Conrad the Crab and friends. New Gifts Available at Dunrich

Here at Dunrich, we have set about making the front of our new shop a visual delight for passing traffic and clients alike. We decided on a garden inspired theme and so wanted to gather some ideas for how we could put this together. Following discussion, we agreed that there would be a range of our fabrics covering various furnishings, plus the odd outdoor beanbag or four. We then debated elegantly placed mirrors to reflect light, soothing water features, chimineas (for those chilly evenings), and maybe the odd (but not naked) statue looking demurely at the floor – not staring at us as we pass in the day with a coffee in hand. The space is not huge, so we had to abandon a few of those ideas – the soothing water feature was not really an option and we agreed that a statue was not one of our better ideas. However, it is easy to brighten up any garden space with colourful flowers, long leafy shrubs, maybe even a gnome or two and of course beautifully covered furniture and cushions, but what about the addition of metal ornaments? Many gardeners, we were reliably informed, love the contrast and opulence that a metal garden ornament or statue has, nestled amongst the flowers and greenery. So, with ideas abound for the new window display in the shop, and for new fabrics and designs, we ventured out in February to the Soft Furnishings Spring Fair. While ambling around the fair, and with our regular coffees in hand, we stumbled across some metal ornaments, but not really fitting our, as previously stated, expectations. These were, in short, very brightly coloured metal animals. Now, we are not talking small like dogs, cats, rabbits etc – Oh no, these were large and the two that caught our attention were those of a Bull and a Crab. And the reason they caught our attention – they are both drink coolers! Conrad the Crab especially caught our imagination as not only does he hold a bottle of wine in each claw, but a lid on his back also opens up for the addition of ice and smaller bottles. He also has a seriously cute face, large cheeky eyes and bags of character – Obviously, created and designed by a genius! Intrigued, we stood and chatted to the seller to find out a bit about these unusual and very appealing designs. Original Aaron Jackson designs, these are made in Vietnam by an Australian owned company and shipped all over the world. Back at the shop we set about ordering the items we wanted and decided on a number of Conrad’s and Bruce’s along with a couple of the very elegant ‘Bowl me over,’ wine chillers. We couldn’t wait to get these delivered as we had decided to make our new metal friends the centerpiece of our display. The designs are upcycled from old shipping drums and each one is hand made. Able to withstand the elements owing to the tough lacquer that is applied in multiple layers. Fully insulated and waterproof – simply fill with ice and drinks, so no more dashing to the kitchen for top ups. Once you’ve finished you only have to unplug the drain and wipe clean. If you have been looking for a unique and unusual gift that ticks all the boxes regardless of sex, then Conrad the Crab or Bruce the Bull will most definitely be a hit. For your chance to see them in situ, for buying options, or for more information, simply give us a call or head to our website at:

For more information on Conrad the Crab and friends. New Gifts Available at Dunrich talk to Dunrich Ltd