Tag: glen proebstel

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Art Interviews Styling

Wallpaper designed for Australians with a Scandinavian twist

Born and raised in Sweden, Ann-Louise Jansson is a true devotee of Scandinavian design. Spending her years in Australia on the hunt for Scandinavian wallpapers and bespoke murals, she soon found there was a gap in the market. So, eight years ago, she started Scandinavian Wallpaper and Décor, as a means of introducing Australia to Nordic design.

R13871_Rebel-Walls-image-2[1]

Sourcing products for their unique style and exceptional quality, Ann-Louise specialises in high-end digital wallpapers and wallpaper murals that are printed on durable non-woven wallpaper using cutting edge digital technology. “Our digital printed wallpapers are so versatile to work with and suitable for so many kind of spaces. They are easy to hang and to remove and can easily be hung over.”

Panorama,bluegreen

Winter-Wilderness-mijo

With a large array of products including my favourite — magnetic wallpaper (below) — all designs can be customised to the client’s needs. “Our expertise is wallpaper, how to best use it and how to tailor the designs to best suit a space. All our murals can be printed to custom sizes and most of them can be altered in colours to truly personalise an interior.”

Magnetic Rabbit Room

Geometric Blue Room

A favourite among stylists and magazines alike, Scandinavian Wallpaper and Décor is always in the midst of an exciting collaboration. “We frequently collaborate with high end stylists and designers, like Steve Cordony, Glen Proebstel and Vanessa Colyer Tay, to inspire people with beautiful interiors. We also frequently have our backdrops featured in high-end magazines and were recently apart of Designweek in Melbourne.”

Panorama Grey

Soon to be releasing their own collection of wallpaper designs, “designed and tailored to the Australian market and always with a Scandinavian twist,” the future looks bright! “We have some interesting ventures lined up. We are looking at designing our own range, sourcing a collection made especially for ceilings and also introducing fabrics.”

Shop online.

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Interviews Styling

Tahnee Carroll on the switch from interior design to styling and finally finding her groove

Tahnee's work in Real Living

Tahnee Carroll was destined to work in interiors and design, she just had to work out exactly how. “As a kid, my room was never in the same layout for more than a month, I changed everything all the time! Whether I knew it or not, the creative within had found a direction.”

Tahnee Caroll at home. Photo by Lynden Foss
Tahnee Caroll at home. Photo by Lynden Foss.

Beginning her career in interior design for a luxury firm in Sydney, it wasn’t until two years had gone by that she realised it wasn’t the direction she wanted to go in. “Interior design wasn’t quite perfect for me career wise, it didn’t stimulate my creative side enough to warrant staying, but I loved interiors. I just needed to find another outlet and found photographic styling to be the perfect role for me.”

Tahnee's work in Real Living
Tahnee’s work in July’s Real Living. Photography by Brett Stevens.

Approaching Real Living magazine for a week’s work experience, Tahnee instantly fell in love with the fast-paced, creativity-fueled world of photographic styling. Following that work experience, she was offered a role as a styling assistant and worked alongside some of Australia’s best, including Glen Proebstel and Sarah Ellison.

One of Tahnee's favourite food shots I've styled, featured in Real Living's May Issue, 2014. Photography: Maree Homer
Real Living, May 2014. Photography by Maree Homer.

Assisting at Real Living for two years, she did everything from searching far and wide for that one perfect prop, unpacking products, painting and building sets and moving furniture and accessories. “You won’t need a gym membership, let me tell you that!”

Yet while she loved her job, a six-month trip overseas gave Tahnee the inspiration and confidence to step out on her own: “I decided it was time to give assisting the flick and show the industry what I could do! I created a number of moodboards of shoot ideas and put them to the editor of Real Living, Deb Bibby, who then gave me my first job styling the Weekday Meals food segment. Safe to say it was a hit and I’ve been styling the food and entertaining stories ever since.”

A shot from Tahnee's first shoot, published in Real Livings March Issue, 2014. Photography: Maree Homer
Tahnee’s first shoot as a stylist for Real Living, March 2014. Photography by Maree Homer.

Since that first job being published in Real Living’s March 2014 issue, Tahnee has progressed in leaps and bounds, styling a whopping 17 pages in this month’s issue of Real Living and being a contestant in Inside Out magazine and The Home’s Search for a Stylist contest (you can vote for Tahnee’s entry here). The competition has seen wannabe stylists pitted against each other to create a mock Inside Out cover (between you and me, Tahnee’s is my fave!) with the winner getting the chance to style a real Inside Out cover and become a senior stylist at The Home.

