'It’s an area full of character and local characters'
5 minutes with ….
CATHERINE & JESSICA COMBE
LOVE AFTER LOVE
A mother-and-daughter duo bring divergent styles to this unique Paddo business
Catherine and Jessie, tell us about Love After Love.
Jessie: Love After Love is an eclectic online retail experience offering homewares and accessories curated by us, mother and daughter, best friends and creative partners. It is a warm, intimate and authentic reflection of our shared passion for homewares, design, literature and the arts, supported by our small studio on Renny St, that we operate by appointment.
How did you get the business started and what motivated you to begin?
Love After Love was eight years in the dreaming and one year in the making before we launched online in January 2020 with loveafterlove.com.au. We had dreamt of a project together for years but it wasn’t until the timing was right that we finally made the leap. In mid-2019, we embarked on our first buying trip to Europe, to Belgium and Paris.
Do you ever have mother and daughter disagreements?
Yes, we do! And we thrive on our differences. We see them as opportunities to learn from one another and create new dynamics. Expressing differences creates memorable, authentic interiors. Our signature style of mixing disparate genres and old with new pieces has evolved directly out of our differences.
What are some design trends you are seeing?
The pandemic served as a reminder of the joy of a harmonious and peaceful interior life as well as the soothing effect of the natural world. A focus on natural palettes, textures and earthy tones has prevailed as a result, though to us, these have always been key ingredients of any interior scheme. Now more than ever, we’re seeing clients embrace tactile pieces with patina and texture, design elements that evoke feeling, like rugged ceramics from Morocco, plush sheepskins, shearling cushions, hobnail glassware and handmade ceramics.
As Paddo locals, tell us what you most love about Paddington style?
Just like our own partnership, we love the meeting of old and new worlds in Paddo. Beautifully restored terraces that speak to the history and heart of the suburb fused with contemporary dining and shopping experiences make for an eclectic and lively atmosphere. If you hadn’t guessed it by now, we take such inspiration from this tension between old and new. In our particular neck of the woods, South Paddington — or 'SoPa' as we call it — we have the privilege of engaging daily with the most wonderful community. It’s an area full of character and local characters. Our own little studio was Alex’s Shoe Repairs for almost four decades and before that, when it was a corner store, it was run by Catherine’s great uncle and her father boarded upstairs. So in many ways it feels as if Paddington chose us.
Love After Love
44 Renny St
