Home Shopping: Gallop Lifestyle

The Australian sisters-in-law Annie Bowen and Janet Addess launched their mail-order shop, Gallop Lifestyle, last year. Janet has a background in fashion design, while Annie is a sales and marketing specialist. Together, they have curated a collection of beautiful home wares from ethical suppliers.

Shop here for chic, elegant Hooked Design lace rugs, handmade in Finland from recycled textile factory remnants. Each one is crocheted by hand and available in black, white, cream or pale grey.

There's a good range of wall art, too. Cute wood veneer wall hangings by the Melbourne designer Geneine Honey sit alongside whimsical text-based wall decals by the French design studio Le Pré D'eau. My favourite is the Enfants Terribles sticker - perfect for a humorous touch on a children's bedroom door. Also check out the painterly digital prints from the Australian design house Little Branch.

If you fancy a small treat that's cheap to ship, head for the designer tea towels section. You'll find contemporary designs from exciting, up-and-coming names such as Puddin Head and Thomas Paul. There's a great selection of cushions, too, including geometric fretwork ones from the Sydney designer Ellie Bradley, of Xavier and Me.

Gallop Lifestyle's Old MacDonald cushions have also sneaked onto my wish list. The lyric-covered accessories are irresistible, although may result in having them around people singing the nursery rhyme to you whenever they sit on the sofa.

Annie and Janet have clearly compiled their small range of merchandise with great care and thought, mixing items from young Australian designers with stunning buys imported from elsewhere. The result is a distinctive and elegant collection that's difficult to resist.

For a quote on international shipping costs, visit www.galloplifestyle.com.au or e-mail info@galloplifestyle.com.au