12,000 Kilometers Across Australia
Call it crazy or audacious, but we embarked on an extraordinary journey. Picture this: 120 kilograms of candle sand and four weeks on the road, covering a staggering 12,000 kilometers as we crisscrossed Australia. Why, you ask? To connect with our incredible clients, explore the enchanting South Coast Wedding Trail, engage in exciting meetings in Melbourne, and culminate it all with a four-day team rendezvous.
At Chameleon, we love to learn and change. We don't just transform spaces; we transform ourselves and how people experience things. Our curiosity keeps us moving forward, uncovering and celebrating the interesting stories all around us.
One of these stories is Eleven Eighty Venue in Shoalhaven. Clare and her husband Richard are the owners of Eleven Eighty. Longing for a creative project after leaving their corporate lives, and wanting to contribute to the beautiful Shoalhaven community, they knew this address deserved something special. A new lease on life.
Clare and Richard moved to the Shoalhaven in 2017 searching for a sense of community and a simpler way of life to bring up their 3 children. Within a year they had fallen in love with the local community and were searching for a local project. They found it in Eleven Eighty: A 2-acre property in need of a lot of TLC with a beautiful heritage residence, a school hall, and a train in the garden. What more could you want?
Richard hails from Scotland and feels an immediate attraction to the history of the property. They knew the potential was immense. But where to start? They tidied up the property and found treasures at every turn which were put on one side and have been incorporated into the restoration. After fielding many calls from the public requesting to hire the property for special functions, the path forward was suddenly clear.
Over the past few years, alongside keeping their corporate careers in accountancy and recruitment going, they have focused on engaging with heritage consultants and Shoalhaven Council to forge a new chapter for this venue. It has been a long restoration over the past few years, but they are finally at the finish line and are incredibly excited to share this unique and historical venue.
Eleven Eighty Venue is now a landmark destination celebrating the region, where vows are made, memorable stories written, and where a fine local boutique gin has found its feet.
Visiting the South Coast Wedding Trail gave us many of these stories and insights into local history, many stunning venues, and impressive stories behind local businesses and talented women running these businesses.
Another amazing transformation happened when we visited The George Ballroom in Melbourne, where Sonya Uribe from Evenio, with the help of a team of talented professionals, turned this space into a stunning set for a photoshoot. Our candles also played a part in this transformation and added a layer of magic to the whole thing.
Talking about Sonya…she is a hopeless romantic with over 20 years in TV and fashion, she was always the go-to party planner who had her lists in hand and a head full of ideas for pulling off the perfect celebration.
As she packed up her bags from the United States and left the TV industry to come and live in Melbourne, there’s one thing she kept close to her heart – her love for stylish events and cosmopolitan flare.
A fascinating meet-up also happened at Shepparton where we had the pleasure of meeting with a woman behind Table & Delights. Talk about transformation!
Dominika moved to Australia to be with her husband in December 2014. With a background in Commercial Law in the Banking Sector, she decided to explore her creative and artistic side and that is how Table and Delights was born.
When we met Dom, we also learned that she has just recently moved to Shepparton and has successfully transformed her business and we are excited to see how she is going to use our candle sand in her creations.
It comes as no surprise that we have an insatiable love for breathtaking setups. With the creative touch of Klara's House, we conjured up a romantic boho picnic arrangement for our team dinner. What was meant to be a sushi extravaganza with a splash of mimosas turned into an enchanting affair. While we're immersed in crafting candles daily, moments like these are rare and remind us that candles have the power to weave magic into any setting.
Traveling, you see, is not merely a physical journey. It's a dance that stirs something deep within the traveler. We journey across arid plains, ascend verdant rolling hills, navigate winding forested mountain roads, and bask in lush greenery.
Everything is in a constant state of transformation, evolving before our very eyes. It's this sense of ever-changing wonder that fuels our passion and work. And it's what we wish for all our cherished customers — a life filled with transformative moments, every day, in every conceivable way. 😊
