In a rush against time in getting myself amongst the madness of Milan, I wanted to share with you one of the most wonderful retail spaces I have ever come across, in another of my Australian throwback series. Full of wonder not only for the fact that Tarlo & Graham have an immense collection of some of the best antiques, statement design pieces and artwork to be found. Plus some great Australiana – which truly warms my heart, a curious crowd of taxidermy and an inspiring assortment of kitsch and quirk for which they have become known. It’s the Tarlo & Graham art form of making merry with merchandising that makes me weak at the knees – this is retail storytelling at its very best. Right here.
William Tarlo and Phillip Graham have been in the antiques business for sometime now, their Chapel street store has been the go-to for Melbourne’s design aficionados, homeowners and mover shakers since its inception in 2005. I visited both stores while in Melbourne town but must admit I favour their most recent addition on Gertrude street, perhaps for the fact that the sheer size of the store enables so many of their cool, curated concepts or I’m a Fitzroy girl from way back, either way there is much to get excited about. Phillip’s golden rule of merchandising – “volume and repetition” can be witnessed throughout both stores as seen in the accompanying photographs and to spectacular effect. William and Phillip are in a league of their own when it comes to candy stores for grown-ups. I spent hours amongst this personality loaded, pick and mix visualising my dream space…zebra taxidermy – tick, a gigantic Jesus – tick, industrial cabinets galore – tick, Oceanic masks – tick, 2 concrete kangaroos – tick…. the list goes on.
Whether you’re wanting a truckload of fine furniture for your new digs, a vintage oddity as a gift for a friend or purely an inspirational peep at masters of their craft – Tarlo & Graham is that place. Still dreaming of the two kangaroos for my studio in London – the perfect pair to keep me company when I’m feeling a little homesick for Aussie shores sometimes. I’m sure this post has you inspired to get busy merchandising at home, best then to remember the golden rule – “volume and repetition”. I have been putting it to good use at home and in my styling work and it has definitely upped the ante, thanks Phillip! To keep up to date with what Tarlo and Graham are up to, befriend them on Facebook or visit their website where you are able to view their latest and greatest. Enjoy . x
APPETITE FOR DECORATION 