FK chats to Gold Coast lady, Georgina Townley about her brand new shop, Little Love & Happiness

You’ve just opened a brand new shop, Little Love & Happiness. Is this your first retail space and what motivated you to open your own space?
Yes! it’s our first little shop – our baby! My sister opened a florist shop nearby. I styled it for her, an the response was so flatteringly huge, when she was asked to open another shop in West Burleigh, and turned it down – Josh & I jumped in! Having such a passion for interior design, and the nick nacks that make a house a home, we decided to look into combining the traditional ‘gift/homewares’ store with, a designer florist. There are lots of cool concept stores in the capitals, and felt there was a real opportunity to bring one to the Gold Coast!

What look and feel were you going for in the design of the interior of the shop, and where did you get your inspiration?
We are going with a vintage/industrial feel. We love to find odd bits and transform them into, lovely, usable, furniture pieces. We get a lot of our inspiration from magazines and online. But mostly just our wild imaginations! Lots of our ideas are just too ridiculous to even attempt, but they’re fun to laugh at! We bounce off each other… and 1 tiny thought can evolve into such a cool and amazing idea, that we have to roll with it!

What is your background and what lead you to where you are today?
I am from the UK. I moved here 8 years ago, on a gap year when I was 21. After finishing with college, where I studied floristry, and my apprenticeship, I wanted to discover what Australia had to offer. I never went back! I now call Australia ‘home’ and have 2 Aussie kiddies, Oakley & Star. With the high standard of Australian children’s fashion, I started following blogs for cool funky kid’s style, which included kid’s rooms, and eventually leading to my obsession with decor!

Which labels are you most excited about stocking, and what did you look for in them?
Oh well after visiting the Trade Fairs in Melbourne last month, it is hard to pick favourites! So many insanely awesome Aussie labels. But name drop a few: Have You Met Miss Jones is right up there 🙂 her beautiful bone china ceramics are to die for, but also are just so fun too. We’re also super excited about our Down To The Woods stock. We just love that whimsical, quirky piece that will just pop in any room. We’ve also got some awesome bits from Pigeonhole and Made590, along with some local designers, and many more!

What is the design & art scene like in Burleigh?
It is actually quite cool! It’s no Melbourne, but there are hidden treasures all over the place, if you know where to look! The Naked City Guide is a really cool little Gold Coast directory, that has all the funky places to hang/eat/drink/shop at. The idea behind the book was to expose the arty scene on the Gold Coast because it’s so stereotyped, as just being full of beach bums and meter-maids! And is just so not true! There’s also the Village Markets, in Burleigh, on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of every month, and features all up and coming designers/singers/artists etc. It really is a fantastic event to be apart of and see!

Who are some of your favourite other local creatives and spaces?
We are proud to be stocking jewellery from local designer SevenBlueberries. Her vintage inspired pieces are divine and very special. The block we are on, has a new garden centre with a difference. There is a coffee shop, and play space with funky beats and creatively shaded areas. It’s the perfect place to hang out. A few times a month they have themed evenings, such as wood fired pizza night/moroccan night etc, with live ‘local’ bands, food and drink. It’s becoming quite the little hub, and we’re so happy to be a part of it!!

What advice would you give designers wanted to find stockists?
The Trade Fairs were amazing and a real opportunity for us both to meet, talk to, and come to know the designers, and really see and ‘feel’ their product. From what we’ve talked about, I would say that the smaller, more exclusive shows would be more beneficial for new designers – as with some of the larger venues, we didn’t even get around the whole thing! It was just so large. Also the social networking tools are amazing and not very costly at all – just time really. If they have a good looking website that showcases what they’re selling, it’s easy for us to decide one over the other. I guess if they’re local to us and wanted to pop by – that’d be nice! Always love an excuse to sit down for a ‘business meeting’ (aka coffee n chat!!)

What challenges have you faced setting up?
Everything has run surprisingly smoothly! The shop itself took a while getting finished. But that was just our own impatience frustrating us there! I guess what most new shop owners experience is, worry about whether what they have chosen to sell – sells! Just because we drool over our products, doesn’t mean the rest of the GC will! But come-on how can you resist!!? I just had to keep telling myself “if someone else had opened this shop, I’d be an excited, loyal customer”! haha!

All the Specific Details
Shop 1, 37A Tallebudgera Creek Road
West Burleigh, QLD

Phone: 07 5576 4667
Email: store@littleloveandhappiness.com

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sat: 9.30 – 5pm
Sun: Closed

www.littleloveandhappiness.com