Takeawei opens a ceramics store with vibrant colors – and an Airbnb upstairs with the same charm
At the corner of Gertrude and Young Streets in Fitzroy is a brightly colored store that combines fun and functionality. It is the new home of Takeawei Ceramics.
When Chela Edmunds started in 2013, “It was just me doing everything… a bag of clay and a really old potter’s wheel,” she laughs. But since then, the local label has gone from an online-only mode to bricks-and-mortar Edmunds’ “dream place”.
And it’s impossible to miss, not least because of the large, radiant exterior mural that Edmunds commissioned Melbourne artist Rowena Martinich to create.
The Takeawei team have a studio in Torquay where all of their ceramics are handcrafted – and where they run workshops for those who want hands-on experience. And at the Fitzroy store, there’s a constant rotation of multicolored creations in pastel hues: interestingly shaped vases, fruit bowls and trays, and tableware. There is also a range of “boobs”, or breast-shaped jewelry boxes.
Additionally, a different limited-edition mug is released each month (here’s a preview of what you might find). “Once it’s sold out, we move on to the next style,” says Edmunds. “That way we can release one and anybody who wants it can get it – and then we move on creatively.”
In addition to ceramics, Takeawei sells other pieces to help make your home cozy: woolen blankets designed by Edmunds (made at the Geelong Weaving Mill), bed linens and loungewear by Society of Wanderers, and works by local artists, including Martinich.
It’s not just a store, however. Upstairs is a beautifully appointed Airbnb – a small one-bedroom hideaway called Gertrude’s apartment – which has all the same charm as the store and shows how well some of the most popular parts can work in situ. The space has beautiful wooden floors, a plush lime-green sofa, Aussie-designed chairs and side tables, and a secluded, leafy balcony.
Gertrude’s apartment is $120 per night and can be booked online.
Takeawei
120 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Hours:
Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sun 11am–4pm
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