06/11/2019
A fresh burst of colour and culture will come to The Parade on November 9 when Bauhaus opens the doors of its new location here.
The independently-owned South Australian business has been operating for 26 years and its iconic Rundle Street shopfront has traded for more than 17 years. Within its walls are treasures from near and far; expressions of creativity that take the form of jewellery, art works, homewares, textiles, furnishings, and many other accessories.
Amid overseeing brisk city trade, fulfilling national and international orders online, and introducing a line of house-branded products that she designs herself, Bauhaus owner Dani Maiolo has plenty to keep her busy. But she says the decision to open a second store was instinctive.
“It felt like the time to expand,” says Dani. “We just had so many people wanting us to give it a go and it feels right.”
Dani and her team were exacting in finding their new home. It was the vibrant blend of businesses and the natural culture fit that drew them toward The Parade.
“We had a bit of a look around in a few areas, but Norwood has always been my fav – we like the vibe here,” says Dani.
“It’s similar to Rundle Street in the sense it has some great dining places and it is a nice place to be. We felt that our people are here and we would add a nice bit of extra flavour to the area.”
The Norwood store takes its interior design cues from its older sibling on Rundle Street, which stimulates the senses with its dynamic displays of riotous colours and textures, distinctive delicate aromas, and relaxing music.
For her second location, Dani wanted to make sure visitors would get the same feeling that the shop is a place to explore.
“We’ve always loved the feel of the Rundle Street store,” she says. “I want people to walk in and have an immediate awareness of who we are.
“It’s a bit of a treasure trove and the more you delve, the more you find. It’s really nice to see people spend quite some time in there.”
Dani’s passion for sharing the Bauhaus range with people runs far deeper than the simple desire to introduce more beautiful objects to the world.
The items offered up by Bauhaus are those that have resonated with Dani and her team personally. Many of them are discoveries made whilst travelling.
“The pieces are ones that speak to us,” says Dani. “I have travelled and I want to travel a lot more and see what I can find, but we’re also constantly researching and delving into things to work out what is a really good fit.”
At the heart of the Bauhaus sourcing philosophy is a strong ethical mandate.
Every product the store stocks must meet a strict set of fair-trade criteria. Dani believes the Bauhaus community can contribute to keeping endangered making traditions from becoming extinct.
“Having lived overseas, it opened my eyes to how some other people have to live and it’s exciting to bring these opportunities to people around the world. We love finding little family businesses that are creating amazing pieces.
“These artisans – in a lot of cases their artistic know-how is fading and a lot of the pieces we buy keep cultural traditions going. We love that.”
While Bauhaus takes pride in nurturing makers from around the world, the business is also mindful of supporting talent that blossoms closer to home.
From the stable of local creators stocked in-store, Dani highlights designer Tiff Manuell and jewellery label Palas as two long-time collaborators who have grown significantly since finding their way onto Bauhaus shelves.
“Tiff Manuell has been a staple for many years,” says Dani. “We love having her in store and we can’t wait to make her available to customers in Norwood, and Palas jewellery has also been a very long-term staple.
“It’s wonderful to see how everyone evolves and changes – that just happens by itself and
so organically.”
The Norwood store will be stocked using the same curatorial sensibilities as the Rundle Street store, but there will be some new discoveries to be found there too.
With eclectic tastes, the Bauhaus team are known for sourcing one-off items, often from hard-to-get designers or with strong vintage credentials. A handful of these special pieces will find their new home on The Parade.
“One-off pieces are something we love to bring in,” says Dani. “They can be fun and colourful or old-worldly, or maybe quintessentially Australian designs. Sometimes, we’re even attracted to just crazy, quirky pieces – like dinosaur book ends.”
There’s a lot of thought, knowledge, hard work, and fun behind the scenes at Bauhaus, but in the end Dani’s approach is simple. In the new Norwood store, and for her customers online and on Rundle Street, she just wants to offer something that people love and can feel good about.
“Our philosophy is making sure there’s something in Bauhaus for everyone,” she says.
Bauhaus’ new store opens on November 9 and is located at Shop 4, 161 The Parade, Norwood.
