Melbournestyle: Gallery, Giftshop and Design Studio

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Posted 2015-12-20 by Tricia Ziemer ⇒ follow

Tucked in the lovely streets of South Melbourne is a shop that holds treasure beyond what lies in our Australian National Treasury with one small difference. You can get to it and buy, buy, buy all these special treasures.

The moment you set foot into this classy shop and art space, you are going to be overwhelmed with choice. You are going to want to buy for Christmas, Easter, birthdays, anniversaries, bridal showers, baby showers, family friends, relatives, overseas visitors, children or just because the quality of the products is beyond the beyond. This shop is busting with classy and clever gifts, soaps, scarves, purses, ceramics, kangaroos, cushions, lamps, chairs, art, jewelry and much, much more.

If I tell you all they have on offer, I will go well over my word limit for this article. Best of all the products are all designed in Melbourne, styled about Melbourne, by Melbourne talent, and made in Melbourne. This is one step up on Beatlemania, this is Melburniani.

All the pieces have a focus on our beautiful city of Melbourne and thus they are high quality, lifetime treasures to be passed down from generation to generation. Overseas and Local Tour Operators, STOP HERE; this is your best stop; this shop is a must on your bus trip route even before the Vic Market. Be warned it will not be a quick stop and warn everyone to increase their credit card limit and buy an extra suitcase. There is just so much they will want to take home for themselves and loved ones.

And the best treat of all the BOOKS. Books about Melbourne catering from ages 1 to 100. And not just any books, but books by Maree Coote who is a three time gold medal winner including her most recent win the coveted "2015 NEW YORK IPPY GOLD for Best Regional Non-Fiction". That's right! Maree's book named (wait for it) "The MELBOURNE Book" (surprised?) also known as the BIBLE of Melbourne has taken New York by storm and put Melbourne on their map of fantastic places to visit along with a side trip to this delicious store - Melbournestyle. This book is the absolute perfect gift for even the fussiest of nature.

Maree Coote states herself that she, "is a writer, designer, illustrator, photographer and publisher. She has enjoyed an award-winning career in advertising and understands Melbourne's unique advantage well. Her many creative passions converge in her studies of Melbourne's history, which is the focus of her work in object design and in publishing over the past ten years". After speaking to her personally about this focus, I found Maree passionate about a sense of place and history in Melbourne and heartbroken as she watches our original cityscape and historic buildings being bulldozed and eroded to be replaced by stark high rise boxes. She has been desperately working to capture these historical places and buildings, before they are just distant memories for the people of Melbourne, Australia and the world.

"The Melbourne Book" is deliciously written with wonderful turn of phrase that speaks to my heart and takes you on a journey of our unique culture and diversity. Through words and magnificent photography, her book brings alive the characters that founded Melbourne, it's Aboriginal origins, our brightest stars of city and stage including greats, like Meyer, Melba, Ned Kelly and Dame Edna Everage (who she has interviewed personally). This just dusts off the cover of this wonderful book. It is a must as a gift and to read and re-read and re-read. I would put this book into every child's hand in every history class across Australia and watch their eyes light up with pride that they are Australian.

You can start your children young with Maree's magic photographic book of landmark items around the city that make the letters of the Alphabet called "Alphabet-City Melbourne". Then take the book and your child's hand and explore the wonders of Melbourne as they learn their alphabet.

Maree runs the store with her partner extraordinaire, Lex Ridgeway, who is a surfer, carpenter, and store manager. The quality build throughout the store shouts his talent.

And when they are not selling at the front desk, or designing out the back, they are also hosting Art Shows and Exhibition Launches in their bright and beautiful art space gallery upstairs.

I recommend you put this shop on your Bucket List. I will be down there this week myself to finish some last minute shopping.
If you can't get to the shop to feel the quality and textures and tones, disappointing but life is busy, don't worry be happy, because you can use their easy website to access all the best the shop has on offer at www.melbournestyle.com.au

They are happy to ship around the world to bring Melbourne to you.