Utopia Goods, the renowned purveyors of artisanal textiles and homewares, is thrilled to unveil its latest custom, finely knotted rug commissions and collection: Woven Australian Stories. A marriage of timeless tradition and contemporary design, the new collection pays homage to the wonders and legends of Australia’s flora and fauna.
Drawing inspiration from the rich heritage of Indian textile arts and the natural beauty of the Australian bush, the rug collection is a true testament to the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship, quality and artisanal expertise. Each hand knotted beauty is an artwork in its own right, from the extra-large illustrative Tree of Life, to the graphic and turquoise Stringy Bark to the whimsy of the emerald coloured, Paradise. Each piece tells its own unique story while at the same time acts as a magnificent creation enhancing the room with vibrant colour and a striking pattern.
“We are excited to be working with our clients on beautiful bespoke commissions. Creating our luxury rug collection, is testament to the skill and talent of our Indian artisans,’ says director Sophie Tatlow. ‘The rugs are more than floor coverings; they are works of art that transform living spaces into sanctuaries of style, comfort and sophistication.’
Key features of the commissions and collection include:
Bespoke Beauty – Each rug (or wall hanging) is made to order, allowing clients to customise size, colours and pattern to suit their individual taste or interior needs.
Artistic Inspiration – Drawing inspiration from the Australian landscape, the rugs feature detailed and intricate botanical and organic themes, reminiscent of middle eastern carpets and the tapestries of the decorative arts.
Indian craftsmanship and finest materials – Skilled weavers from Rajasthan, India, finely hand-knot every rug using hand dyed and hand spun wool and silk. Each rug, depending on size takes between 4-12 months to create.
Evolved Australian Design – Each rug is a homage to the unique flora and fauna of the Australian landscape.
The hand-knotted collection is a testament to Utopia Goods’ dedication to pushing the boundaries of textile design. This collection seamlessly combines traditional craftsmanship with an Australian creative eye, bringing to life the vision of the creative directors for the love of their clients and beyond.
Utopia Goods invites you to experience the beauty and craftsmanship of Woven Australian Stories.
For inquires, custom orders and further information, please contact
Sophie Tatlow – Director Utopia Goods – sophie@utopiagoods.com.
Further imagery and product information is available upon request.
]]>]]>
Discover this print combination -Tree of Life Midnight Tablecloth, Tree of Life Midnight Napkins, Cameo Taupe Napkins
Simple, graphic and striking, the ‘Bottlebrush’ cameo is the perfect ‘portrait’ of a flower and the ideal versatile print with a small scale repeat pattern.
Shop this selection - Cameo Navy Tablecloth, Cameo Navy Napkins, Golden Wattle Oatmeal Napkins
Modern and traditional at once, the decorative and ornamental ferny green Gum textile is a vibrant print that promises to become a Utopia Goods classic. Its fluid ‘leafy’ and iconic design partners perfectly with the Utopia Goods Golden Wattle Navy or Oatmeal and various prints throughout the collection.
Bring the beauty of the flowering Southern Blue Gum to your table with Gum Green and Golden Wattle Oatmeal Napkins.
Make an unforgettable table setting or interiors statement with this modern textile masterpiece.
]]>
Native Deities is an exploration of Australian native flora and fauna by Sydney based artist Bruce Slorach.
The show developed into a brilliant and bold 'love letter' to Sydney and a homage to one of Australia's greatest assets - the landscape and bush.
First exhibited at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf in Sydney, Australia 3rd-28th May, 2023. A few original paintings from the collection remain available for acquisition, as well as a series of limited edition art prints available exclusively from Utopia Goods.
Southern Blue Gum Painting
Slorach and partner Sophie Tatlow have over the past decade garnered acclaim for drawing attention to Australia's native flora and its beauty in new ways, captured in unique brightly coloured contemporary textiles, created for Utopia Goods.
In Native Deities Slorach presented his latest series of drawings and paintings, alongside a newly developed tapestry, and three of his acclaimed hand knotted silk and wool wall hangings.
Informed by a myriad of textile and decorative arts traditions born from global trade from the 16th Century onwards, Slorach's practice speaks of influences far and wide - east to west, and back again. From Indian Kalamkari (chintz), William Morris and the wider Arts and Crafts movement, Lucien Henry, Josef Frank, Stan Kelly, Ellis Rowan and Margaret Preston.
His is a career that has been shaped by research and inspiration, strengthened through dedicated practice and a continued immersion in and appreciation of the natural world that surrounds us. Slorach's use of fibre, stitch, print and mixed media techniques breath new life and diverse possibilities for honouring and celebrating Australian nature in texture, light, colour and form.