“We were given a small number of products from The Home to select from and use in our cover shot,” explains Tahnee. “Then we all had to design and build sets which we believed would stand out to the Inside Out readers in order to get them to vote for us. On shoot day, it was all very secretive, closed studios, tight-lipped editors and hovering stylists. The contestants weren’t allowed to see each other’s sets and everyone was watching you as you tried to create the winning cover. I had so much fun, but it’s so nerve-racking waiting for the results!” (You can vote until 23 July).

Tahnee's cover for the Inside Out Magazine and The Home Search for a Stylist Competition. Photography: Nigel Lough.
Tahnee’s cover for the Search for a Stylist contest. Photography by Nigel Lough.

While Tahnee’s assisting days are now behind her, she is very grateful for what that time gave her, recommending the experience to all budding stylists. “As an assistant, be prepared to go the extra mile,” says Tahnee. “If the stylist wants blue hydrangeas that are out of season and the only florist in Sydney that has them is an hour and a half away, well then you’d better start driving if you want to beat the traffic!”

Real Living's Top Ten Lust List as compiled and styled by Tahnee, featured in the July Issue, 2014. Photography: Brett Stevens
Real Living July 2014. Photography by Brett Stevens.

Tahnee is proof that if you do the hard work and soak up all the knowledge and skill around you, you can make it as a stylist. Just don’t be afraid to take a chance: “Be outrageous,” says Tahnee. “Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss, but that’s all part of the learning process and developing your skills.”

Love Tahnee’s work? Follow her on Tumblr and Facebook.

So, you want to be a stylist too? You should read this! Or read all our styling-related posts.

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Interiors Addict

New Domayne catalogue, styled by Glen Proebstel

When a brand employs great stylists and photographers to work on its catalogues, magical things happen. Domayne chose well with stylist Glen Proebstel and photographer John Bamford.

Domayne Glen Proebstel chester bed

Continue reading “New Domayne catalogue, styled by Glen Proebstel”

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Interiors Addict

Sneak peek: THE quintessential MAGAZINE

Issue 3 of the quintessential MAGAZINE, brought to us by the people behind the divine store of the same name in Balmain, is out next week and it’s a visual treat, as usual.

bread boards
Photo by Sam McAdam Cooper

It’s not just beautiful images, although there are many, it’s always a great read too. This month Dinosaur Designs’ Louise Olsen talks about the inspiration behind her new collection (look out for it on Interiors Addict next week), globestrotting stylist Glen Proebstel reports back from New York, and a variety of people talk about their collections, from breadboards (pictured) to bobbins, potato mashers and more!

Continue reading “Sneak peek: THE quintessential MAGAZINE”

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Interiors Addict

2nd issue of Quintessential Magazine with stylist Glen Proebstel

The second issue of the digital magazine from the folks at Quintessential duckeggBLUE in Balmain, is out today.

quintessential magazine cover

An exciting new regular feature sees globetrotting Australian stylist Glen Proebstel (former Inside Out magazine) reporting on his favourite things from New York and San Francisco.

quintessential magazine glen proebstel

Continue reading “2nd issue of Quintessential Magazine with stylist Glen Proebstel”
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Interviews

Why Abigail Ahern loves Australia and our obsession with interiors

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.

Continue reading “Why Abigail Ahern loves Australia and our obsession with interiors”
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Interiors Addict

Megan Morton takes her school to Melbourne too, at Glen Proebstel’s new studio

I only just told Queenslanders to get excited because Megan Morton was taking her styling and crafing classes to Brisbane. Now I’ve just learned she’s coming to Melbourne in November too. And in another dream collaboration made in stylist heaven, she’ll be holding her secrets of styling one-day masterclass at Glen Proebstel and Rachael Hart’s The Establishment Studio. Sure to be mega popular with the Melbourne people, I suggest you BOOK NOW before it’s too late.

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Interiors Addict

One-of-a-kind throws, made with love (and giant knitting needles), by Little Dandelion

Her throws are beautiful, SERIOUSLY chunky and texture-full works of art. “I love a bit of sensory feedback,” says extreme knitter Jacqui Fink of Little Dandelion. “Always have.” Made from the finest, locally sourced wool and linen, these mega throws and blankets weigh up to 15 kilos and are really something else. But it is the philosophy and story behind  Jacqui’s work that I’m even more taken with, and it’s something we could all learn from.

