The legendary British interior designer Abigail Ahern was blown away by the reception she received while in Australia recently, describing it as “the best thing I’ve done to date”.
Her masterclasses at Megan Morton’s The School were a sellout. “We sold 90% of the seats within the first few days of putting them on the site,” says Abigail. “I was so overwhelmed, flattered and delighted by the response. The Australian people are so warm and friendly. I was blown away by how many fans we have in Australia. I had an absolute blast and cannot wait to get back over to do more.”
We don’t have to wait long for our next Abigail fix either, as she has just been confirmed as a speaker at February’s Decoration + Design trade fair in Sydney.
Abigail says our climate makes Australian interiors different. “In Northern Europe we spend far longer inside than outside and our light is very different. Being soft we can dabble with dark sludgy hues much more easily (something which I am pretty obsessed with).
“Australian interiors tend to brighter and lighter and tend to hone in on one vibe, whether that’s traditional or contemporary or rustic and in Europe I think we tend to mix far more different periods and styles in more of a kaleidoscopic, ad hoc way. Obviously a lot of that has to do with geography and accessibility of stuff.