Jodie Fried, Venice LA
Images by Carissa Gallo
Words by Elisha Kennedy
Jodie’s home is one whose energy is hard to articulate, filled with artworks by friends and beautiful objects made collectively by their children, it’s at once incredibly stylish and exceedingly personal. Her home is peppered with plush rugs by her brand Armadillo & Co, making you want to ignore the lounge and take to sitting on the floors, which is exactly what we did.
Can you share with us a bit about your background and your journey to starting Armadillo & Co with Sally?
I am the Creative Director of Armadillo & Co and I live in Venice, Los Angeles with my husband and my three young children. I met Sally Pottharst (co-founder of Armadillo & Co) in 2009 and we were inspired to create elegant, simple and quality rugs that we could not find for our own homes.
It is pretty simple, that what we couldn’t find, we decided to make.
What are you currently working on?
We open our first flagship store in Los Angeles at the end of this year, which is exciting. I have been working on this project for months, seeing the construction fit out come to life.
We are also working on our new ranges for 2018/19. Sally and I are really starting to delve into some gorgeous textures, dirty rich colours and hand knots.
The rugs are handmade in India, how often do you travel there?
I lived in India for 3 years from 2001 and have been back many times since then. It is like a second home for me. During the last few years as I have had young children, I haven’t been back as much. My business partner Sally Pottharst has been making those regular production trips for us and works closely with the artisans there.
I did go with my first child when he was only 4 months old. It was so thrilling to see my little fat white baby with our Indian weavers and artisans. The loves of my life all together! India, craft and my baby, it couldn’t have been more perfect.
What are some of the things you love to do/go/see when you are there?
Because I have been going to India for over 20 years, I tend to stay off the tourist trails and the best moments are with our local weavers and their families.
The Indian culture is such an incredibly generous one which revolves around food, chai and celebration/ dance. It’s wonderful when you really feel part of it on a core human level.
An evening boat trip on the Ganges is a must. Every time I promise myself I won’t shop, but I always pick up some woven or printed fabrics, hand made sandals and market treasures.
The Indian culture is such an incredibly generous one which revolves around food, chai and celebration/ dance. It’s wonderful when you really feel part of it on a core human level.
Hands down it’s being by the ocean. It really helps me reset and have a clear head and feel energised by having a surf or being on the beach. My kids love it too. Venice is filled with incredible places to eat, namely Wallflower, The Butcher’s Daughter, Gjusta and Gjelina.
I also love that you can get around by foot or bike in Venice, a rare thing in LA. And also that the place is filled with inspiring creatives from all over the world.
Do you have a morning routine?
The “morning hustle” is pretty crazy, getting 3 children under the age of 6 dressed, fed, lunches made and out the door to school by 7:45 am. No leisurely morning tea and croissants around here! I run a tight ship and I wear captain’s hat to keep the troops in order.
After school drop off I try and have a surf which really helps me reset and clear my head for the day. Because of the time difference between LA and Australia I tend to do my own things in the morning and work later at night.
With my work taking me later in the evening than I would like, I really have to consciously take my time to wind down. I normally drink chamomile tea and have a bath or shower with lavender oil to help stop my mind buzzing before I sink into our bed.
I do like having a Netflix series binge from time to time…who doesn’t?
I normally drink chamomile tea and have a bath or shower with lavender oil to help stop my mind buzzing before I sink into our bed.
Can you tell us about some of the objects in your home that bring you joy?
Above our bed we have a wall hanging that we made as a family. It is mostly made from things that the kids have found on the beach, with a centre sculpture by a wonder ceramic artist in LA called Heather Levine which was given to me by a friend of mine.
Our children find beach “treasures” and we string them up off the big bit of driftwood. My eldest son believes it brings us good dreams.
My favourite rug in our bedroom is the Armadillo & Co rug in Duchess, hand knotted – it gives such pleasure to your feet! I also have two art pieces by dear Australian childhood artist friends, the “Tree” print by Marnie Gilder and a nude by Carla Ruffino.
I also love our indoor plants. It seems to be a growing obsession but it gives me so much happiness!
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What are you looking forward to this year?
I am working on my work/life balance. I am looking forward to spending more time with my husband and children. It’s been a very busy few years for our family with work and travel.
We are also currently building our dream house in Venice, (it’s been in our heads for literally 10 years or more) and it is finally coming out of the ground, every stage seeing it come to life is so thrilling and rewarding.