Get organised for Christmas

Well we've just experienced one silly season - Melbourne Cup week - and all those hat and fashion boo-boos are now moving into another. Christmas is just weeks away and our thoughts turn frantically to all those people for whom we want to buy gifts. The only problem is what to buy? A perennial problem but one that can be made so much easier by smart shopping. At Whiteport we offer a wide range of items which make very welcome gifts. No gift giving boo-boos here. For example, take a look at our storage solutions and be ready for all those extra gifts you will need to store after Christmas.

One of our official quality control experts recently tried out a new addition to our range - the versatile Katama range of cube storage boxes. See how they stored Miss Maddies soft toy collection!
Though when a girl has as many in her collection as Maddie, you just have to find other, bigger solutions ...
These soft, flexible but suprisingly strong baskets are suitable for any spot in the home - wedge them into bookshelves to hold all those office items that clutter up your desktop, fit them under cupboards in your bathroom and fill with your make-up wipes, cotton balls and his razor blades and extra toothbrushes. Or fill them with gorgeous smelling soaps and leave them neatly arranged on shelves. In the dressing area, they come into their own to store awkward belts, scarves and other accessories that always end up in a jumble. Kids rooms too are great spaces to use this Katama range of baskets in their various sizes. Books, pencils, notebooks in fact anything you normally have to pick up from the floor can be neatly stored away for when they are needed. A great way to get the kids used to having a tidy room. Organisation is the key - what did our mothers tell us "a place for everything and everything in its place", it still holds true today when our busy lives make being organised so important.

Whilst on the subject of baskets, don't forget to look at our Brewster rattan range of neat storage items. What Dad wouldn't like a Brewster bottle caddy, filled with 6 of his favourite tipples for Christmas? A great way to present his gift and after he can use it to carry the liquid refreshments to all those summer barbecues with friends in complete safety and style. Far better than juggling the the cold ones stuffed under his armpits! What about Mum? Fill her Brewster jam carry with four exotic jams or honeys, or even better make your own jams and preserves, dress the jars with pretty frill caps and voila - a really personalised gift that is sure to delight and look good on the breakfast table for years to come.

Best of all any of these items can be gift wrapped in Whiteport's signature style, which is sure to please even the most discerning recipient. So no boo-boo gifts this Christmas. Won't you be popular and it was, after all, all so easy, just trust Whiteport. Happy browsing.

Whiteport has weddings all wrapped up

Weddings. A word that can strike the greatest joy or the greatest dread into a human heart. Countless decisions need to be made at every turn: the date, the venue, the dress, the flowers, the guest list, the cake, the cars, and of course the gifts. All these elements and many more need to be crafted into that perfect day.

From the moment he or she popped the question there was set into motion a whole lava flow of decisions all equally important and time consuming for today’s busy couples. Of course, you are not alone in shaping the flow, there is always that favourite aunt who remembers way back when the wedding cake had to be made from powdered egg and offers to do the same for you. Or, the bride’s uncle who offers to be the MC for the day and who would, if on the day he stayed away from the aperitif tray, be great, but … perhaps not the powdered egg problem, but certainly there are eggshells to be walked on with great care.


I guess you have the picture in your head but, all is not lost, there is help out there in the form of lots of support. Today there are Wedding Advisors, Co-ordinators, Organisers for just about everything, all highly skilled and anxious to take the load off your shoulders.

At Whiteport, we aim to do our part too and are pleased to announce the introduction of our online Wedding Registry to help lift the burden of finding that special gift for the happy couple. As Jennifer McCabe, founder of Whiteport says “our aim for the wedding registry is to minimize the stress often associated with finding that perfect wedding gift and to ensure that the bride and groom do not end up with unwanted and often unloved gifts”. Hooray! There’s help out there to enable relatives and friends to choose from an inspiring range of homewares and accessories, then have them tastefully gift wrapped and delivered right to the door in good time before the big day.

