A magpie silkscreen artwork by Roofus Australia to turn heads

This silkscreen artwork by Melbourne-based Roofus Australia stopped me in my tracks. Magpies are Australia’s favourite bird (despite the odd divebomb) and this mid-century modern-inspired version would work in any space. 

Why we should love Australiana again

Why should we love Australiana again? Because it's uniquely us. Because we absolutely should be proud of our iconic flora, fauna and scenery. Because we're supporting Australian design talent. And because it's now cool! There are so many clever Australian designers making beautiful products that don't scream souvenir anymore; and that we should be as proud to show off in our homes as vegemite in our cupboards. Here are some of my current favourite homewares that embrace Australia as an icon:

Australian bird melamine plates from Lalaland

You know by now that I'm a sucker for good Australiana, and these gorgeous melamine plates from Lalaland Design House fit the bill. They feature gorgeous illustrations by in-house illustrator Clarisse Djaja including a Zebra Finch, Yellow Breasted Sunbird, Purple Crowned Lorikeet and Flame Robin.

JAB Designs Australian animal melamine plates at UrbanBaby - 25% off

You know I'm a sucker for good Australiana and I love these melamine plates featuring Australian animals by JAB Designs. Head to UrbanBaby where they are currently 15% off, and get an extra 10% off with the code JUNE10 through until 16th June, 2013. Perfect for the kids and the mono-colour photo prints are so on-trend right now.

Image: UrbanBaby

Vintage-style Australian map hanging canvas

I've been looking for one of these Australian map hanging canvases for the longest time (look how great this one looks in Rowan's room). They are so old school-perfect for a kid's bedroom, toy room or study. There are limited quantities of vintage-style maps at a discounted price available through the Natural Wonders store on Temple & Webster right now :)

Celebrating Australia Day with Modern Australiana

Happy Australia Day! Of course every day is Australia Day here on Bondville where every product featured is designed in Australia or by Australians overseas. I'm particularly excited when Australian designers embrace our unique landscape, flora and fauna, incorporating some of our indigenous shapes, textures and colours to create a new "modern Australiana".

Local jewellery designers Polli have just launched a new Australiana collection that I am utterly in love with, and will be sharing with you in more detail in the next week, but for now, my favourite pieces are the Banksia earrings that are oh-so-chic.

And in the spirit of supporting our own authentic style, I've been inspired by these earrings to pull together a few other Australian designers embracing Australiana in a new, modern way that is stylish and never kitsch (although I love a bit of that too).

1. Banksia beding by Cloth Fabric
2. Kookaburra cushion by Bonnie & Neil
3. Rosella cushion by Cumulus Living
4. Banksia rug by Cloth Fabric
5. Kookaburra tea towel by Bonnie & Neil
6. Native flowers tea towel by Laughing Bird Designs
7. Gum leaf wallpaper by Catherine Martin
8. Cockatoo cushion by Bonnie & Neil
9. Cockatoo lamp by MOZI
10. Banksia lamp shade by Cloth Fabric
11. Bilby print by Renee Treml at Udessi
12. Gum leaf table cloth by Dandi
13. Grevillea cushion by Ink & Spindle

You might also like to check out Saffron Craig who has some gorgeous wombat, kookaburra and banksia fabric designs, the great lifestyle textiles products at Utopia Goods, and the Brown Trading Co. which has beautiful, vibrant cockatoo silhouettes in blue, green and pink.

Go ahead and embrace a little modern Australiana into your home - and send some to your overseas friends and family too. We need to be proud of our unique environment. Happy Australia Day!

Renee Treml's Australiana necklaces, brooches and ornaments

Some people are just plain talented. Renee Treml is one of those people. She is a friend, mother, wife, breast cancer survivor (yes, really), sweet, sweet person, and an incredibly talented artist. And on top of that, Renee has just launched a fabulous collection of necklaces, brooches and ornaments featuring her lovely Scratchboard illustrations of cute-as-pie birds and animals. 

If you've never heard of the scratchboard technique before, head over to Renee's website where you will find a description of this intricate process of scratching clay away from a surface using a fine craft knife. I can only fathom the amount of work that goes into each illustration, with no room for error (or erasers!). Stunning results, I'm sure you'll agree. 

I love Renee's new line of jewellery and ornaments featuring native Australian fauna and flora, as well as birds a little farther from home. And what glorious gifts these would make for friends and family overseas, and for souvenirs. And while you're there, why not pick up a greeting card or art print from this amazing artist.

You can find Renee's artwork and accessories in the Renee's Artwork Etsy store, as well as at stockists around Australia and online. Read more about Renee's artwork here on Bondville.

PS - look out for Renee's illustrated book coming soon!

Images: Renee Treml

Morgan Wills vintage kitsch cushions

Oh how I love Australiana. And the more kitsch, the better, in my opinion. These totally cute cushions came across my desk today from The Crafty Squirrel studio and store owner Morgan Wills.

These cushions are fashioned from vintage linen souvenir tea towels collected by Morgan. They are backed with matching wool cashmere fabrics and three linen-covered buttons. Each cushion comes with a custom-made feather and fibre insert.

You can find them at The Crafty Squirrel in Ballart or the Morgan Wills online store. These cushions are one-of-a-kind and a limited batch so you'll have to get in quick sticks! (while you are there, check out the baby bunny blankets - very cool).

Images: Morgan Wills

Hip Products: fromWoopWoop table mats

Another elegantly designed product, this time from an Australian studio, is the ingenious fromWoopWoop table mat. The mats are made from 70% recycled cork composite and jigsaw-cut to reveal 2 separate placemats, 2 coasters and a trivet-style heat mat.

I love the Australiana motives printed on the mat, the use of recycled material and the dual-purpose design. The complete mat would make a lovely centrepiece for a table, and cause quite a stir as it is re-assembled to form a complete table setting. Oh the cleverness of it all.

fromWoopWoop products were designed in Melbourne by Studio Periscope. The mats were exhibited at the 2009 Milan International Furniture Fair, and launched officially in Australia at Design:Made:Trade in Melbourne today. I've been looking for a cool table cloth, and I think this table mat might just fit the bill. At any rate, with the Australian motifs and light weight, they will make fantastic gifts for my overseas family and friends.

You can buy fromWoopWoop tablemats in three different Aussie designs (Wattle, Bottlebrush and Gumnuts) on the fromWoopWoop website with more stockists coming soon.

Images: fromWoopWoop