Continue reading “One-of-a-kind throws, made with love (and giant knitting needles), by Little Dandelion”
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Interiors Addict

Stylists out in force for ercol launch at Temperature Design

It was a full house at the launch of iconic British furniture brand ercol into Australia at Temperature Design in Sydney tonight.

Interior stylists were out in force, including Glen Proebstel, Jason Grant, Kirsten Bookallil, Darren Palmer and Stacey Kouros.

Top Design judge Amanda Talbot MC’d proceedings and ercol managing director Nick Garratt flew in from the UK.

Some timeless pieces were on disaply, including the well known butterfly chair and Studio lounge (which was designed when Elvis was at the height of his fame!). Old classics continue to be popular and have been given a modern twist with on trend colours like orange. These simple, gorgeous designs, with some pieces by Sir Terence Conran, certainly caused a stir.

(Interiors Addict, Mr Jason Grant and Kirsten Bookallil)

(Interiors Addict and Glen Proebstel)

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Interiors Addict

Seen the new Aura by Tracie Ellis range?

The new Victoria Amber range by Aura by Tracie Ellis is out now. Check out this gorgeous image, styled by Glen Proebstel and photographed by Sharyn Cairns (the dream team)!

I continue to LOVE everything Melbourne-based Tracie does!

Available in Myer and online at www.aurahome.com.au

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Interiors Addict

Aura + Glen Proebstel = interiors porn!

I’m ridiculously distracted by the Aura by Tracie Ellis catalogue for summer which came with my recent order. It’s sitting on my desk, tempting me. DIVINE styling by Glen Proebstel and simply gorgeous linen for beds and tables, not to mention the cushions… It is all just so beautiful! Definitely my all time favourite Australian brand for bed linen.

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Interviews

Jane Frosh, styling events with personality

Jane Frosh has worked as an event producer for more the a decade but it’s the styling aspect of events that really gets her excited and it’s led her into interior styling work too.

When you think event styling you might think dodgy chair covers and centrepieces, things that make Jane shudder. “I style an event as you would your lounge room, or the cover of an interiors magazine. Individual, quirky, on trend. It seemed a natural progression to move from event styling into the interior styling industry. At present, I manage to do both, and consequently launched the company show.pony.”

Jane runs show.pony with her business partner, a designer. “I like to call our company a collaboration, as we often pull in a team of experts in their niche industry, whether it be amazing floral designers or high end technical experts. We set ourselves apart from the crowd by doing things a little bit left of centre. show.pony will not pitch a time worn theme (I refuse to even use the word ‘theme’), rather we will create bespoke, quirky events to suit both our client and their end purpose. No ‘James Bond’ here!” (Oh good, because that sounds like the kind of ‘organised fun’ that Interiors Addict HATES!).

The three main elements of her work she loves are:

  • The pre-production stage. “The buzz of creating a concept and then building storyboards to pitch to a client. Seeing the look of joy on their faces as they fall in love with what we are proposing. It is such a rush!”

  • Prop sourcing. “I always have my eye out looking for interesting props and tools. I have many favourite haunts that I visit weekly just in case!”

  • Seeing the concept come together on the day of the show. “Having the time to walk around, tweaking, positioning, ‘dressing‘ the event. Seeing your storyboard come to life. What could be better than that?”

Jane says there’s no point spending hundreds or thousands on an event which looks the same as three events held last week. “Clients need to have the ability to inject their own personality into their event but need help to do it stylishly and cleverly. Our aim is for the guests to leave saying ‘That was amazing. I have never seen anything like that before’. And that end result often does not come down to budget. It comes down to an events team with an innovative, creative nature. We like to offer ‘new eyes to a tired industry’.”

There’s no denying living in the Blue Mountains with three children has influenced Jane’s own home style. “We have French doors off every room in our house, and at any stage during the day, there is at least one of those doors open and at least one child, dog or chook wandering through the house! My style is not pristine, not minimalist and not designer. It can’t be! My style at home revolves around our lifestyle. It’s a little bit vintage industrial, quite whimsical and filled with objects that reflect the personality of my family. I think that is important.” And Jane’s home is soon to feature in the February issue of Country Style, in case you needed any further proof of how stylish this lady is.

