Calling all design aficionados! Seeking some home decor inspo? You can’t go wrong looking up Cream Pie’s resident interior design virtuoso, Victoria Tan.
Cream Pie Studio
Born in Singapore and bred in Sydney, Victoria Tan was trained in Interior Architecture at the University of New South Wales before embarking on an interior design career across two firms in Sydney, with a broad focus on commercial design. Years upon her return to Singapore, she’s since landed in Cream Pie Studio, where her eye for interior decor hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Victoria herself loves homeware design with that little bit of quirk or personality, as opposed to trendy or mass-produced objects. Of course, anything with a good design sense gets her stamp of approval. She rates Australian design, in particular, for its distinct identity, which is often proudly locally created and crafted—and she should know!
Below, we got Victoria to handpick her five favourite Aussie homeware brands, guaranteed to infuse your own living space with oodles of flair and personality. Let’s dive in!
If I had to use two words to describe Maison Balzac, it would be: Fun and Functional. They give standard glassware a big oomph by adding little bits and bobs, such as introducing a unique pop of colour or a fun pattern. In some instances, they play on the function of the vessel. Take, for example, their Martini glass: they’ve added a little green glass olive to the bottom, giving you a fun conversation starter when your friends come round.
Fazeek
The thing that stands out to me most about Fazeek is its bold geometries and use of colour-blocking. Somehow, their wares remind me of the ‘80s (maybe the amber glassware?), especially their Wave range, which I love! The fact that they have the same motif across all forms of glassware makes for a great cohesive mix-and-match situation—aka. a hostess’ dream come true!
Sarah Ellison
Sarah Ellison is one of my favourite Australian furniture designers. Their products tend to be more minimal and classic in nature, without overlooking the importance of design detailing. The first piece that came to my attention from this brand was their Huggy chair, which I immediately fell in love with. I loved how its clean lines and the standalone sculptural nature of the armchair juxtaposed its rounded curves and velvet materiality—kind of like a sturdy friend you can rely on for a good hug.
Mud Australia
I literally stumbled across Mud Australia during my uni days (came across their studio in Marrickville while on a lunch break during my internship), and they have been on my radar ever since. Clean lines, muted colours, functional forms—what more can I ask for? Their beautiful, minimal aesthetic has been able to transcend the trends of time and sustained its popularity through the years. On top of that, their pieces are all handmade with ethically and sustainably sourced materials.
Crumble Australia
As someone who enjoys baking, I came across Crumble in my efforts to find an affordable cast-iron dutch oven for my sourdough attempts. I was immediately drawn to the myriad of colours they offered across all their cookware and also their aim to make home cooking accessible to all. On top of that, they offer a small but fun detail in allowing you to change your dutch-oven knobs to look like a cookie, a sparrow, a bunny, or a macaron.
Written by Min Chen
