Bonnie and Neil are pretty famous around these traps, and for good reason. This Melbourne based husband and wife design team are talented, hard working and just ridiculously nice – a trifecta that has brought them great success in business. Since launching their brand from a modest Brunswick warehouse in 2010, Bonnie Ashley and Neil Downie have seen their business grow exponentially, exceeding all of their expectations.
A quick recap of the past six years offers some insight into the makings of one of Australia’s most recognisable textile and homewares business. Bonnie and Neil is now stocked in over 20 countries (including Brazil, Kuwait, Singapore and Uruguay) and in over 80 retailers around Australia. In the last six months alone they’ve moved their headquarters to a larger space, opened their own retail store, taken their colourful patterned screen printed designs to tradeshows in the US twice (!) and exhibited for the first time at Maison et Objet in Paris. ‘We secured some amazing new stockists overseas including our favourite stores in the UK and France: Liberty of London and Le Bon Marché in Paris!’ says Bonnie. Impressive stuff!
Next week, Bonnie and Neil are doing something new. They are launching their first range of bedding and furniture, in a collection aptly called ‘Home’. For this range, Bonnie and Neil were keen to design duvets, pillowcases, throws and even screen printed timber room dividers that they wanted to live with. ‘We spend so much time travelling, but we actually love being at home too!’ says Bonnie. ‘There’s something indulgent about spending a weekend pottering about in our own house, and that’s what inspired this collection.’
The bedding range has been two years in the making, and is all Australian made, bearing floral and watercolour motifs on soft linens, cotton and a luxe velvet.
‘Home’ by Bonnie and Neil is available online from 21 March, and through retailers end of March.