72 FETEPRESS.COM.AU / ISSUE NO.26
at work with /TRACIE ELLIS of AURA HOME
DESIGN NOTES /
TRACIE ELLIS /
FOUNDER /
AURA HOMEFrom the moment we saw the
store we knew it would work.
It is a great store with great
bones and lots of windows plus
being heritage it had features
to work with.
Essentially we painted it, polished
the floors, knocked out a second
kitchen (as it’s a double store)
and created the bathroom space.
The idea was always that you could
see how all the AURA products
would work within a home.
The store has different areas
designated to different rooms
of the home.WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIALS THAT
YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT FOR A
'WELLDESIGNED' WORK LIFE?
Tea, tea and more tea. Despite being
Melbourne born and bred I am a serious
tea lover so I always have a tea pot handy.
But seriously, for a well-designed work life
I need variety, a talented and passionate
team of people around me, regular travel
within Australia and overseas, time out
with my husband on weekends to garden,
cook and recharge and cuddles with my
best dog, Albe.PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR APPROACH
TO WORK AND BUSINESS...
I’m very lucky because my work is my
passion, my hobby and one of the great
loves of my life. I think work should be
fun and you should be able to work with
people as passionate as yourself. I have
an incredibly talented and dedicated team
around me and we work with some great
suppliers and buyers. In fact I have worked
with one of our favourite suppliers in India
for over 20 years now and he is very much
part of our team. In that way our workplace
is very collaborative.HOW DO YOU DEFINE GREAT DESIGN AND
HOW DOES IT ENHANCE YOUR WORKSPACE?
Great design is only great if it makes
you feel happy in your own space. Our
work space was once a traditional office/
manager set up and it wasn’t a particularly
well-designed space. We have recently
moved upstairs in our building and created
a very simple, uncluttered, open-plan office
with loads of storage. We have samples
coming and going daily so it’s so it’s been
a real game changer to have lots of storage.
Our furniture is all neutral and we share
the same communal desk with lots of
wall space for ideas and lots of natural
light. We have a constant stream
of design and marketing ideas going
thanks in no small part to the great
design of our new workspace.WHICH KEY DESIGN FEATURES DO
YOU LIKE TO INCLUDE IN YOUR WORK
TO ENHANCE YOUR CLIENT'S QUALITY
OF LIVING?
In recent years I’ve become passionate
about cooking, gardening and learning
to slow down. My husband and I have
renovated an historic home in Kyneton,
Victoria – ellishouse.com.au. I love nothing
more than preparing a delicious meal for
friends on the weekend using produce
from my garden. This lifestyle has lead me
to think about the meaning of home and
the sort of home I want to create and
therefore the sort of range I want to design.
When someone shops at AURA Home
I want them to find something that
helps them create a sanctuary at home.
Somewhere they can retreat, recharge
and enjoy welcoming friends and family.WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST
CHALLENGE TO DATE AND HOW HAVE
YOU OVERCOME IT?
Launching AURA internationally was my
biggest career challenge. We exhibited at
Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany eight
years ago – it was a huge amount of work
for the team. Working with the stand
designer, coordinating the stand build
(in Germany) while we were in Melbourne,
marketing our stand and reaching out
to international buyers. It was a massive
undertaking and we exhibited for three
years in Germany.
During this time we launched AURA Home
into the USA – this was a steep learning
curve. It was a huge amount of work and
travel. Looking back we didn’t really
understand what we were getting
ourselves into. It was exciting but hard
work. Since then we have learnt a lot and
successfully launched AURA Home into
the UK, Canada and New Zealand.