Yes choosing that special gift can be done in the comfort of your own home, with you remaining calm and unhassled. Though if the wedding was to be in South Korea and the ceremony held at the Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church in Asan, south of Seoul, then even we at Whiteport could begin to panic if every bride signed up for our registry and we had to gift wrap over 2,000 gifts! So mindful that we are not catering for the Moonies, there is in fact, nothing left for you to do, but slip on the fancy outfit, pack an extra hanky or two, rehearse that speech and open the bubbly. Just kick back and enjoy the day.

Don’t forget the family pet though, on this special day – they have been with you through thick and sometimes thin and deserve a place in the party. Ask your florist to make up a collar of fresh flowers for Fido eh voila! Fido the Flowerdog. Just ensure he or she has the correct social skills for the day and whilst you quoff the champagne have a bowl of cool water for ready for Fido.

Pamper yourself for less with 20% off

For 3 days only enjoy 20% off our entire bathroom range. Exclusively for Whiteport subscribers only. Choose from bath & body products, towels & bathmats, storage & wash bags as well as everything in our essential white waffle range.

Sale is strictly for 3 days only, and ends 5pm Friday 16th October. Simply enter coupon ID 'Bath' at checkout to receive your discount. Valid for online orders only.

Happy shopping !

Accessorise for less with 20% off - 2 days only

Visit Whiteport today and get 20% off everything in our Accessories range. Exclusively for Whiteport subscribers only. Plan ahead for Christmas and choose from photo frames & albums, storage solutions, home scents as well as everything in our beach house range.

Sale is strictly for 2 days only, and ends midnight Thursday 1st October. Simply enter coupon ID 'ACCESS' at checkout to receive your 20% discount.

There's more to white than meets the eye

Spring is well underway and with its arrival a calendar of fantastic events – from the Spring Racing Carnivals with their flashing jockey silk colours, elegantly dressed and hatted women and sense of fun and excitement.

If that’s all too much excitement how about the quieter, more contemplative exhibitions that slow the pace and invite you just to take a pause and reflect on what the artist is trying to convey. A must see if you are lucky enough to live in the land of the long white cloud, is running at the Christchurch Art Gallery entitled “White on White”. Now those of you who know us at Whiteport know that white is a specialty colour for us in all things for the home. So too, is seems for famous artists like Eileen Mayo, Ando Hiroshige and many more. It may seem at first glance that such an exhibition would be a form of sensory deprivation, but as journeys to Antarctica have shown, white on white is far from dull and monotonous – indeed it is brimming with the imaginative possibilities of the colour. “White on White” runs until 15/11/09, Christchurch Art Gallery.

Making the white choice for decorating your home doesn’t mean you can’t splash out on one or two bold elements in a room, whites and pastels mixed with strong colour allows each detail to relate to another in harmony. At “Coin Perdu” in the Correze region of France, a good friend is renovating a very old farmhouse. Living in the old barn whilst this labour of love, mixed with lots of sweat, effort and dirt takes place. Yet even in the barn a place of cavernous spaces, white comes into its own. See how innovative Ronell is in using the colour white in the most unusual of spaces.

Okay so you don’t own a barn in France, but you do have a home you like and large or small, its good to know that your white scheme will continue to be a winner for years to come. According to US colour expert and trend forecaster, Mark Woodman in Melbourne for Decoration and Design says "in 2010 white will continue to be fashionable and will be a catalyst for working with brighter colours such as daffodil yellow, juicy citrus oranges and crisp, nautical blues. Grey is steadily replacing reigning brown; from cool misted-sky greys to deep charcoals, it’s warm and soothing and plays well with other colours ". As seen in Australian Home Beautiful magazine, August 2009.

All very well you say, how will that ‘play’ with my budget ? At Whiteport we saw the palette of greys emerging, so we added bedlinen trimmed with grey, silk cushions in glorious dove greys and Hollyridge cotton throws too. None of which will break the budget, but they do add that certain touch to update a scheme.

Spring is also the most popular time for weddings here in Australia and brides to be are labouring with huge “To Do” lists to be sure not to forget one single detail necessary for creating their perfect day. Whiteport is pleased to be able to lighten that burden by announcing their new Wedding Registry service. More on this new service next blog, but it will give some of you an occasion to use that silly hat you wore at the races !