She adds: “I am constantly moving things around at home, creating vignettes, painting walls or furniture. It’s fun and it keeps the space alive. I tend to follow my one rule ‘make it pop with colour and then ground it with nature’. It’s a good one to remember. It helps control your space. For example, a gorgeous, sunny yellow metal chair works perfectly when pared back with a rustic wooden table. The contrast grounds both pieces.”

Jane loves French farmhouse, monochrome and pops of yellow and isn’t one to follow trends, although, as a stylist, she thinks it’s important to research them all and be across what’s hot.

Her favourite fellow stylists? The “amazing” Megan Morton, Mr Jason Grant (for his “fabulous” use of colour) and Lynda Gardener (“she has an amazing sense of style; incredibly feminine with a masculine edge. I love that.”) She also admires Glen Proebstel. “He is the ‘king of beds’ and the master of deep, moody tones.” And then there’s American Kelly Wearstler, whose books Jane finds a great reference in regards colour, pattern and using metallics.”

You can like show.pony on Facebook here.

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Expert Tips Styling

Freedom Style Council with Vanessa Colyer Tay from Inside Out

Freedom Style Council with Vanessa Colyer Tay from Inside Out   I had a great time at the third and

I had a great time at the third and final Freedom Style Council event at Freedom’s Belrose store on Tuesday night. The delightful Vanessa Colyer Tay, renowned stylist and Inside Out style editor, shared some great insight on the role of a magazine stylist and I thought I’d share it with you. If you’ve ever wondered how they choose the homes to feature in the magazine or how the shoots come together so beautifully, read on.

“Houses come to the magazine through all sorts of channels,” Vanessa said. “Sometimes from an architect, sometimes a proud home decorator and sometimes we seek them out ourselves. Before we start a shoot we like to have a really good idea of what we’re embarking on. We might visit the home and take some rough photos. If it’s a cosy little home it might be better for a winter issue and if it’s a coastal home it might work better in summer. We attend with a photographer and work together to capture the home’s personality. We focus on what works and remove what doesn’t.”

While stylists work with what’s in the home and belongs to the owner, they’ll usually take a box of props with them too. Vanessa said a trick for tying all the shots of different rooms together (which can equally be applied to improving the flow of your own home) was to repeat a splash of the same colour in every room. “It doesn’t have to look like a really colorful home either, it doesn’t have to overwhelm you,” she added. “On the shoots we just add a few little extra things. We want the shots to reflect the owner’s personality.”

TOP TIPS:

“Even in an eclectic home it’s important to offer a bit of breathing space.”

“Try mixing a cluster of smaller items with one big solid item.”

As well as shoots in homes, sometimes the stylists start with a completely blank canvas in a studio.  “This allows us to create a little bit of fantasy,” said Vanessa. And then there are the time-consuming location shoots. “This is where we take everything to a beautiful location and shoot it there. This ties into an emotive response. They’re a big labour of love!”

So how does the story development process work? Briefly:

  1. Develop a good understanding of the brief or concept
  2. Create a colourscheme
  3. Source the products
  4. Develop composition and ideas through sketching.

When starting to create the colourscheme it’s best to start with a visual reference. “You start with a mood board, pull out colours and consider the overall style,” Vanessa said. “When sourcing products they should reflect the colourscheme and overall style of the mood board. Then you sketch out composition ideas.

“The hardest part is always making decisions!”

Later this week, Vanessa’s tips on creating indoor/outdoor living in your own home.

Stylists Arent & Pyke and Jason Grant spoke at the previous Freedom Style Council events this year. Vanessa collaborated with Inside Out style director Glen Proebstel with him doing the shoot and her giving the talk.

Photograph by Sam McAdam

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Interviews

Jason Grant, living his dream

Jason Grant left his prestigious role as style director for Real Living magazine last year and hasn’t stopped working since. It’s a good job he loves his work so much it feels like play.

One of the most positive and passionate people I’ve interviewed, while he may insist he’s been given a lot of ‘lucky breaks’ there’s no doubt people warm to his infectious enthusiasm and his natural talent for what he does speaks for itself.

He just spent eight weeks styling the new Freedom catalogue and the results are divine. No doubt Jason’s work has something to do with the fact I want to buy almost everything in it! “Working on Freedom’s summer catalogue was a great experience,” he said. “It was one of the biggest jobs I have worked on and the end result is very pleasing.”

