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Designers House Tours Interviews RENO ADDICT

Inside the home of not one but two Hollywood actresses!

Rumoured to have once been the home of American actress, dancer and singer Ginger Rogers, this 1920s LA residence is steeped in history. Now lived in by another actress (I’m afraid her name is being kept hush hush!) it was recently renovated by acclaimed Australian designer David Hicks.

With a brief to retain the home’s old-school charm, its 1920s pedigree offered hints of Hollywood glamour that the client — nor designer — wanted to erase. “The simplicity of the existing architecture and its nostalgia was a big inspiration and we followed this through with the overhaul,” says David. “We wanted to stay true to the space and style so took cues from original features such as the windows and staircase handrails.”

A soft refurbishment, the changes were more cosmetic than invasive, a fine line to walk when renovating a period home. “The most challenging thing about the project was considering what to keep of the existing architecture and what to change as we did not want to take away from the feel of the house,” explains David. “We were very sympathetic and only updated as needed.”

Built over two levels, the home is perched on the side of a hill with incredible views of Downtown LA to West Hollywood and beyond. For that reason the living/dining room is David’s favourite: “It’s just so light and bright with wonderful views across the valley. It’s like being in a tree house!”

With the client a keen collector, the home is the backdrop for vintage Hollywood Regency furniture from the 1920s, mid-century designs and contemporary works by the likes of German artist Thomas Wachholz, Gucci and Christian Louboutin. The end result is a home that transcends decades, revamped to its former glory and then some!

More on DavidBeautiful homes to ogle at

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Designers Homewares

Megan Gale’s new homewares for Target!

2015 has been a busy year for Megan Gale. From her work as a swimwear designer for Isola and a brand ambassador for L’Oréal Paris to an actor in the blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road and her “best and most rewarding job” of being a mum; you would think Megan would have little time for anything else. But that’s not the case!

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Instead she is branching out into a completely new field, launching the MG Australia homewares collection in collaboration with Target. “I have always loved homewares and loved shopping for furniture, artwork and key pieces for the home,” explains Megan. “Creating a collection like this was something I’d always relished the opportunity to do, but I knew it had to be right timing wise. Also I wanted to make sure that as far as the finished product was concerned that it would have to be luxurious, sophisticated, classic and with exceptional attention to detail. And above all else it had to be affordable without compromising on quality.”

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Learning that Target were on the lookout for exactly the kind of range she wanted to make, Megan was keen to add her name to the list of Target’s successful designer collaborations. So, in late 2013 she began the design process, creating a collection of quilt cover and sheet sets, cushions, throws, towels and bathroom accessories, inspired by her many travels.

“Beautiful destinations such as Santorini, Paris, London and New York have been some of my favourite cities to visit over the years and the memories I held from travelling to places such as these sparked the imagination. Taking in the decor from amazing hotels I’ve stayed at, locations I’ve been on for work and architecture and style influences from these different cities provided me with a huge bank of design inspiration to draw from.”

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Creating six stories within the collection: Hollywood, Corfu, Santorini, Paris, New York and London — each is unique and distinct, but at the same time easily mixed and matched. “One of the things that I felt was important was to create stories and pieces that can be mixed and matched back with one another. By doing this, it’s become a cohesive capsule of homewares that are versatile and also allow people to be creative.”

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With such an extensive debut collection it would be hard to choose a favourite, but if Megan had to say it’d be the Santorini story. “The white soft cotton sateen and Aegean Sea blue detailing on the quilt cover set instantly reminds me of Santorini’s crisp white walls and crystal blue waters. I love it!”

The MG Australia collection will be available online and in 100 Target stores across Australia from 10 September. For more information.

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Interiors Addict

New issue of Adore Home is out

The fab free online interiors mag Adore Home published its Christmas/summer issue this week and it’s a corker, with Christmas tips from Anna Spiro, some serious house candy, bedroom styling tips and gorgeous things to buy.

I enjoyed writing a feature for them about a Hollywood home by designers Woodson & Rummerfield, full of Florence Broadhurst pattern.