To request a full catalogue of the exhibition please reach out to the Utopia Goods team.
Utopia Goods - (02) 9357 4477
charlie@utopiagoods.com
sophie@utopiagoods.com
Country Bunch Painting
Country Bunch Painting in Progress
Country Bunch Woven Jacquard Tapestry
Lyrebird Wool/Silk Wallhanging
Silver Banksia Painting
Southern Blue Gum in situ at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf
Flannel Flower Painting in Progress
A selection of works at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf
Artist Bruce Slorach, in his Paddington Studio, above the Utopia Goods showroom. Photograph by Terence Chin
]]>Continuing their mission to combine old-world craft and innovative technologies this new collection honours one of the most iconic floral emblems of Australia, and in particular New South Wales, where the Utopia Goods studio is based.
With the Australian landscape and native flora as muse, Utopia Goods continue to expand their textile offer and further their mission of story-telling through ethical and sustainable production. This new collection of fabrics is the result of a 70% post consumer recycled yarn.
The Wild Waratah, and entire Utopia Goods Performance collection is a series of robust, UV resistant woven jacquards. The performance collection offers a transitional application, and can be applied to projects both indoors and out.
Suitable for residential projects, re upholstery of a much-loved piece of furniture, these fabrics are wonderful for both busy households, as well as hospitality or commercial design projects.
With its nod to C18th European and American hand printed resist fabrics and French Jacquards, the Wild Waratah is a unique combination of historical design cues and state-of-the-art engineering. An authentic textile example of history merging with modernity.
Slorach and Tatlow’s commitment to shine the spotlight on the natural world, is of paramount importance. The continued focus on endangered and threatened species of Australian flora, alongside new efforts to work with new technologies in both an ethical and sustainable practice is at the forefront of the business improvements.
Available in Navy, Ruby and Sage and available now from the Utopia Goods Showroom and International Showrooms – Studio Four, Supply Showroom, Fritz Porter, Well Made Home and Wells Abbott Chicago.
]]>The gorgeous Golden Wattle design is a beautiful coordinate print designed to stand alone or scheme with various Utopia Goods prints. The modern and artisan print owes its decorative nuances to the tradition of hand printing, history and interior fabrics and it is well placed to look fabulous in any interior.
Gum Blue Tablecloth and Golden Wattle Navy.
The Golden Wattle tree is a favourite and formal emblem of Australia with its bright yellow puff ball blooms. It is commonly located in southeastern Australia.
Gum Blue and Golden Wattle Indigo Cushions, Silver Banksia Indigo Bedhead and Lampshade.
Gum Green Tablecloth with Golden Wattle Napkins
]]>The Tree of Life as a design reference seemed like the perfect print to mark our 10th Anniversary as it is one of the oldest and most symbolic historical textile patterns dating back to the 1700s or earlier. Resonating with people for centuries across global textile traditions. As a visual metaphor its meaning is multilayered and most significantly it is 'the symbol of life’.
The Tree of Life design potency is attributed to its history, tradition, Indian origins and the vine pattern which generally captivates with hidden flora and fauna. What could be more poignant than a Utopia Goods Tree of Life populated with some of Australia’s most precious flora and fauna. It is our personal homage to life, landscape and love.
]]>With the Australian landscape and native flora as muse, Utopia Goods expand their textile offer and further their mission of story-telling through ethical and sustainable production.
Native Threads is a series of robust, UV resistant woven performance jacquards, produced from a partly post-consumer recycled yarn and the results speak for themselves. A performance fabric that offers a transitional application. Suitable for both residential settings of busy households with both children and pets as well as heavy traffic large commercial projects.
The Utopia Goods woven jacquard designs are a focused solution to indoor/outdoor fabric specification and take our botanical textiles to a new level of project application.
The collection features highly revered Australian botanicals Mottlecah and Stenocarpus Firewheel each in three unique colour palettes, with the highly anticipated Waratah Performance Fabric expected to launch late 2022.
]]>
Utopia Goods is excited to announce a very special collaboration with SAVED New York.
Together, Utopia Goods and SAVED NY have produced limited numbered editions pure virgin Cashmere throws - soft, luxurious and very special.
]]>Together, Utopia Goods and SAVED NY have produced two limited edition pure virgin Cashmere throws - soft, luxurious and very special.
Honouring old world craftsmanship and modern sensibility, SAVED NY is founded on a lifetime of collecting objects, textiles and ephemera from around the world. These two exclusive designs - Rock Wallaby and Youngiana prints are a homage to Australia’s wild, wonderful playground of flora and fauna and have been hand-crafted by SAVED NYC in fine, sustainably sourced Mongolian Cashmere.
