Remember the ’90s when children’s bedroom doors were adorned with clowns bent into letters spelling out their names? Or maybe zoo animals – or rainbows and stars? Melbourne sisters Alice and Bridget Wald, who design homewares under the name Double Date, are putting a modern twist on these nostalgic characters with their latest product lines.
Available in small and large sizes, Roomies are colourful acrylic letters with cute little faces that can be customised to spell out any name or word. Their launch has expanded the brand’s range beyond the children’s bedrooms where its signature mobiles often hang. “We see customers sending us pictures of their four or five-year-olds with their little door names,” says Alice Broadsheet.
Even more oddball little guys come in the form of the Moody Mates wall hooks, a collaboration with illustrator Samantha Curcio. Happy, sad, grumpy and silly, the expressive wall hooks are designed to add a touch of personality to your walls. “It felt like a really good little combination,” says Bridget. “We were really open with her. We just said, ‘You’re great, so you do your thing and we’ll figure out how to do it in acrylic.'”
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The sisters recently acquired their own laser cutter, which streamlines the manufacturing process. It’s been a fun journey of discovery, even if it’s been a little tricky. “(Curcio) was constantly putting hats and tongues on things and that was a real challenge,” laughs Alice. “We make everything ourselves, glue and stick it – all the problem-solving was between the three of us, so we asked ourselves, ‘How do we make this so it works on the wall and looks cool?'” says Bridget.
As well as the new products, the sisters are also looking at ways to modernise Double Date’s existing range, for example by making monochrome versions of the mobiles (they have dropped the wavy mirrors that were once a trademark of the brand). “We want to keep exploring how we can make them fun and individual through colour, rather than distorting the shape,” says Alice.
As mothers, Alice and Bridget are their little people’s biggest fans – the new products have been a huge hit with Alice’s children, aged eight and eleven, and Bridget’s four-year-old twin sons. “They’re always so supportive. They say, ‘That’s so cute, Mommy. I love that thing. Can we have the big ones in our room too?'” says Bridget. “They want the big Moody Mates and the small ones for the door too.”
“My daughter is one of our biggest advocates,” says Alice. “She’s always telling people about the brand.”
doubledate.com.au
@Double date
