Professionals Tamborine Mountain 
Kristy Newdick took Bohemian Farmhouse around markets and the online sphere for a few years before she opened its store in the Heritage Winery building. Now, with a brand new location that fits this ever-evolving outlet, she’s here to share a few secrets of a unique trade with us.
by Kyle Hitchmough
How did you get started in this business?
Making herbal products is something I’ve done since I was a teenager. I wanted to start my own company when I was 17 but then I got distracted and ended up having a family. I got into weddings and I was doing styling, floristry, hire business, all that. We sold that business after I had my second child, and I thought it was as good a time as any to go back and start looking at what I originally wanted to do. So each element here is a part of my life, it brought it all together. It’s about being able to put something on that makes you feel good, the whole parcel, so it’s an expression of that.
The herbal products are your main focus, then?
It’s definitely mainly the herbal products. The oils, the skin care, and our top selling products are the sprays, the mists. People like to be able to get the aromatherapy in their lives through the mists and the rollers. We match the scents, as well, so people can buy a scent they really love in the mist, or the roller, and use it the same way.
You cultivate a very specific aesthetic here with your decorations and choice of stock. How would you describe that feel?
It’s exactly like the name, Bohemian Farmhouse. The name actually started as a concept a few years back, as an Instagram profile. It was meant to be bits of my life on Instagram, things that I believed in, coming back to nature, believing in things that are natural, a little bit left of field. And then the farmhouse is that element that we grow a lot of our stuff, using things that are completely natural. We use absolutely no artificial fragrances or chemical preservatives.
So, you make a lot of your own products? Where do you source the products that you don’t make yourself?
Everything that has the Bohemian Farmhouse label is made by me, here. Everything that we source, that we don’t make ourselves, we try to get from Australian companies who ethically produce. Things like the picnic blankets, by a company called Wandering Folk in Byron Bay. She does all the artwork herself, turns it into a picnic rug. They have a really strong business ethic in the way they do things. Same with the clothing, it’s all by Australian designers, everything’s natural fabrics. Some of the oracle cards we get in are done by a lady in New South Wales. We try to focus on local manufacturing, people who have done it from conception all the way through to finished product themselves.
You also offer some more esoteric services, correct?
We have a tarot reader that comes in every weekend, and a naturopath who works every Friday, and a girl who comes in to do healings and readings every Wednesday.
Where do you get the inspiration for new products from? What goes into that process?
Usually it’s from either a need, so for example, sore muscles so I’ll start looking at the essential oils that would suit that, or it’s a seasonal thing. I’ll look at which herbs are actually flourishing at that time, and I’ll design a product based around that.
Have you noticed any particular trends in your clientele?
Most of our customers are already pretty aware of the dangers of certain store-bought bath and body products, and the chemicals that are in them. So, when they find us, we don’t really have to educate them because they already know, and they’re delighted to see an alternative option.
Are you a local? What’s your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain area and community?
Yes, I am. It’s beautiful, I can’t say anything bad about it. For example, I had a local lady in here today, and she came in just to check how I was. She said “I’ll come back and buy something another day, because I’ve already hit a few shops along the Walk to support them.” Locals can actually see if it’s quiet, and they want to come in and support you.
What do you think a store like yours really provides to the area?
That’s a good question! We provide a lot of day-to-day items that people can use, and it’s good that they don’t have to go off the mountain for that. The clothing in particular, we stock Jaase, which is a very popular brand, and we get a lot of people who say “Oh thank goodness we don’t have to travel for that anymore.” Things like the soaps and the bath bombs, skin care, it’s really high-quality natural ingredients, so it’s good to be able to get that on the mountain.
What are the benefits of using all-natural products such as yours?
We only use essential oils, so automatically you’re getting the benefit of the aromatherapy, but just the fact that they are so packed full of things that are actually good for you. I can’t fathom why a lot of manufacturers take out the good stuff like the oils that are so good for your skin aside from improving your bottom line. Our skin is one of our first lines of defense and immunity, so it’s really important to look after it.
What do you enjoy most about doing this?
I love making stuff. Taking things from the creation, from the actual lightbulb moment of having an idea, and then researching it, developing it, bringing it all the way through to product, how it feels, how it looks, how it smells, how it works… it’s very fulfilling.
What’s been your most memorable moment from your time working here?
I don’t think there’s one in particular, but there’s so many little moments of people coming back in and saying “this worked, and it helped, and thank you.” That just makes everything worthwhile, to know that you’re actually making a difference, that something as simple as a balm made out of oil and wax can help someone’s eczema, especially with children, and they’re just so grateful!
We are always looking for new topics for our blog. If there’s something you like to see more of, email your suggestions to: social@professionalsserendipity.com.au, or email the writer at kyle.hitchmough@hotmail.com.
