Melbourne Is. Design. - 19.4.13

Sitting precariously above Melbourne’s city streets is an undeniably unique purveyour of hidden treasures, Lord Coconut.

Located on the forth level of the Carlow House building on Flinders Lane, Lord Coconut is Melbourne’s only boutique, gallery and online retailer selling contemporary handmade jewellery designed exclusively for men.

With the name inspired by the owner, Mark Boldiston’s quirky sense of style and his collection of serious products, this vertical retailer was designed as a space where men – reluctant shoppers at the best of times, would feel comfortable – nothing too intimidating, simply a welcoming space with enough visual interest to engage them with the surroundings.

The space itself is basic enough, with white painted walls, blue carpet and windows looking out onto the city below.

The real interest comes in the form of the interiors, which have been inspired by 19th Century Natural History Museums. Filled with a hand-selected range of quirky artworks from local Australian artists, Boldiston has embellished the shop with an assortment of trophies, old books, bottles, taxidermy, gothic painted torsos, birds nests, aboriginal artworks and snake skins, creating an eccentric mood of which Lord Coconut himself would enjoy.

The back wall is adorned with a huge dinosaur skeleton in the form of wallpaper. The print was sourced from the 1908 archive of the Natural History Museum in London and then converted to wallpaper by Design A Wall.

Boldiston has fitted the store with vintage and antique furniture pieces sourced from local dealers. A large central display cabinet, which today showcases jewellery, once probably housed something far more exotic like old bones or artifacts at its original post in a long-gone Museum pre-dating today’s current Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, which Mark then purchased from Guy Matthews Industrial Furniture.

The old bank display case from the 1880’s was purchased from The Bottom Drawer and other vintage display cases were found from Warehouse 8.

Lord Coconut is a delightful assault on the senses where the weird and wonderful unite in this unconventional retail space. We dare you to unleash your own inner Lord Coconut and uncover the gems hidden in his lair…


See the original article HERE 

Photos courtesy of Daniela Vasconcelo