Designed as lifetime keepsakes, these beautiful throws are intended to transform a room, give as a forever gift or momento, whilst at the same time honour the tradition of authentic ‘craftsmanship.
Both Utopia Goods and SAVED NY have great reverence for the traditions of the textiles trade and practice. This collaboration with SAVED NY combines Bruce Slorach’s riotous illustrations with Sean’s passion for design and the ability to create a quality product using sustainable materials and following fair trade practices.
The Rock Wallaby is one of Australia’s most beloved marsupials. The Wallaby Toile in Blue and White is a beautiful print paying homage to the tradition of the 18th century French “scene-setting” textiles.
The Youngiana (commonly known as the large-fruited Mallee) Print encapsulates the unusual ribbed ‘cap’ of the glorious eucalyptus tree and playfully transforms the plant into the stylistic winding branches. The Design appears to flow and grow.
This special collaboration was shot by Australian photographer Georgie Mann, under the gaze of Mount Abrupt (Mud-Dadjug) in Western Victoria, Australia. Part of Victoria’s Grampians National Park and world famous for its awe-inspiring mountain panoramas.
]]>
One of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Sydney, Government House Sydney is the Official Residence of the Governor of New South Wales. Visitors to Government House can view the restored grand historic interiors, including the exquisite hand-painted stencil ceilings. The House also showcases a significant collection of portraits, furniture, decorative arts and gubernatorial memorabilia, many of them produced in New South Wales and of heritage significance.
Local-grown textiles company Utopia Goods has returned to its roots for a uniquely Australian campaign shot in a rural New South Wales town. Photographed by Ingrid Weir.
As featured in Australian Vogue Living.
Homegrown textiles by Utopia Goods are as Aussie as Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, and the duo behind the brand has chosen a quintessentially Australian country town to shoot its latest collection of hand-printed linens. Artist colony and former gold rush town Hill End provides an apt backdrop for Bruce Slorach and Sophie Tatlow’s Australiana style, and the inspired decision to bring Sydney-based stylist and photographer Ingrid Weir on board results in some of the studio’s most evocative imagery yet.
Shop our featured Imperial Waratah fabric here.
Photography by Ingrid Weir
]]>
The Utopia Goods Paradise fabric packs a printastic-punch with colour and detail on this...
]]>
The Utopia Goods Paradise fabric packs a printastic-punch with colour and detail on this stunning French chair. There's nothing like the discovery of the perfect dog-eared antique chair or collectible mid-century Hans Wegner at a second hand store or garage sale and giving it a restorative makeover to give it a second life.
]]>
Housed in a heritage terrace, the warm space has worn wooden floorboards, flowers in...
]]>Housed in a heritage terrace, the warm space has worn wooden floorboards, flowers in mismatched vases and the brand’s signature bright, colourful prints. Items celebrating native flora and fauna adorn products such as oven mitts, cushions, silk scarves and rolls of fabric. The centrepiece of the store is an old, French-oak cutting table.
]]>
In March 2016, Bruce Slorach exhibited at Saint Cloche Gallery in Paddington, Sydney (a sell out show!)...
]]>"I've been painting since I was a teenager and have explored a range of diverse influences however I've always returned to the idea of a 'sense of place' and what surrounds me. I've never fitted into a particular 'box' but I've always loved the bush and native foliage. For the last three years, my practice has resolved around native flora and an exploration of historical botanical works. I love the way Australian plants have a very distinct other worldly personality and an almost Jurassic presence."
Bruce has participated in many exhibitions during his career including London's prestigious V&M Museum, The Victorian Gallery (NGV), The Australian National Gallery and The Powerhouse Museum (Sydney). His artworks are permanent acquisitions at several of these galleries. Bruce's body of work continues to feature regularly in many well-recognised Australian and international magazines and newspapers.
His paintings and illustrative works are available by commission from the studio or as limited (edition of three) giclee prints. Please contact info@utopiagoods.com.
Creating a textile print collection from scratch can be a long creative process. First, there's...
]]>Creating a textile print collection from scratch can be a long creative process. First, there's the research, followed by concept, then there's the subject matter, then you have to draw it and finally it has to be turned in to a repeat pattern and coloured. From start to finish each Utopia Goods print has taken months to execute and that doesn't include the printing or manufacturing.
Below are some snapshots documenting the creative journey the prints followed on their way to a finished textile.
]]>
Intended for use in the foyers of the Sydney Opera House, the 'New Angle' sofa was manufactured in 1967-68 by...
]]>WANTED: PEDIGREE SOFA. After a lenghty and challending endeavour (is there such a thing as 'perfect'?), we uncovered a unique design piece by celebrated architect, great Dane, Jorn Utzon.
