Display houses celebrate home-grown brands

BUILDING group BCM Homes has taken the opportunity to support local within their new Alfredton display houses.

The homes’ interiors are decorated with wares, furniture, art and plants by Ballarat businesses.

Knitted textile brand Branberry, Arranmore Furniture, art by Katie McKinnon and Lauren Layton, and interior plant-scaping by Greening Spaces can be found in the two homes on Adrianus Street.

BCM’s new home sale consultant Joel Spence said the local company has a focus on quality and craftsmanship.

“For us to be able to display local products, it just shows what the local community is capable of doing, and we’re very excited and honoured that they’ve agreed to help us out with our display homes and showcase their products,” he said.

“We looked for companies that had the same interests as us around quality, so these brands not only give bespoke options to clients, but at an affordable price.

“You could buy online and go to Melbourne, or you could spend a similar amount on money in Ballarat and get a really nice quality product while supporting the local community.”

Branberry owner and designer Kassie Blaszak, also from Interknit, said she was keen to get behind BCM’s concept of championing and showcasing what locals can do.

“We hope that while they’re open, the BCM display homes will be a bit of a weekend attraction, and a way to see just how talented our regional goods manufacturing is,” she said.

“Ballarat produces an amazing range of homewares on a commercial scale, with high quality and competitive pricing, so I’m sure local people will be keen to support local industry if only they knew we existed.

“BCM Homes has given us smaller players a great platform to get out there in the community, and at the same time, I hope they feel our blankets are making their homes look good too.”

Arranmore Furniture’s Julia Pannan said craftsman Andrew Adams can custom-make anyone’s structurally-sound table design in any timber, so it’s positive for the business to have another Ballarat platform.

“It’s really exciting for us to showcase locally, be more accessible, and share what we make in Ballarat. We’ve been a little bit under the radar because we haven’t had a proper showroom until recently,” she said.

“We’re into a growth phase in this region, and we’re increasing local employment, having taken on new employees as we’re growing the business, and that showcases that furniture manufacturing is still alive in Australia.

“Custom-made furniture is affordable, durable, flexible and designs can be tweaked to suit a space.”

Ms Pannan also explained Arranmore Furniture’s unique selling point. They use natural oil to finish many timber pieces, rather than sprays.

“The items can be repaired and are very durable. Most of our furniture doesn’t have a sprayed finish, so you don’t get scorch marks from a hot coffee cup, for example.

“Even if permanent marker gets on the timber, that can actually be sanded out, before you put the oil back on, and you’ve got this long-standing piece in your home,” she said.

“We want you to have something different, unique and at the forefront of design, because everybody is different, and should have something really beautiful in their home that’s locally made.”