There’s plenty of other commercial work too. He styled a home organisation catalogue for Officeworks and will launch his own range for the stationary store next month. He released his first range of paint colours (“a very exciting collaboration”) with Murobond earlier this year. “I love working with them as they believe in me and understand me creatively. The ability to transform a room or a furniture piece with paint cannot be underestimated. I love to paint (everything)!” A second range of colours will be released later this year.

While Jason still does plenty of work on Real Living, going freelance has opened the doors to more variety. “It’s a magazine I’m very proud to work on but being a freelance stylist means I can work across multiple titles and have even more variety of work.”

He has a passion for his work which you just couldn’t fake. “I do work very hard and don’t really switch off. Work is play. I guess it comes down to the fact that I don’t really suffer from a case of the daily grind.

“Yes, I do love my life. I work every day with amazing people creating beautiful images for publications. I guess I’m living my dream.”

The generosity and faith of other creative people who spotted his talent gave Jason his start in the interior styling industry. “I guess I’m very lucky making contacts with people in the industry early on that believed in me. Glen Proebstel and Karen McCartney (of Inside Out) are two people that gave me a chance. Starting out working in a small capacity for Inside Out magazine, my career grew, eventually taking a big leap moving to Sydney to be the style director at Real Living.

“I guess it’s a combination of enthusiasm, hard work and lucky breaks. I believe you can’t buy style. You either have it or you don’t. In life I believe you should live what you love and love what you live. I like to make a list and make it happen, to dream big.”

Jason is quick to heap praise on other interior stylists and the list of people who inspire him is long! “I believe people fall into leaders or followers, innovators or imitators,” he says. “I’m very lucky that I get to work with so many amazing, talented people. The people who inspire me are confident and have their own point of view. They are kind, creative and happy to share. Most of all they are passionate about what they do.”

He adds: “I’m inspired by likeminded, creative, hard working people such as stylists Sibella Court, Lara Hutton, Megan Morton, Kirsten Bookallil and Glen Proebstel, photographers Paul Barbera, James Geer, Prue Ruscoe and Felix Forest and fashion designers Lisa Gorman, Fleur Wood and jac + jack.

“Internationally I love Else Crawford and Abigail Ahern, Jonathan Adler, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Todd Selby and Martha Stewart.”

Jason also respects people who are experts in their chosen field like green crusader Liane Rossler (formerly of Dinosaur Designs), “super cool florist” Simone Gooch, modern day man Greg Hatton and “walking 20th Century furniture encyclopedia” Dean Angelucci.

So how does Australian interior design compare to the rest of the world? “Australian style is unique and exciting and defined by the beautiful light we have here. We have world class designers in all categories, be it fashion, art, architecture or interior design. I think Australian style is relaxed and unpretentious and in tune with nature.”

Last but not least, most successful interior stylists seem to be women or gay men. Can straight men style? “Hmmm… I’m struggling!” he jokes. “But I can say that (Australian artist) David Bromley has one of the most beautiful homes in this country and his personal style is very impressive.”

In part 2 tomorrow, more stunning photos of his work and Jason’s must-read guide to the best shops and websites. Read his blog here. See my top picks from Freedom’s new range here.

Portrait by Murray Harris

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Interiors Addict

Interior stylist Glen Proebstel just sent out a great edit of his favourites from Saturday in Design

Interior stylist Glen Proebstel just sent out a great edit of his favourites from Saturday in Design. Click here to sign up for his fab newsletter

Categories
Interviews Styling

Interview with interior stylist Glen Proebstel, part 2

Interview with interior stylist Glen Proebstel, part 2

In part 2 of my interview with the delightful Glen Proebstel, he shares how he and photographer Sharyn Cairns “just get each other”, talks about his prop hire business and who he admires, as well giving tips on breaking into the competitive styling industry.

Compare the photos above with those in part 1 of the interview and you’ll see how Proebstel isn’t just a ‘mean and moody’ one trick pony.

How important, as a stylist, are the photographers you work with? I know you work with Sharyn Cairns a lot.

Just as a stylist has a certain aesthetic, a photographer also has a particular feel or style to their work. When commissioning talent to do a shoot it is important that you pull together a team that bring about the desired look and feel that you envisage. If you were to give three photographers the same set and camera, they would all capture their subject matter differently. The tools may be the same, but it’s the technical skills, lighting and composition that make or break a shot. Whether you are after a soft emotive feel or images that are punchy and artificially lit, you select a photographer based on their body of work.

