Hitting The Mark

Wow. Can I just say Wow? I’m going to say something that as a designer maybe I shouldn’t, but Target’s new homeware range is spot on! 

This is a new discovery for me. I have only ever been to the little ‘Target Country’ locations scattered around Melbourne and surrounding suburbs that carry socks and undies and hairspray. I tend to avoid the big shopping centres (like the plague), but I recently made an exception and went on a pilgrimage to Northland – a bright, loud, fluorescent place packed full of hungry shoppers. I went there in search of king size pillows (on sale for $15!) that are only sold at the big Target locations.

let me tell you – it was like a scene out of Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory – I was practically running through the isles grabbing armloads of colourful delights. I didn’t have enough hands to push the trollys required to hold all the goodies I was surrounded by. It was enough to send me back to Northland voluntarily to get a second carload of cute and cheap homewares.

The collection for the most part is not mature and sophisticated, but the design across the board is happy, fun and current – and just right for stylish kids rooms – which are some of my favorite rooms to design as you can really get creative and playful and have a lot of fun.

Melbourne designer Lisa T has designed a table top range for Target, and is responsible for a couple of my favorites like the Ceramic Canisters (stripes, triangles and geo), all with bold graphic patterns and timber tops. Very stylish indeed! (http://www.target.com.au/p/lisa-t-large-triangles-canister/57862248).

I do however have to hand it to the nameless Target team behind their general homewares collection. Their ‘Side Table With Single Drawer’ (It appears that all their resources go into the designing, not the naming of the products), is super cute and comes in a few different colours. I bought a pair in canary yellow for $35 a pop and I’m going to go back for the other colours too! http://www.target.com.au/p/side-table-with-single-drawer-white/56229233). I also left with a bunch of great lamps and some ‘wall words’ like ‘Hola’ and ‘Hello’ for a measly $15! 

For the sake of offering a well rounded and informative blog post I have been looking on-line for the exact products I bought and have only found about half perhaps because they are hot off the presses and not yet online – BUT – BUT! – what I did discover is that the Aussie Targets – as great as they are – are only getting a fraction of the US stores where the homewares range IS sophisticated and mature! Check out the gold side table (now no longer available in the US either, so no need for jealousy) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/171840542004211511/. There are many other great products from the US Targets, but I won’t tempt you with them. I will however, send Target an email to remind them not to forget about us over here in “the Land Down Under”.

In the mean time, I implore you to suck it up and head to Northland, or Southland or whatever Land is closest to you that has a giant Target, and explore the wonders of the cheap and cheerful homewares on offer. Good design at low prices should be enjoyed by all –  so head out, chin up, and march with pride past the food court and head to Target, the toy-store for grown ups and kids alike.