FK chats to the lovely Elise about her Adelaide store Council of Objects, it’s beginnings and the beautiful work she proudly displays!
Tell us about your store Council of Objects and what things we can expect to discover.
Council of Objects sells Australian made ceramics, glass, jewellery, timber products and textiles. We aim to offer products that you won’t see in every store. We want our customers to discover beautiful things for the first time and there’s really nothing better than having a customer get excited over something we love too!
We stock work from over 100 incredibly talented artists such as Peta Kruger, Lisa Furno, Beth Emily, Mono, Daniel Guest and Amanda Dziedzic – just to name a few.
What is your background and what lead you to where you are?
After finishing a Bachelor of Media and spending some time traveling I finally came to the conclusion that my Mum was right, I should be an interior designer. So I studied Interior Architecture at UniSA and that’s when my ideas started to come together. I ended up working in the Jam factory retail stores for several years, completed my degree and I knew it was time to bite the bullet.
So after 3 years of solid research I started to look for a location.
Image credit: Malinko ‘nest’ egg holder, styling by Council of Objects
Susan Frost ceramics, Photo by Kara Mia photography, Styling Council of Objects
What qualities do you look out for when selecting new stock for your store?
Design, quality and craftsmanship are the most important things I look for initially. I also find that functional objects are the most popular amongst my customers. I also look for product that is fresh and unique. The store has a modern Scandinavian feel to it so I look for products that will sit well in the mix.
What is your inspiration for the shop, and what keeps you motivated?
Discovering new product that I know my customers will really appreciate inspires me; when a customer loves a product as much as me that makes my day.
When you are not in your shop, what are you usually doing in Adelaide?
I live in the Adelaide Hills, so you’ll usually find me walking my dog or gardening. Anything that involves the outdoors really.
What do you love most about running your shop? and what have been some challenges?
I love that I get to be my own boss, I am able to create a space that looks and functions exactly how I want it to. This is also the biggest challenge – I have no one to blame but myself when something fails. But 2 years in I’ve learnt an enormous amount, faced challenges I never thought I would and along the way have met some wonderful people.
Image credit: Susan Frost ceramics, Photo by Kara Mia photography, Styling by Council of Objects
Image credit: Kara Mia photography, Dollop & Co catering, Styling Council of Objects
What new projects are you working on for Council of Objects for the remainder of 2013?
We have just re-located, we’ve only headed over one street but we will be with a great group of other small businesses. We will be having an official opening and then our annual Christmas product launch and before we know it Christmas will have come and gone!
All the specific details:
16 Ebenezer Place,
(East End) Adelaide,
SA, 5000
Ph: 08 8232 8228
Mobile: 0427 975 698
www.councilofobjects.com.au
Opening Hours:
Closed Sun & Mon
Tues – Thurs: 10 – 5.30pm
Friday: 10 – 6pm
Saturday: 10 – 5pm
