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quintessential duckeggBLUE sources unique antique and industrial items from around the world. Owner Leanne Carter-Taylor inspires us with her story of nurtured passion and the search for timeless design pieces.

Tell us a little about your business concept?
I grew up around furniture, my father was a furniture maker. I was raised in a house hold where design was appreciated, so much so that I studied Fashion Design at university in the UK. After opening our successful fashion, style and design led store duckeggBLUE, it seemed only natural to open up a new retail venture, only this time, focusing my attentions towards my love of covetable industrial and antique furniture. The whole concept behind ‘quintessential duckeggBLUE’ is to ask the question ‘what is the quintessential chair, or the quintessential storage unit’? and I then set the task to myself of sourcing only the most covetable of pieces that best answer these questions.

What have been your biggest challenges?
Actually sourcing these pieces! It’s very time consuming and takes lots of hard work (as any small business does). In regards to sourcing industrial furniture, Australia really doesn’t have a lot to offer me, industry has never been on a large scale here compared to Europe…think about how many factories were developed in Europe during the 30’s and 40’s. Saying that, industrial furniture is very much a ‘wanted commodity’ today, and many factories which have closed down have already been stripped bare many years ago, so yes, sourcing the pieces and ensuring that they are the finest that we can find is by far my biggest challenge.

What keeps you motivated?
Clients!!! They are so complimentary towards quintessential duckeggBLUE, always ‘popping in’ as they pass by on their morning walk, to see ‘what’s new’! I have a ‘looking for’ list as long as my arm, full of clients requesting that I ‘look out for’ a piece that they covet while on my travels.The encouraging feedback and support shown to us from all the leading glossy magazines and media is also motivational. I am always thrilled when magazine stylists and editors loan pieces for photo shoots - they always do such a great job styling them in the magazines. Finally, I am just a very motivated person, so work just comes naturally. It’s never a chore.

Who or what inspires you?
Terence Conran - by far one of the world's best known designers, restaurateurs and retailers. Born in 1931, he founded the Conran Design Studio in 1956 and later the Habitat chain of home furnishings stores that revolutionised the UK High Street in the 1960s and 1970s by bringing intelligent, modern design within reach of the general population. What this man doesn’t know and understand about ‘good design’ is nobody’s business! His stores are truly inspirational and whenever I am overseas in NY, Paris or London I always ensure that I pay them a visit so that I can have my ‘fix’ of Conran! If I need my fix while in Australia, I can often be found turning the pages of his book ‘Inspiration’, an absolute visual overdose of all things ‘design-led’.

Where do you source your products and collections?
If I told you that, well that would just be giving away all my cards, wouldn’t it? I will say however, that I travel to the US, Europe and of course, Blighty, my mother land, 3 times a year to ensure that quintessential duckeggBLUE offers its clients only the most covetable of ‘found industrial & antique objects’.

Can you share an example of a particularly special story behind one of the products in-store?
As I am answering these questions, we have just S-O-L-D our last letter, the letter ‘A’ from the Chanel sign that we managed to acquire. All six letters were bought from Baz Lurhman's private collection earlier this year. Baz was responsible for directing the TV ad campaign for the mega luxury brand Chanel, which featured Nicole Kidman and was shot on location in Sydney. The letters sold within hours of being delivered to the store, with the exception of the letter ‘A’ that my husband thought would be great if we kept it for our own personal collection. It was then photographed in Belle magazine's current ‘Luxury Edition’, so we listed it as P.O.A. Somebody paid the asking price, which was about 3 times more than the rest of the letters sold for (as we really were not in a rush to sell it)! But it seems that a clever client was in a rush to purchase it as it sold within a week of being back in the store for sale. All the letters were a great find, a great piece of Australiana and international mega brand advertising.

What’s the key to keeping our homes looking and feeling interesting?
It would have to be to ensure that you select that ‘quintessential’ piece of furniture for each room. Ask yourself, what is the ‘quintessential kitchen table? Or the 'quintessential chair’ and then search hard to find the most covetable piece of furniture that answers your question and needs. For instance, a French antique table that was made specifically for use on French winery for the workers to sit around at meal time, or find a worn English club sofa leather chair, dating from the 30’s that you can simply melt into at the end of a hard day at work. I’m not a fan of reproduction, or mass market design. That type of retail really doesn’t interest me. Instead, I would rather covet and save my dollars to buy an original and unique piece, a piece that has its own interesting history and story to tell, where the age and patina is an important part of the furniture’s look and feel. At quintessential duckeggBLUE we strive to ‘find’ these pieces for our clients, and to uncover as much of the history and the origin as we can, so that we can pass on their history to the new owners.

What’s Sydney’s best-kept secret (outside of your business)?
Other than quintessential duckeggBLUE, I would have to say duckeggBLUE! This is my fashion boutique that carries only the most covetable ranges of women’s beautiful clothes and accessories from both Australian and International designers including Paul & Joe, Jac & Jack, By Malene Birger and Bensimon tennis shoes, alongside fragrances and candles from Diptyque and Voluspa. To be honest, I don’t particularly shop anywhere else in Sydney, as I travel overseas so regularly, I pick up everything that I need then. I must mention though a delightful day spa that I have just discovered in Balmain, Stone Soul. They do the most heavenly facials and body pampering treatments. Whenever I have a few hours to spare, I will often make an appointment and indulge.


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