Re-invent your bedroom for Spring with a very special 20% off

With Spring here, now is the perfect time to update your bedroom. Exclusively for Whiteport subscribers only. We've got everything you need to restyle your bedroom for the best nights sleep ever. Choose from bed linen, cushions & throws and bedroom accessories.

Sale starts today and is strictly for 3 days only (ends midnight Thursday 17 September). Simply enter coupon 'BED' at checkout to receive your 20% discount.

Happy shopping !

Whiteport goes Green

What is it about the season of Spring that so refreshes and enlivens our spirits? Makes us want a 'fresh' start, adopt a start-over attitude, everything seems possible somehow and all because there is something in the air that heightens our senses to that which is about to begin ...

Here at Whiteport our thoughts have turned to those products which seem to fit with trying to do things better; building a more responsible company with better products, prices and service. Did you know for example that, according to a CSIRO expert, it is estimated the average family of three throws out a half a million plastic bags over their lifetime. A staggering statistic - yet think about it. How many plastic bags do you bring home from the fruit market, the supermarket, the hardware shop, the garden centre, etc, etc ? I counted today and after visiting my local fruit market, I had twelve I needed to try and recycle. Simple answer - say "No" to all those unnecessary bags. Go green and carry a shopping bag that comes from a renewable resource, like our Envirosax linen shopper. Made from organic linen, it's three times stronger than cotton, super strong, practical yet smart - you won't feel like the jolly green giant carrying this one! Have a friend or two who want to create a better planet? Then this is a perfect 'green' gift for them. Maddie keeps teddies in hers!


Who of those amongst us doesn't like the atmosphere a beautiful candle or three creates? There is magic in candlelight, they transform and create ambience but again we need to be responsible and care for the atmosphere. Whiteport have an artisan made, Soy candle, which unlike paraffin wax, releases no harmful toxins into the air. They burn for up to 40 hours, are safer, burn cooler, and release a gentle fragrance of either Orange Blossom, Coconut & Lime or White Linen. Just the thing to indulge the senses when next you take a relaxing bath ... of course a glass of good bubbly would help too! Go on you deserve it ... not you Maddie, you stick with the milk.

We also love the products of Australian designer, Christopher Deville who gave us Polpis waffle teatowels. These 100% pure cotton towels are both biodegradable and chemical free. They are also so smart that they wouldn't go amiss as guest towels in your bathroom - folded atop your favourite bath towel they'd look great and are so easy to wash, with of course your eco friendly washing powder or liquid. On the subject of being eco-friendly, try this. Place a small, washed sea-shell inside your kettle, it helps to minimize the build up of the furry stuff that adheres to the inside and coats the element. The lime scale attaches to the shell instead. How eco friendly is that? Thanks Ronell for that tip all the way from South Africa.

Whilst we are thinking 'green', why not make something new from something old? Recycle a plastic bottle, like a bleach container, or a fabric softener bottle to make useful, practical items for around your home. Make a great scoop for that cat litter, or for delving into those big bags of dog biscuits, or even that sack of potting mix. It's so easy. Choose a tall bottle with a high set handle and leave the screw cap on. Wash thoroughly, then soak in warm water for about twenty minutes to soften the plastic. Dry well and then take a texta pen and draw a diagonal line from just below the bottom of the handle and extending nearly to the base opposite the handle. Use a sharp Stanley knife to cut the line, holding the bottle steady with one hand on a hard surface. Wear an old garden glove to be safe when doing this. Push the knife through the softened plastic cutting away from yourself, be careful to keep a firm grip as the plastic may resist the knife and slip away from you. Once you have finished the cutting, lightly sand the edges of the plastic until they are smooth eh voila - your scoop is ready for use.

Feeling good? You should, at least you're thinking about how you can help our planet. Make a mug of your favourite brew, sit back and muse on what Spring has in store for you ... make it good ... like those tender, green shoots about to emerge take a risk ... it's all wonderfully about to begin.