The Creator Behind the Brand
I shoot a lot of different things, as you can probably tell if you have a little look over my Blog. Recently I have been helping Kathleen from Urban Patio with her product shots for her new business venture. Rather than just blogging a couple of said product shots, I thought perhaps you would prefer to see the creator behind the brand and learn a little bit about it all. So here you go. Have a look at what inspires Kathleen below and see her top tips for Patio Living, and then if you want a gorgeous new place to shop, head on over to her website http://www.urbanpatio.com.au
1/ What inspires you?
Meeting people and seeing them do what they are passionate about. I especially love people who live their dream everyday! I love artists, photographers, creators and designers, who I believe are the most inspirational and talented people on earth. They create with love, see things differently and create beautiful things.
2/Why did you want to create Urban Patio?
Living a minimalist ethos, I had become conscious about the things I lived with, part of my process of becoming minimalist was not reducing my things but rather loving what I had. I became rather sadden by the fact that everything was mass manufactured and nearly always throwaway! I did not want that in my life anymore, I wanted to have well-made and designed things made by talented people. One of my passions is gardening, particularly for small spaces so Urban Patio was created. I wanted to bring a collection of designer gardening products that were made in Australia or introduce life time brands that are not easily available to the public.
The real reason why I created Urban Patio simply because it was a childhood dream of mine to have a shop, own something (be my own boss), connect with people and do something creative.
3/ What do you do to relax?
As a mother, one of my favourite ways to relax is to spend it with my sons; either picnicking or enjoying a meal with them. They are so calming when you talk with them (as I’m not an artist, I see my sons as my creations and my work in progress) they are wonderful little people and I really enjoy my time with them.
As me though, I do enjoy my getaways with my sister without the family! We get to be ourselves again and go to places and experience things as independent women which I love.
4/ Top 3 hints for creating an outside living space
1. Top of my list is really understanding how you and your family use the space, small or large you should really spend time thinking about how you use it throughout the entire year and in all weather: understand how often you go out to use the space, what you want to do in that space - do you want to grow food, or entertain or have it as a decorative garden space.
2. Avoid rework, I know you may want to do-it-yourself but consider using a professional when designing your space, they are trained and specialist in their field especially if you are considering structural changes, large scale jobs and if you are setting up lighting or are new to styling or gardening.
3. Please keep those plants alive! So my last tip is to please do your research, talk to your local garden centre, your neighbours or work colleagues about what plants grow well in your area. Unfortunately, not everything you see and want will grow well in your space. So, plan for success by planting suitable plants for your space and enjoy them as they thrive.
5/Where do you hope to be (on your UP journey) in 3 yrs?
I’d like to be well connected with the gardening product designers in Australia and continue to bring new quality products to Australia. Urban Patio will also become a platform for up and coming young talented landscape designers and landscape architects giving them an opportunity to showcase their talents, and hopefully giving them another avenue to become self-employed. I also plan to open a boutique garden store/nursery for indoor and small outdoor gardeners.
