Postcards of Purpose at Appetite for Decoration
Rebecca Jamieson Dwyer discovers the stories behind the eclectic smorgasbord of handmade treasures to be found in one of Noosa’s most fascinating showrooms.
Bettina McILwraith from Appetite for Decoration (A4D) loves scouring the globe for creative, colourful and compelling treasures, working closely with artisans in Ghana and beyond to fill her Noosa outlet with vibrant, ethically-made homewares. Bettina loves to bring beauty and positive energy into our lives through purposeful projects that empower artisans to also build a better world for their communities. She shares some of her favourite finds and projects with us:
A A K S Basket Bags
A A K S is a label founded by Akosua Afriyie-Kumi with the goal of introducing the world to her favourite weaving techniques by the women of her home country of Ghana, increasing awareness around ethical production processes and encouraging sustainable consumption. Each stunning bag takes 10 to 14 days to complete using traditional weaving techniques, and is made with raffia, lined with linen or cotton, and finished with elegant leather detailing. Beautiful, useful and ethical – we’re so excited to share their latest collection!
Conch Art Basket
I worked with Master Weaver Pepe Agadaam in my design and development role with The Baba Tree Basket Company in Bolgatanga, Ghana to initiate the Conch Basket shape. When Pepe’s first fully-formed katayeli-tia (conch) basket revealed itself in 2019, she understood the full scope of her creativity and her significant contribution as an important basket artist. Pepe’s baskets have since been shown at exhibitions and galleries the world over, including Christie’s in London, Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, BASK IT at Dutch Design Week, and are stocked here at the A4D Mothership. A revolution of form in natural Veta Vera grass, the conch comes in three sizes, from tiny to XL, and can be custom-made in your choice of colour and pattern. Get in touch with your ideas!
Stay Flow Basket Bag
I first collaborated with a team of female artisans to bring the Stay Flow basket bag to life during my 18-month design and communications residency with The Baba Tree Basket Company in 2019-20. Getting to know the women on a deeper level and sharing our lives with one another, alongside the flow of their signature weaving style, became the inspiration for the collection name, Stay Flow. We are super proud of this very personal, best-selling basket bag and its ongoing ripple effect in the community!
Placemats with Purpose
It was a delight to work alongside a select group of talented artisans at Baba Tree to perfect the Placemats with Purpose sets, creating beautiful and useful accoutrement to energise your tabletops and inspire your breakfast, lunch and dinner guests! Discover vibrant combinations in a myriad of colours and patterns, both traditional and contemporary. This project provides well-paid and meaningful work for the artisans, and has been crafted to bring joy to your tables for many years.
AAAA Textile Totems
We believe that items made in harmony with the earth bring harmony to the home, which is why we love these very special textile totem wall hangings. Atelier Autodidacts Anti Algorithm (AAAA) is a cooperation of Artisans from Mali that we’re thrilled to partner with and represent at the A4D Mothership. We are becoming more and more fascinated by the idea that textiles really do speak to us, and these hand-painted textile totems, created with fermented mud from the Niger river, are a symbolic language filled with meaning. The AAAA Bogolan (mudcloth) is made with love and each piece is unique.
Material Futures: Regenerative Design The idea for this project had been bubbling in my brain for a few years before I took it to the talented artisans at The Baba Tree Basket Company to make it a reality. Ghana is well-known as the world’s dumping ground for textile waste, and this project interweaves local textiles typically destined for landfill with the Veta Vera grass to create these design-focused, one-of-a-kind baskets. Custom-created exclusively for A4D, this project is slow design at its very best.
HANDWOVEN LIGHTSHADES
We’re currently working on and sampling a new collection of handwoven lampshades with our Baba Tree Basket family. The shapes are classic and the colours are wonderful, and these will be available to purchase in the next few months. Coming soon as part of the very first lighting collection!
Stay tuned!
