Gilly's Blog

Meet the two sisters, Kylie and Alicia behind the amazing brand Koko Collective. A brand focused on creating sustainable and ethical furniture for the home. Each piece is considered and handmade, creating a unique item for every customer. We had a chat to them about how they started Koko, what it's like working as sisters and there tips and tricks for running a business! 

Valentine’s first appeared in Bendigo as a furniture and goods store when Fred Valentine opened the shop on Queen Street in May 1947. Fred Valentine passed the business along to his son Allan, who ran the business with his wife Joy from Queen Street and then a new store on Hargreaves Street, which opened in the old Favalora family bakery at 369 Hargreaves Street in 1984. Current Director, Peter Valentine (pictured below) was raised around the business at its current location, and took over the reins from his father Allan in 2006. Newly relocated to View Street, the centre of...

As part of the Renovate with Gilly's series, this time we have interviewed Jemmervale Designs, husband and wife duo (Paul and Jannah) from Shepparton, Victoria. They've found a new love working with timber and design and have become huge Gilly's supporters. We absolutely love their stylish and sleek designs. Check out their interview below!

Our lovely, rich beeswax polish was developed by Gilly Stephenson, using a very old handwritten recipe, passed on to her by a friend. When she arrived in Australia (from England) with her treasured antique furniture, Gilly was unable to find a suitable polish to use, which was more vulnerable in the harsh, dry Australian climate. A keen and creative cook, it made sense for her to experiment with making the polish herself. Thus, she began the journey, whipping up batches of this beautiful polish, never imagining that this product would lead to the creation of a successful family business