. Internationally, our products are also distributed in New Zealand and the USA.

How has 2018 been for GlobeWest so far? Have there been any particular challenges/successes?

We’ve had an amazing year already and can’t thank our customers enough for their support.

At a business level, some of our major projects have included bedding down our new website, expanding and reopening our Brisbane flagship showroom and releasing Collections 2018 Volume 02 to supplement our major launch last year at Decor + Design/Melb 2017.

We’ve invested heavily in technology to ensure working with GlobeWest online is as enjoyable and easy as it is dealing with our people. Each feature on our new website is designed to make it inspiring, simple and efficient to work with us. We figure that the easier we can make our customer’s lives, the more time they can spend creating beautiful interiors!

The introduction of our new website, especially its find-a-designer service was a major milestone. We’re proud to be championing the role of professional design advice, utilising our significant website traffic to connect end users with design professionals…many of whom understandably don’t have the time to market their own small businesses.

This was also front of mind when implementing our seamless online quoting and ordering tool which allows logged in users to create and share visual client quotations customised with their business profile and submit orders online 24/7 securing stock, saving time and expediting processing.

Our Brisbane showroom underwent a major transformation earlier this year, doubling its’ footprint to 800 square metres. Working with local designer Tara Denis, we thoughtfully refurbished the interior to bring to life our collections’  breadth and diversity, while providing a relaxed and open space where designers could plan and discuss briefs with clients, and retail customers would be supported by great service from our expert showroom consultants.

GlobeWest’s Brisbane Showroom

In March we celebrated the launch of Collections 2018 | Volume 02 with VIP showroom events around the country. The 3 entirely new collections and over 100+ new styles were so well received by customers that most pieces will be included in Collections 2019!

Harrington Collection, from GlobeWest Collections 2018

Have you noticed any particular lifestyle trends affecting interiors? What styles are proving popular in contrast to last year?

A sense of comfort continues to be important in what has felt like a turbulent year world-wide. But on a lighter side, Australians are definitely getting braver with their interiors which is exciting to see. In comparison to last year we’re seeing more experimentation with patterns, heightened textures and surprising colour compositions. On the whole, everyone seems to be having more fun and being more adventurous.

Used confidently and styled right, the most interesting furniture pieces can work in a range of architectural environments. Australia has the best light and some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world so the task is to make the most of that whilst ensuring your home speaks of what’s important to you. 

I understand you will be launching ‘Collections 2019’ at the show. Very exciting! Can you give us a sense of what visitors can expect to see?

We are so excited to share Collections 2019 with the Interiors trade at Decor + Design! This is the debut of our new range and the launch of our major annual catalogue so it’s the pinnacle for us!

In ascertaining the themes for Collections 2019, we applied ongoing research into colour, form, texture and materials and then combined this with our brand aesthetic and insights on how Australians live.

I don’t want to be spoiler but can tell you that D+D this year, visitors can expect to see around 6 interior themes communicated within our stand across core aesthetics: Contemporary, Modern, Classic,  Retreat and Global Eclectic. We also have a new dedicated outdoor living section where we’ll present a comprehensive offering of stylish and supremely durable furniture.

New Maui Collection (launching at Décor+Design): 3 Seater Sofa, Maui 1 Seater Sofa, Maui Chevron Coffee Table, Maui Chevron Nest of 2 Side Tables, Granada Handwoven Square Ottoman

Our team set out to reinvent the range, to surprise, delight and inject emotion and it’s been our biggest year of product development yet. We really hope our customers and Decor + Design visitors love the direction we have taken!

I’ve heard the theme of the AH&G International Seminar Series this year at Decor + Design is ‘Everyday Luxury’ – whether that is created through luxe materials, bespoke design or small, everyday touches. How does GlobeWest approach the concept of luxury?

We’re thrilled to again be dressing the seminar stage with Australian House & Garden this year. Editor Lisa Green has curated a few of her favourite GlobeWest pieces from our collections for the speakers’ seating and stage, which will  fit in perfectly with this year’s theme of ‘Everyday Luxury’.

For us, everyday luxury is about reconnecting. In today’s society there’s understandably a real importance being placed on slow living and having space to unwind. In terms of GlobeWest product development, expect to see sophisticated, ‘grown-up’ colours, and more refined upholstery silhouettes which are also incredibly comfortable. Styling conjures a sense of quiet and calm with rooms that offer refuge from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

What keeps you coming back to Decor + Design?

Decor + Design is the perfect fit for GlobeWest. No other trade show attracts the quality and quantity of interiors professionals.

It also ties in impeccably with our major catalogue launch, and precedes our state showroom events throughout August.

We all love putting faces to names, catching up with long-term clients from around the country as well as meeting new design professionals and retailers.

Whilst we enjoy spending time with customers in our showrooms nationally throughout the year, there’s a special vibe that happens, when the interiors community comes together. It’s wonderful to be surrounded by so many people who are as passionate about interiors as us. Finally, nothing beats experiencing the reaction to our new products first hand!

Register now to visit Decor + Design 2018, Australia’s No.1 Interiors Trade Event. Visitors can expect to see highlights from 22 new GlobeWest collections, including 16 new indoor furniture, 4 contemporary homewares and 5 fresh outdoor furniture collections. GlobeWest will be at Stands B11 + B12.

Learn more about GlobeWest’s involvement in Decor + Design plus their ongoing support of the VIVID design competition here.