The day Estée and Stuart inspected an Adelaide home for sale, it felt like fate. “When I walked into the bedroom, there was a Christmas wreath on the wall. I thought, ‘That’s really beautifully made’,” recalls Estée, a florist. “It turns out the woman we bought the house from had done the wreath-making classes I taught.”
At a glance
Who: Stuart and Estée Austin, the founders of Austin Bloom.
What they do: Design and create fine art prints and wall hangings.
Where: The Adelaide Hills where they live with daughters Mimi, 6, and Tilde, 3, and work from home.
Why they do it: “I’ve been passionate about flowers from a very young age,” says Estée.
Photography: Jenah Piwanski, Styling: Annabelle Kerslake
The house was wrapped in Pierre de Ronsard roses that had been established over 20 years ago. “The owner rooted for us because she’d known us through the wreath making and wanted us to appreciate the roses and the garden.”
As luck would have it, that’s what happened. Now, the couple run their business, Austin Bloom, from that very home when they’re not on location, showcasing their creations for titles like Home Beautiful.
Estée’s interest began on an almond grove in Strathalbyn, South Australia, where she grew up. “My dad was extremely passionate about gardens and he grew many beautiful old vintage roses – the kind you never forget the scent of,” she says.
It was a passion she tapped into shortly after the couple wed in 2012. “A few months later I said, ‘I want to set up a pop-up flower shop on the side of the road’. It was quite an absurd idea,” recalls Estée. “It grew from there, and very quickly.”
By 2014, Austin Bloom had grown into a beautiful little boutique, and Estée and Stuart were busy doing daily flowers and events, including weddings and workshops. “We started teaching wreath-making classes and that became a big hit,” she says. “I taught thousands of people wreath-making.”
“Hanging pine branches grouped together with hessian twine is an easy way to add festive cheer.”
Estée
After having their daughters in 2018 and 2021, and Covid halting events, Estée had a brain wave. “I came up with the idea of creating something everlasting,” she says. “We’d make these wreaths every year that would dry out and make a mess everywhere. I thought there must be a cleaner, simpler way to have a wreath in your home.”
So she crafted a wreath and the pair had it professionally photographed and printed on canvas. “I actually designed that first ‘Country Style’ one probably 18 months before we even launched it,” she says.
“We had it on our kitchen wall for a long time before going for it.”
Austin Bloom’s inaugural collection of three Christmas wall hangings was launched in time for Christmas 2023, and they’ve been a huge success.
“They’re printed on a museum grade canvas, so they’re archival quality that will last about 100-something years. They’ve got this heirloom quality about them,” explains Estée.
“One girl bought the ‘Coastal Style’ wall hanging for her family’s beach home. It’s something that can be rolled out every year and become a tradition. They can be passed down and enjoyed for many years to come.”
Visit austinbloom.com and @austinbloom.adelaide
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