Intended for use in the foyers of the Sydney Opera House, the 'New Angle' sofa was manufactured in 1967-68 by the celebrated Danish design company Fritz Hansen. But by the time the prototypes were ready, Utzon had in effect been dismissed from the Opera House project by the NSW Government, and hence, there are limited numbers of the 'New Angle' in existence. The sofa's cool aluminium contours were an ideal match for the fabrics fleshy tones, and its sculptural shape made it a natural fit for the Utopia Goods fluid and unique style. Inspired by the tropical native Firewheel Tree, the Utopia Goods aptly named Firewheel Fantasy textile adorns the curves and contours of the 'New Angle' sofa. The textile print pays homage to the spectacular, bold, whorled flowers which cover the canopy of the Stenocarpus sinuatus tree in summer. The flower clusters resemble spiral wheels dancing across the print design. The range included more than seventeen different prints, featuring a range of native-inspired, botanical motifs that turn the traditional idea of 'flora and fauna' upside down. The great news is this one-off beauty is available for purchase, give us a call or drop by the studio if you would like more information. (Studio 02 96999710)
Every print references an aspect of Australian flora, fauna, history or the unique antipodean landscape.
]]>All the Utopia Goods textiles are custom designed by Bruce Slorach and Utopia Goods. Every print references an aspect of Australian flora, fauna, history or the unique antipodean landscape. In designing the fabrics, the consideration is about supreme composition, the vibrancy of colour, the organic forms and the appreciation of textile design. In keeping with our Utopian style there is a framework of different layers and an element of a mystery or surprise.
Inspired by local Australian bush birds, the Flowering Gum Feast print features Bruce’s illustrated honeyeater birds feasting on the nectar of a feathered flowering gum nut. If you look closely, there are different varieties of honeyeaters on the backdrop of a subtle organic polka dot.
There’s no denying the humble Aussie Kookaburra can screech, squawk and laugh more than a hen’s party.
]]>More recognisable than most Australian icons, including ‘Our Bridge’ and the Sydney Opera House, the fuzzy Koala is the most represented Australian icon.
]]>More recognisable than most Australian icons, including ‘Our Bridge’ and the Sydney Opera House, the fuzzy Koala is the most represented Australian icon. Weighing in at approx 14kg, with extra long toenails, these super insatiable bears spend almost three years of their life eating (average lifespan 5 years). At half a kilo a day and eighteen hours motionless, it’s surprising they’re not the size of a panda. A quick walk into any Australian souvenir store, $2 dollar shop or the zoo reveals the koala’s sad misrepresentation. He’s worth more. Watch out, HQ is giving him a creative makeover.
]]>Good enough to eat. As any koala will tell you, the Eucalyptus not only looks good but tastes good too.
]]>Good enough to eat. As any koala will tell you, the Eucalyptus not only looks good but tastes good too. In our opinion, the local Eucalypt is the perfect prop for our latest, Tree Huggers, scarf shoot. Featuring our personal favourite, the Flowering Gum Feast print, the fabric references the local honeyeater bird and a flowering gum. Among the flowering gum’s qualities is that it is beautiful in function & form; it’s fragrant; it’s edible; it is a matchless bush and urban tree; it has no equal as the perennial Australian tree. To track down a scarf, or any of the Utopia Goods products, visit The Standard Store, Ariel Books or online at Utopia Goods from early December.
]]>Good enough to sleep in? Prickly on the outside, sweet on the inside, Pineapples are a significant piece of Australian fruit culture.
]]>The New Zealanders have their needle-nosed kiwi, the Chinese have the panda, the Americans have their eagle and the Canadians have their buck-toothed beaver.
]]>The New Zealanders have their needle-nosed kiwi, the Chinese have the panda, the Americans have their eagle and the Canadians have their buck-toothed beaver. If you squint, it’s possible the see the similarity. Which, good folk, leaves us with an odd array of wacky wildlife. Take your pick, but between the koala, the emu, the kangaroo and the wombat, you’d be hard pressed to find a more random bunch.
]]>Derived from the sixteenth century, Thomas Moore book, Utopia, the word itself describes the perfect state or ideal society.
]]>Derived from the sixteenth century, Thomas Moore book, Utopia, the word itself describes the perfect state or ideal society. A place where there is a goal to be reached and visions to be realised. We at Utopia Goods HQ have a fanciful ambition about creating a utopian design ideal informed by great Australian things, from fauna, flora and the landscape itself. Goods that pay homage to all things that are perfectly imperfect about Australiana. Goods that are quirky, unique, handspun, recylced, screenprinted or stuff that you can’t live without.
]]>