Culture
Get ready to paint the town rainbow as Newcastle’s annual pride festival rolls around again this October. Swell gets the lowdown on the truly fabulous events you can expect this year.
People
There is a good chance Michaela Werner was in fact a mermaid in a previous life. The New Lambton professional freediver and mum of three, recently added Guinness World Record holder to her list of impressive breath-holding accomplishments but for Michaela, freediving isn’t just about reaching greater depths in the water, it’s about deep diving into life’s endless potential.
Culture
Have you ever gotten so engrossed in a book, movie or tv show that you were left craving more from the characters on the page or screen long after you’d finished watching or reading? If so, there’s a big wide world out there waiting for you to take your obsession to the next level and meet people just like you - the world of fanfiction. Hannah shares how she discovered fanfic and all the things she’s learnt about it since.
Art
Xander Holliday makes playful art for well-loved homes. You can’t help but feel optimistic when looking at his work – and he wants you to share in the joy of living amongst colour. Xander talks to us about finding his style as an artist, how to buy art and decorating with colour at home.
Home
Zoe Pohlmann is the Creative Director of Your Home Designs (YHD), a boutique building design firm based in Nelson Bay, while her partner Tyson McDuff owns Fin Design & Construct. When the pair decided to combine their expertise and embark on their biggest project to date - their own dream home and work studio - it’s no surprise that the result is nothing short of spectacular. We caught up with Zoe to find out more.
People
The Awabakal Wildflower Walk only happens once a year, and it takes you deep into the secret world of plants.
Life
It was a love of fashion, though not necessarily the fashion industry, that drove Emma Hartley to open vintage and pre-loved clothing store The Conscious Exchange. With sustainability at the centre of the business, Emma chats to Swell about creating a circular clothing economy and educating consumers about purchasing more ethically.
Life
After three decades on this earth, Melinda Halloran still can’t use a hair dryer or eyeliner pencil.
Home
It was an ‘adult gap year’ that sparked Libby Helinski’s love of all things Nordic. After spending a year living in Sweden, in a small town right on the Arctic Circle, she returned home to Newcastle brimming with ideas – and Pappa Sven was born.
Food
It’s undisputed that one of the best things about summer is a long lunch with mates, but no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove when it’s thirty degrees outside. Enter Josh Seaward of Forty Feathers. Josh takes the guess work out of entertaining so all you have to do is sit back, sip that iced cold mojito and enjoy
Home
For artist Prudence DeMarchi, life is a beautiful messy blur of paint and parenting. When Prudence isn’t playing mum, she’s creating magic in her studio, whipping up colourful works of art to brightened up the lives of her growing legion of fans.
Life
For most of us, moving house at some point or another is kind of inevitable. According to some very official statistics, moving just happens to be one of the most stressful events of your life. This is why, we’ve put together some very official tips to make the whole process a little easier. Words by Laura – daughter of a military family and regular mover of houses (from house to house that is, she’s not that strong).
Culture
It takes a special kind of person to feel so passionate about supporting small businesses and their community that they’d drop what they’re doing, quit their day jobs and dedicate every last minute of their spare time to doing just that. Welcome to the stage – Lauren Curtis and Lewis Kearney, founders of the Homegrown Markets.
Home
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever purchased via text message? For Sam and Shelley Johnson, it was their house – a tiny three-bedroom 1960s weatherboard on one of the most picturesque streets in Floraville. Fast forward five years and the little home they bought via text has had a pretty major glow-up, with an architecturally-designed extension transforming it into a spacious family home with a killer view.
Art
What does a piece of art tell you about its creator? The art in question here is jewellery, and its creator is art teacher turned jewellery designer, self-taught business woman and lover of the lyrical line – Michelle Smith.
