TV renovation stars Matt and Kim Di Costa were never going to be content with only 15 minutes of fame. Since their stint on The Block, the couple have gone from strength to strength, filming Matt and Kim to the Rescue and adding new things to their box of tricks, including their concrete furniture business – Nood Co.
“We initially designed some pieces for our home renovation,” Matt says. “We developed and built a trough sink, stool and dining table. The process was arduous being that we needed to create something that was water tolerant and refined. What came from it was Nood Co.
“I designed the range and my business partner Chris is the brains behind the product makeup, sealing and manufacture.”
Matt says working with concrete brings some challenges. “Concrete in the past was masculine. Our concrete is curved, coloured and feminine. It can go in a coastal setting, a contemporary setting, industrial Hamptons, Scandi you name it.
“It is super strong 70 MPa, highly water tolerant, we developed our own sealing system with a chemist, it is light, transportable, coloured and designed.”
Matt says the pieces are fun and carry a hint of nostalgia. “The design compass of Nood Co is aimed at solution-based designs that are on trend. Our products are thin and curvy, they are background pieces that work with your space, they are designed to depend on their form and shape. The pieces are fun, and a little bit nostalgic. For example, the trough sink is a new play on a concrete sink that I remember when I was a kid.
“Our world is beginning to embrace design in a whole new way. People want unique design but they want to stay connected to natural materials. Concrete has been in need of a face lift for a while and that is what Nood Co aimed to have done.”
Matt says concrete is timeless and won’t date because it has so many beneficial qualities including structural integrity and stunning aesthetics. Nood Co’s heaviest piece is 55kg. That is a quarter of the weight of regular concrete tables. The cafe tables are 12kg.
“We designed everything to have a realistic use in Australian residential and commercial spaces,” he says. “Our house is Nooded up pretty heavily. We have sinks, tables – indoor and outdoor, coffee tables, side tables, mirrors and homewares. Most pieces were designed for our house and the business followed.
“Life should be fun and full of unique expression. I want that to be accessible to all people. My interior work is always aimed around giving the client a break from the world, giving them a unique space that supersedes their expectations and lets them live with more happiness.”
Matt says once people start considering the work that goes into creating utility pieces for any home, they start to appreciate the value and beauty in them more.
“I honestly look at a beautiful sink like I do art,” he says. “I look at houses that way. All of these things were laboured over by someone for hours, weeks, months, just so the public could enjoy them. Sometimes you have to really look at something and go, hmmm I wonder what the process was to make that. Do that and you will see art in everything, and all of a sudden the western world gains more purpose and becomes even more beautiful.”
Matt says that while it is harder to get a creative business up and running in Perth, it is definitely a place filled with creative people. “Our culture is geared around genuine people and outdoor living,” he says. “Perth is filled with creativity. We have amazing bands, amazing architects and thanks to the City of Perth and some exciting government projects, we are beginning to build our cultural identity. The next 10 years in Perth are a time for all to shine. It’s important that we don’t follow the footsteps of Melbourne and Sydney but instead create a world that is our own.”
Visit www.noodco.com.au to find out more.
