Remember in the ’90s when kids’ 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 as Double Date, put a modern twist on these nostalgic characters with their latest product lines.
Released in small and large sizes, Roomies are colourful acrylic letters with sweet little faces custom-made to spell out whatever name, or word, you please. Their arrival has expanded the brand’s range beyond the nurseries its signature mobiles often hang in. “We’re seeing customers send pictures of their four- or five-year-old standing with their little door names,” Alice tells Broadsheet.
More weird little guys come in the form of Moody Mates wall hooks, a collaboration with illustrator Samantha Curcio. Happy, sad, grumpy and silly, the expressive wall hooks are designed to bring a splash of personality to your walls. “It felt like a really good little match,” Bridget says. “We were really open with her. We were just like, ‘You are great so you do you and we’ll figure out how to make it out of acrylic.’”
The sisters recently acquired their own laser cutter, streamlining the making process. It’s been a fun journey of discovery, even when it’s a bit tricky. “[Curcio] kept putting hats and tongues on things, and that was a real challenge,” Alice laughs. “We’re manufacturing, sticking and gluing it all ourselves – all the problem-solving was up to the three of us to be like, ‘How do we get these to actually work on a wall and look cool?’” Bridget says.
Alongside the new products, the sisters are finding ways to update Double Date’s existing range, such as making monochrome versions of the mobiles (they’ve retired the wavy mirrors that were an early staple of the brand). “We’d like to keep exploring how we can make those fun and individual through colour, rather than mucking with the shape,” Alice says.
As mums themselves, Alice and Bridget’s biggest fans are their little people – the new products have been a big success with Alice’s kids, aged eight and 11, and Bridget’s four-year-old twin boys. “They’re always just so supportive. They’re like, ‘That’s so cute, Mum. I love that thing. Can we have the big ones in our room as well?’” Bridget says. “They want the big Moody Mates as well as having their little door one.”
“My daughter is one of our biggest champions,” Alice says. “She’s always telling people about the brand.”
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