5 3

Helen King answers the phone with a chirpy “French and Gorgeous” followed by a slight pause and a deep chuckle. “Actually I’m neither,” she admits. “But I wish I were.” As the creator of a destination homewares store by that name in the Sunshine Coast hinterland village of Cooroy, Helen is however responsible for introducing gorgeous French things to the homes of both locals and visitors.

10

1 2

For the past decade Helen has been building a business based around her flair for interior design, French provincial style, love of vintage pieces and antique furniture and passion for chalk paint, in particular the work of the English queen of the painted finish, Annie Sloan. In doing so, she is repeating a pattern established in her native England, where she started small and developed a business that eventually filled the vast expanse of a repurposed car showroom.

9
“There was nothing in my background to lead me to interior design,” Helen explains. “I grew up in the industrial seaport of Grimsby in a very working class family of five girls and I don’t think we even knew that such a profession existed. But I was always inspired by beautiful things and even from a young age I loved rearranging things to make pleasing vignettes.”

4 6

The full story was published in the March/ April 2016  issue of Australian Country. Subscribe to the magazine here.

Click here for more home and interior stories.

Words Kirsty McKenzie
Photography Anastasia Kariofyllidis

More Like This

Riverside Sanctuary

Tasmanian regenerative farmer Mathew Routley shares hospitality and insights into holistic farming, as well as cultural and natural history at his […]

Return to Roots

Glenda Dunlop and her husband Paul Vivian are transitioning from the Adelaide Hills to a more relaxed lifestyle in South Australia’s […]

The Lonsdale Legacy

The walls tell tales from the colonial past in Alan Townsend’s home in Tasmania’s Southern midlands. Midnight in Tasmania has a […]

A Novel Approach

From her home in regional New South Wales, Author Lauren McKellar tackles some tough topics under the cover of romantic fiction. […]

Why Rail Showers Are a Must-Have in Modern Bathrooms

A shower should do more than just get you clean. It should be a cornerstone of your daily routine, offering an […]

The Future is Now

The Future is Now: Exploring the Rise of Smart and Japanese-Style Toilets in Australia

The humble toilet has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. No longer a purely utilitarian fixture tucked away in the […]

3

Finding Your Throne: A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Perfect Toilet

Embarking on a bathroom renovation can feel like navigating a complex maze of choices, from tiles and tapware to shower screens […]

WHICH FLUSH IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Rimless Tornado Flush can impact your hygiene, water efficiency and maintenance in the bathroom. It’s flush versus flush on our website […]

Follow Us on Instagram