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Balhannah By Design
When Mon Bowring purchased the former Country Charm store in 1999, she had no idea how far her new business venture would take her. Balhannah By Design is now an Adelaide Hills institution – and Mon's hosted shopping trips to Paris and the south of France have been an enormous success.
Yet Mon's career actually started in junior primary teaching in 1970. It wasn’t until 1986 that she began the manufacturing and design business Choni, using Australian leather to make women’s accessories in a range of soft pastels. “We wholesaled into more than 300 stores Australia-wide, including seven of the David Jones stores, and ran the business from the original cottage on our property.” As Mon had exhibited in trade shows for many years it was a natural progression to open a retail store.
Born in Mannum, Mon went to Seymour College and then Teacher's College. After marrying Robert and living in the Riverland for five years, they bought a farming property adjoining Mon's parents’ land at Mannum and have lived there for more than 30 years; raising their two children there. Mon and Robert recently restored the original cottage that was built in the early 1900s, and it is now a guest house for friends and family.
Mon's decorating style is of no surprise to anyone who has visited Balhannah By Design. “I have been inspired by the simplicity of French country living with its wonderful greys and whites and mix of old and new.” The store has an eclectic mix of homewares sourced from Belgium and France. “There are more than 2400 women on our mailing list with 25 per cent from the city”. And a French-inspired shop promotion led to her international jaunts. "In the mail-out I jokingly said 'join me for a glass of bubbles and a weekend in Paris' – and two women rang up to say 'Mon I would love to go to Paris with you but I have something on!' So I thought, I really could go to Paris!" Her 2010 tour booked out within 10 days. "Robert joins me after the tour to visit our son Tim in London, and we continue on throughout Europe to source new products for the store.”
Balhannah By Design stocks an array of homewares, soft furnishings, clothing (25-odd labels; three French) and jewellery – featuring designs from her daughter, Jane Bowring. "I thought I would have the store for two or so years but here I am almost 12 years later, and still loving the challenge! A day wouldn't go by without someone saying to me that this is their most favourite store. I am so blessed to have found something I love to do along with finding such great staff to build the brand into what it is today.
"Au revoir ... see you in Paris!"
www.balhannahbydesign.com.au