When you work with a photographer that has the same visual perception and can see the world through a lens the same way you do, it makes styling all the more exciting. This is why Sharyn and I tend to work together a lot. We have a strong working relationship where we know what each other is thinking and how to get the best shot. I feel very blessed to be able to say that I have worked with her in creating amazing imagery. We just get each other.

Tell me about your prop hire business, prop.d

Prop.d focuses on providing surfaces and objects for photography and styling, which began trading almost a year ago. It came about as I began collecting all sorts of props, crockery and kitchenware for styling in cook books. After working in Sydney where there are a number of props houses specialising in food styling, I found nowhere in Melbourne that offered the same. I spent a number of years collecting and collating objects and after some time I felt we had enough to open up shop. Everything is available to view online and of late we have managed to grow our business further by supplying props for weddings and events.

Do you ever style people’s homes for them?

I am often asked to style people’s homes, however I am so booked up with editorial and commercial work that I don’t have the time that it takes to work with a client to develop their style or select pieces for their interior. I usually point them towards an interior designer or offer them small suggestions where I can.

Which other interior stylists do you admire?

I have a huge admiration for Christine Rudolph. To me, she is the best there is. Sibella Court also has an amazing eye and way of putting things together that just works.

The industry seems to be very much about word of mouth. Do you agree?

It is a very small industry indeed and you can imagine how many people want to start a career in photography or styling. Everyone starts out assisting. It’s the best way to get your foot in the door. I constantly have people working with me on shoots through work experience which then leads into assisting work if there is potential or the person has exceptional organisational skills or a passion for what they do. Once you start to get a reputation, it spreads like wildfire on the styling network.

Categories
Interviews Styling

Interview with stylist Glen Proebstel, part 1

Words can’t express just how big of a fan I am of Melbourne stylist Glen Proebstel’s work. If you haven’t already heard of him (shame on you!), spend a few minutes getting lost in photographs of his wonderful work and you’ll soon grasp why. Style director of Inside Out magazine and co-owner of props hire business prop.d, Glen is in demand for editorial and advertising work across the country. He’s a busy man so I was over the moon when he agreed to be interviewed by Interiors Addict about his work. In part one of this two-part interview, learn a little bit more about the man and his styling style. More beautiful photographs and insightful answers to come tomorrow…

Tell me how you got into styling. It doesn’t seem that all that many people set out to become stylists, it’s always a happy accident!

That premise rings true. The only styling I was aware of when I was working as a visual merchandiser only existed in fashion or hair. I had no idea there was such a thing as an interiors or props stylist. In the late 90s I was styling and merchandising for a boutique homewares store in Sydney, Empire Homewares. It was there that I was asked by then food editor, Sue Farlie-Cunningham if I would be interested in styling for Inside Out magazine, which had just launched. I was fortunate enough to be given the role as on-staff stylist and from that point my eyes were opened to the world of interior styling and photography. I was thrown head first into a world full of sourcing props, building sets, scouting locations and attending media functions. A fast learning curve indeed and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Describe your style. Does this follow through to your own home?

My style has taken many years to develop and find a place where I feel comfortable. Coming from a retail environment and VM, everything had to be clean lined, linear and sharp. I found it challenging to break my old habits of grouping objects and only working with ‘new’ objects. I was conscious for many years that I needed to change and evolve my look. This is ‘in built’ with any stylist. You are constantly evolving and developing your look as fashion and trends change. The current phase that I am going through uses lots of texture and layering. I love natural fibres and colours and I find working with these textures, comforting and natural. Fashion colours come and go and you can accommodate sets or interiors to reflect these changes, but you need a good base to start from, something to always come back to. This same aesthetic applies at home.

You group things together beautifully. Displaying collections of your treasured possessions is becoming more and more popular but a lot of people just don’t have the eye to do it well. Do you have any advice for them?

It is an art indeed, but not a skill only reserved to stylists and collectors. Over the years, I have found this to be the best rule of thumb: always start with a colour palette in mind. Instinctively, my eyes flit around market stalls and antique shops picking up on things that jump out at me. Pieces that resonate or have a sense of history, a story to tell. From there, I see how it fits into my ‘base’ colour palette which consists of greys, linens, mud browns, suggestions of white and touches of black. This way, when you begin to group or cluster objects on a shelf or in a display, using this limited colour palette appeases the eye and allows you to edit back where required.

In part 2 tomorrow: Melbourne vs. Sydney, how to get into the industry, who he admires and more…