Conscious, sustainable design will be at the forefront of Decor + Design and the Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF), 14 – 17 July at Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Australia’s most important platform for the furniture and design industry, this year will shine a spotlight on eco-friendly materials at a new Sustainability Hub, curated by Design Matters.

Many exhibitors will also be showing sustainable furniture. A new exhibitor for 2022, M + Co Living are set to be a visitor favourite with their modern aesthetic and some beautiful pieces which fuse great design with sustainability.

Style Meets Substance at M + Co 

Established in 2016, M+Co is a collaboration between husband-and-wife team Michelle and Dean Davis. It’s a seamless partnership which blends their talents and brings clients end-to-end property and interiors consultancy services, as well as their very own furniture range.

Now with a team of 30+ and combining decades of industry expertise, the M+Co brand draws inspiration from classic principles of seamless styling and interior design to offer a complete range of products and services tailored to a client’s specific vision and needs.

From inspired interior design, property styling, trade services and renovations through to their very own curated range of M+Co Living furniture, the team prides itself on finding clever and skillful solutions to elevate a client’s home and lifestyle.

“Given our daily work in the homes of our clients whether through styling or trade renovations, it was a natural step to move into developing our own furniture range as we know how families live and what can work in a home as well as balancing practicality and design. We’ve pretty much developed a one stop shop for all your home and interior needs.” – M + Co Living

The M + Co team of professional stylists, tradesmen and interior designers have a wealth of experience in maximising the potential of properties by creating innovative styling and interiors solutions. From the initial consultation, where a customised design plan is devised through to the selection of furniture, finishes and homewares, the team guide clients through the entire styling and interiors process.

Image: M + Co Living

Projects vary from residential property styling services across Melbourne – working with some of Melbourne’s top real estate agents – through to home renovations in Sorrento and Warburton as well as commercial shop fit outs.

In the lead up to the event, we spoke to M + Co Living about the brand’s design aesthetic and their sustainable collection.

How would you describe the M+ Co Living design aesthetic? What’s the design and production process behind the collections?

Our experience in styling homes each and every day means we know what works. By combining functionality, comfort and luxury, we’ve developed a range that transforms homes into a seamless experience of easeful living.

Our Australian-curated offerings are enhanced by our very own range of M+Co branded interior products, exclusively designed in Melbourne. With the addition of the Canadian Gus* Modern furniture brand, our collections deliver a refined and sophisticated take on everything the contemporary home interior can and should be.

We want your home to tell a story. That’s why our range combines the interior thinking expertise of M+Co’s team of design consultants, interior stylists and specialist tradesmen, the perfect combination of form, function and character.

There will be a new Sustainability Hub at the show this year, curated by Design Matters, which will focus on the circular economy and recycled materials. How is M + Co Living incorporating sustainability into the design and manufacturing process?

Sustainability is really important to us and we are extremely proud to be the Pacific distributor of Gus* Modern who are really making headway in this space.

The Gus* Modern collection is an eclectic mix of elegant and industrial design styles, with a focus on sustainability at every turn. Their collection is rooted in the simplicity of everyday objects. As a brand, they strive to combine great design and practical purpose in a more environmentally friendly way.

Our Gus* Modern brand uses a revolutionary new upholstery fill material in select sofas, sectionals, and accent chair designs. PET fill is a clean, ultra-soft, long-strand fibre material that offers the comfort and feel of traditional waterfowl down, achieved through a process that benefits the environment by diverting plastic bottles away from landfills and waterways. The recycled bottles are purified and refined in several stages to create a synthetic-down upholstery fill that gives long-lasting comfort while maintaining cushion loft and shape.

In addition, Vegan AppleSkin™ Leather is a new, eco-friendly upholstery material that offers an exciting new option for customers searching for a quality alternative to leather. Formed by upcycling discarded fruit fibre into a durable covering that retains the classic aesthetic of natural leather, the material is a standout addition to our collection’s eco-friendly options. Designed and manufactured in Italy, the material was created to re-purpose the food remnants of the country’s apple orchard and juicing industries, and to answer a global call for an alternative to natural leather.

The manufacturing process combines upcycled fruit fibre-apple cores and peels-with polymers to create a biopolymer material that is vegan and OEKO-TEX® Certified. Vegan AppleSkin™ Leather retains the look and feel of natural leather, showcasing an attractive interplay of texture, lustre and refined comfort. The material is equally durable and easy to clean, resulting in designs that are both stylish and practical. The material is available on select Gus* Modern seating designs, including the popular Mix Modular Collection and Truss Chair, which offer a variety of design possibilities to suit any space.

You’ll be exhibiting at Decor + Design for the first time in 2022. Why did you decide to exhibit this year? What can visitors expect?

“Given all the restrictions over the past two years, we wanted to get involved to connect again with like-minded exhibitors, peers and participants and the show is a great platform to do that. We feel it will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect as well as being a great opportunity to introduce our brand and for people to see what M+Co Living furniture has to offer.”

“In terms of what to expect, we’ll be introducing our M+Co Living line – a mix of contemporary and classic pieces. Furthermore, we are very much looking forward to showcasing new collections from Gus for 2022 which are exclusively available through us.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to see stylish and sustainable pieces from M + Co Living at Decor + Design and the Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF), 14 – 17 July at Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Over 250 exhibitors will be showing their latest collections. Plus be inspired by influential designers at the Seminar Series including Collette Dinnigan, Shaynna Blaze, Jamie Durie, Adelaide Bragg, Anna Spiro and many more! Register now and start planning your trip!