After running popular Hobart store Funky Homes for six years, Helena Facer decided to branch out and start her own wholesale furniture and homewares brand, The Colour Society.
The idea came about when Facer decided she wanted to source unique products for Funky Homes that consumers couldn’t buy anywhere else.
“I have always loved the creative process myself and this was an outlet for me to collaborate with other local designers on ranges to produce new and exciting things,” she explains.
“Then I dreamed up taking it further to offer it to a wider market, which lead to me applying for design markets and introducing select pieces to other retailers through wholesale.”
The Colour Society products are all designed and made in Hobart, with the debut collection created in collaboration with local furniture designer Campbell Muskett. The range includes five key furniture pieces along with wall hooks, mirrors, stools and storage boxes.
Facer pre-released the range into Funky Homes in April and says the response has been positive, with the first drop selling out within a few weeks. “We look forward to further expanding the range’s exposure and representation in other home and lifestyle stores,” she says.
“We are really focused on building relationships with stores that appreciate locally made items and have a love for designer pieces that offer their customers something different.”
Facer is also the Australian distributor of Canadian homewares brand Danica Studio, which she has stocked in Funky Homes for years. “When the brand became available for distribution in Australia I worked very hard with Canada directly to forge a working relationship and to eventually gain the distribution rights.
“I found that the products were very well received, impeccable quality, affordable and the design elements that were on offer through the range really appealed to me.”
Danica Studio products include kitchen textiles, mugs, ceramics, bags and doormats, with new items released each season, and Facer says she is looking forward to expanding distribution of the products along with her own ranges.
“The two brands have only really come together in the last few months as we merge both our design and wholesale business under one umbrella, with the focus on growing our company,” she says.
“We aim to offer a boutique design and distribution company showcasing leading and upcoming brands from around the world and our very own doorstep that fit with our design ethos.”
By Ruth Cooper
