Struggling to find practical dinnerware solutions that didn’t compromise on style, quality or safety, mum-of-two Olivia Holtz set out to create a range of products that were safe, durable, beautifully designed and versatile enough for the whole family. What started as a passion for sustainable household solutions has evolved into a growing brand, with innovative plant-based dinnerware at its heart. Here, Olivia talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Elavoland, how she balances work and family life, the challenges she has overcome along the way, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I work full-time and have two young children, and for a long time the thought of cooking dinner every night left me frozen like a deer in the headlights.
When they were younger, I could get away with relying on convenience foods from the freezer aisle. But as they got older and I became solely responsible for feeding them-no more cooked lunches at daycare-I quickly realised something had to change.
I wanted to serve healthy, nutritious meals, but I also needed practical solutions that fit into the reality of busy family life.
When I started looking at the dinnerware available, I couldn’t find anything that felt right. Some of the options from Kmart looked nice, but they weren’t designed to withstand everyday family use. Others were cheap and flimsy, and I couldn’t get clear answers about exactly what materials they were made from. After putting so much effort into sourcing quality food for my family, that didn’t sit well with me.
I wanted something beautiful enough to inspire me to create and serve healthy meals, but practical enough to survive the demands of family life. I also faced another challenge: the food I wanted to eat was often completely different from what my children wanted to eat, and I was constantly trying to bridge that gap.
What I was searching for seemed surprisingly simple: dinnerware that was safe, durable, beautifully designed and versatile enough for the whole family.
The brightly coloured and heavily patterned children’s dinnerware on the market felt chaotic and didn’t fit the calm, natural home environment I was trying to create. I wanted something that looked just as at home on a family dinner table as it did at a picnic, on a boat or around a campfire.
So we spent more than a year researching, sampling and testing countless products until we found dinnerware that met our standards. Something designed for children, but beautiful and durable enough for parents too. Something that could handle everyday family meals, beach picnics, boating adventures and even a lap around Australia.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
It all started as a passion project.
Over the years, we focused on developing innovative cleaning products that were both highly effective and incredibly sustainable. From there, we expanded into a broader range of eco-friendly products. What kept me motivated was seeing the impact they had on people’s lives. I loved solving problems for families who felt like they had tried everything, only to find something that genuinely worked and made a difference.
Then, over the last few years, our wheat straw dinnerware really started to take off. More families began discovering our products, recommending them to friends and including us on their shortlist when searching for safer alternatives. To know that families trusted us enough to invite our products into their homes was truly incredible.
But we wanted to go even further.
We were determined to create a product that was not only practical and beautiful, but one we could wholeheartedly stand behind and proudly put our name to.
After extensive research and development, we created our PLA dinnerware range. Made from fermented corn, PLA is a remarkable plant-based material that offered everything we had been searching for. Unlike many eco-friendly alternatives, it doesn’t rely on binders commonly found in products such as bamboo composites.
The result was something that felt almost too good to be true-lightweight, incredibly durable, dishwasher-friendly and beautifully designed for modern family life.
It was exactly what we had been looking for all along.
A dinnerware range designed to handle busy family meals, outdoor entertaining, beach picnics, camping adventures and everything in between-without compromising on safety, quality or style.
It felt like a match made in heaven.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
One of the biggest breakthroughs for me was realising that families don’t need separate dinnerware for children and adults; they need products that work beautifully for everyone.
When I looked around the market, most children’s dinnerware was brightly coloured, heavily patterned or designed purely with kids in mind. Adult dinnerware, on the other hand, often wasn’t practical enough for busy family life.
I found myself constantly asking: why can’t one product do both?
As a mum, I wanted dinnerware that could handle being dropped, packed for a picnic, taken camping, loaded into the dishwasher and used every day by my children. But I also wanted something beautiful enough to put on the table when friends came over for dinner.
That shift in thinking changed everything.
Instead of designing children’s dinnerware, we set out to create family dinnerware-pieces that were elegant enough for adults, practical enough for kids and versatile enough to move seamlessly from family dinners to beach picnics, backyard entertaining, boating adventures and everything in between.
For me, the innovation wasn’t just the material. It was creating a product that brings the whole family together around the same table, without having to compromise on style, durability or functionality.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I don’t think there’s ever really a perfect balance when you’re building something, but somehow we make it work.
My husband is also building a business, so we’re constantly challenging and encouraging each other. We come from very different worlds-I’m very much focused on e-commerce, while he’s more traditional when it comes to sales. He’s always telling me I need to get out there and sell more, and maybe one day I will. Although, when I think about it, showing up consistently on social media is really my version of doing exactly that.
Juggling a full-time job, a growing business and two young children is definitely challenging. There are days when it feels like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. But I also think it’s incredibly valuable for our children to see their parents working hard, building something from the ground up and genuinely enjoying what they do.
I hope they see that it’s possible to pursue something you’re passionate about and create your own path in life. My parents often say how lucky the kids are to be exposed to two entrepreneurs, and I think they’re right.
These years are busy, messy and sometimes exhausting, but I have a feeling they’ll be the years we look back on most fondly. We’re giving it everything we’ve got, putting in the long hours, taking chances and seeing where the journey leads us.
