When you’re looking for things to adorn your home, yourself, or your friends, Elise Short of Council of Objects is the authority to turn to.

We all have at least one friend whose home we regularly visit, and every time you enter their impeccably decorated living room you’re immediately struck with taste envy.

This is the feeling you’ll get walking into Council of Objects.

Armed with an interior architecture degree and a well-honed eye for all things nice, the authoritative choices that line the store’s walls belong solely to Elise Short.

“I chose to go into business for myself, so that I could control the aesthetic, so there’s no compromise,” she explains.

Her vision for the store was to provide good designs from local makers, at good prices; something Elise noticed was not available from her previous employer, the Jam Factory.

“I could see a hole in the market … because Jam Factory is super high-end and Urban Cow is a bit lower, so somewhere in the middle.”

The realisation of that vision is not just in the stock she chooses, but also in the inviting nature of the space she designed, which attracts a wide array of people.

“I guess most people are aged between 18 and 70, so yeah, it’s pretty broad. They’re just people who appreciate nice things.”

Council of Objects was founded as an online store, and eventually moved into the physical world with a shopfront on Grenfell Street, before moving to its current location on Ebenezer Place.

As we chat on the bench in front of the store all the markers of a flourishing community pass by; the friendly nods, waves and winks from the regular café-goers and business owners.

“It’s a good little community. Just like Ramsay Street,” Elise laughs.

“I was pretty isolated [on Grenfell Street], even though the building was beautiful, … my lease was coming to an end and Sam from Treadly kept saying that I should move over. It’s just the passing traffic thing here, and just being with cafés really helps.”

As Adelaide makes its slow transition into summer Ebenezer is set to become livelier as the night markets begin again, which Elise hopes will drive people back through the laneway.

Her priority now though is rebuilding the online side of her business ready for a launch in 2015, and introducing a line of Council of Objects products.

“That’s a new thing, so we’re just kind of redefining everything at the moment.”

Until then, the store is fully stocked for Christmas with loads of enviably tasteful items, so pop in and check them out.