What I do know is that when we’re together as a family, we make it count. Whether it’s a trip to the aquarium, a visit to a local farm, a festival, a beach day or simply spending quality time together, we’re intentional about creating memories and experiences that our children will remember long after they’ve forgotten the toys they owned.
At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
For me, one of the most rewarding parts of building a business is seeing what you’re capable of when you step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself to achieve something bigger than you thought possible.
When you’re a founder, you’re responsible for everything. It’s easy to get caught up in the details and feel overwhelmed trying to execute an idea you’ve spent countless hours researching, planning and developing. Sometimes you’re so focused on the next task that you lose sight of how far you’ve come. Every now and then, though, I catch myself looking back and thinking, “Did I really manage to do all of that in such a short space of time?”.
One of the biggest surprises has been how much work goes into creating content and building a brand. Planning, shooting, editing, writing, posting-it can easily take hours to create something that people consume in a matter of seconds. It’s a huge commitment, but it’s also one of the things I’ve enjoyed most because it constantly pushes me to learn new skills, experiment with new ideas and become more comfortable putting myself out there.
What’s probably even more surprising is that I’m actually a marketing professional by trade. I completed a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Marketing from the University of Auckland and later a Master of Marketing from the University of Sydney. I work in digital marketing every day, which has certainly been helpful.
But when it came to starting and running my own business, I quickly realised that theory and practice are two very different things. Building a brand from scratch, creating products, managing suppliers, serving customers, creating content and making decisions every day is something no degree can fully prepare you for.
I’m learning fast, though.
I think the biggest unknown is simply not knowing what’s possible. I see so many incredible women building successful businesses and growing communities online. From the outside, they often make it look effortless, but I know there’s a lot of hard work happening behind the scenes.
For now, I’m focused on showing up, doing the work, learning as I go and trusting the process. I don’t know exactly where this journey will lead, but I hope that one day all of the late nights, hard work and persistence will have built something truly meaningful-not just for my family, but for the families we serve as well.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
I have a lot of creative energy and for a long time, Elavoland has been my creative outlet-a place where I can build something beautiful and hopefully make someone’s day a little brighter through an exceptional product and shopping experience.
What I love most is that it allows me to combine creativity with strategy. I genuinely enjoy every part of the process: researching ideas, developing products, planning, building, creating content and bringing it all to life. And as strange as it sounds, I’m just as happy packing orders and dropping them off at the post office. There’s something incredibly rewarding about knowing a product you’ve worked so hard on is about to arrive at someone’s home.
Living in Sydney’s Inner West, I’m surrounded by so many inspiring small businesses. When I’m at the post office, I often see the stacks of parcels being sent out by more established brands and it’s impossible not to feel inspired. It reminds me that every successful business started somewhere.
Of course, there are challenges. Building a business requires an enormous investment of time and energy. There are weekends spent working when others are relaxing, evenings spent creating content and plenty of moments where it feels like everyone else has more time for family, friends, hobbies and the simple things.
But for now, I’m happy to be in this season. Building something meaningful takes time, and while it can be demanding, it’s also incredibly fulfilling. I know these busy years won’t last forever and hopefully one day, I’ll look back and be grateful that I kept showing up and putting in the work.
After all, you never know where it might lead.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My vision for Elavoland is to build a lifestyle brand centred around beautiful family living-one that brings together innovation, thoughtful design, simplicity and sustainability.
At its heart, Elavoland is about creating products that make everyday life feel a little easier, a little more beautiful and a little more intentional. Whether that’s around the family table, in the home or through products that support health and wellbeing, I want everything we create to have a purpose.
I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of science, innovation and design. From the very beginning, I noticed a gap between highly technical products that lacked warmth and personality, and eco-friendly brands that sometimes focused more on trends than evidence. I’ve always believed there should be a middle ground-beautiful products that are grounded in research, thoughtful development and real-world performance.
Looking ahead, I’d love to continue expanding into innovative household products and skincare. In many ways, that’s where this journey first began. I’ve always enjoyed solving everyday problems and creating products that genuinely make life better for families. Whether it’s household essentials, wellbeing products or products for the home, my goal is to create solutions that people love using and feel good about bringing into their lives.
Design will always be a big part of that vision. I want Elavoland products to spark joy, reflect a sense of quiet elegance and bring simplicity and beauty into the home. As a working parent, I know how demanding life can be, and I truly believe that the spaces we create around us matter. Coming home to products and surroundings that reflect your style, values and personality can make a real difference to how you feel.
Family will always sit at the centre of everything we do. The moments shared around a table, the memories made with loved ones, the traditions we create and the homes we build are what matter most.
I also hope Elavoland can continue to play a small part in creating a better future. Through thoughtful product choices, sustainable materials and reducing reliance on unnecessary plastics, we’re committed to doing our part to help keep waste out of our oceans and protect the environment for future generations.
Ultimately, I want Elavoland to be known for creating beautiful, practical products that help families live well-while celebrating simplicity, the strength of women, meaningful connection and the everyday moments that make life special.
Visit the Elavoland website to find out more, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
