Tag: interior designer

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Interviews

Melbourne designer Oliver Davis mixes luxury and sustainability in his interiors

Young Melbourne interior designer Oliver Davis has been making a name for himself blending luxury and sustainability, since launching his own practice early this year.

Oliver

As the son of an anthropologist and political geographer, he spent a nomadic childhood travelling to exotic locations and soaking up a diversity of architectural styles. “I remember when my Dad was involved in mapping the Thai/Burmese border, my family stayed for a month or so in the palace of Thailand’s Princess Mother in Doi Tung. It was a fascinating residence that mixed traditional influences with contemporary finery. It’s hard not to be influenced by these sorts of things when you are exposed to them from such a young age,” he says. 

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Travel

The design lover’s guide to London

Sponsored by Laminex

abigail ahern
British interior designer Abigail Ahern, who is popular with Australians

I asked leading British interior designer Abigail Ahern to tell me what’s hot in my home city of London for design lovers right now. I’m planning a stop-off at the end of our honeymoon in November, and I can’t wait to check out a few of these new shopping and dining finds!

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Interviews

Share Design’s Shareen Joel on buying what you love for your home

It’s been almost 2 years since interior and industrial designer Shareen Joel launched Share Design. “As a designer, I was often asked ‘What’s the best shade of white?’ or ‘Where do I find…?’ or ‘Any ideas on a tap?’ and so it got me to thinking about how I could share my years of experience, knowledge and know-how and make good design available to everybody,” she says.

shareen joel

Share Design is a curated resource for home and interiors covering everything from tiles to taps, colour palettes, finishes and fixtures. “It’s my way of sharing beautiful and functional products, spaces and styles and my hope is that it makes the selection process easier. Also, what makes this site so special and unique is that I also share how you find the resources featured.”

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Bathrooms Bedrooms

A classic American bedroom in the perfect pale blue palette by Highgate House

I’m sure today’s master bedroom and en suite by Highgate House will make you swoon. From the perfect colour palette to the custom joinery, marble bathroom and wow factor side tables, it’s pretty special.

Highgate_House hero

The clients, a young family, wanted their inner city Brisbane property to feel like an American home, having spent a lot of time in the States. “Because we started almost from scratch, we could achieve exactly the look that they were after,” says interior designer Leigh Boswell.

Highgate_House5

“I really love every part of these two spaces, in particular the pendant light we sourced, which couldn’t have been better with the coffered ceilings. The bed and the bedsides are really to die for too. 

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Interiors Addict

Abigail Ahern’s blog has a new look and a forum

Abigail Ahern’s blog is a favourite of mine. It amazes me how often she posts with everything else she has going on. And now she’s updated it, given it a new look and added a new chat forum. Check it out.

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Interviews

6 top tips for pattern and texture in your home, by Abigail Ahern

Abigail's own bedroom is a textural feast! I love it!

As you all know, I’m a huge fan of Brit Abigail Ahern and her bold, unconventional interior style, which tends to break every rule in the book, with gusto! I’m delighted she’s written these tips for Interiors Addict and shared photos from her home, and her sister Gemma’s, with us. “Pattern and texture are the herbs and spices of the decorating world,” she says. “They add instant pizzazz to a room, turning if from drab to fab in a second, and I am the hugest fan. The trick is to ditch everything you’ve ever been taught about combining. You won’t need to bring anything to the table other than the ability to think a little differently.”

Abigail’s pattern and texture tips

1. You can never (repeat never) overdose on texture. The more you add the more intriguing a room becomes. The key is to create as much friction as you can (bad in relationships, fundamental in interiors)! Mix rough with smooth, slubby with polished; it will never feel too much.

Abigail's own bedroom is a textural feast! I love it!
Abigail’s own bedroom is a textural feast! I love it!

2. You can mix as many patterns as you want (forget all that mumbo jumbo about combining small scale motifs mixed with large scale patterns). The game changer is to reign in the colour palette. Do that and you can mix to your heart’s content.

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Interiors Addict

Nina Maya swaps fashion for interior design

Nina Maya isn’t new to the design business. For five years she worked as a designer for her own fashion label, which was stocked at Myer and worn by the likes of Jennifer Hawkins and Cate Blanchett. Yet it was while travelling in 2011 that Nina’s passion changed direction from fashion to interiors.

Nina Maya

“I was living in London at the time and was lucky enough to spend some time travelling around the south of France. During these travels I became so inspired by all the incredible design museums and grand homes that it seemed like a natural progression… it utilised a lot of the same skills in colour and print.”

And so Nina Maya Interiors was born. Putting to use her studies in textile and design at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney, as well as skills learned while training at Owens & Co, an East London textile firm, Nina quickly found a knack for interiors and textile design.

Nina's latest commercial project, The Paddington Inn
Nina’s latest commercial project, The Paddington Inn

“My focus is entirely on interiors now. I loved designing fashion but really enjoy applying my ideas, colours and prints to a much bigger canvas. Designing interiors allows you to be much more free and less restrictive as long as you have an open minded client who is willing to explore new territory with you.”

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Interiors Addict

Not to be missed designer’s sale this weekend

Sydney interior designer Bronwyn Poole, of Touch Interiors, is putting on a sale not to be missed. She’s clearing her collection of stunning furniture and accessories to make way for her new business direction.

The sale is on this weekend (Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 April from 9am to 4pm) and will continue the following week (22 to 24 from 10am to 3pm). First in best dressed and cash only!

“Come prepared to take home some great pieces,” says Bronwyn. “There’s a stunning range of unique interior design wares and furnishings at prices to clear, including Stuart Membery furniture, exclusive American and European fabric remnants, designer furniture, artwork, lamps, mirrors and ornaments.”

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Designers Furniture

Interior designer Blainey North’s latest furniture

It’s really no surprise that interior designer Blainey North’s furniture designs are as glamorous as she is and as luxurious as the five-star interiors she is famous for.

Blainey-North
Sydney interior designer Blainey North

Established in 2001, Blainey North & Associates is a studio specialising in the interior architecture and design of luxury environments for five star hotels, exclusive residences and bespoke commercial and retail projects in Australia and abroad. Blainey North Collection was was established established as an extra arm to the business, specialising in custom designed furniture and specialty lighting.

The Passos swivel chair is one of a kind. On a concealed swivel base, encased in high gloss timber and edged in polished metal, this armchair is alluring from every angle.
The Passos swivel chair is one of a kind. On a concealed swivel base, encased in high gloss timber and edged in polished metal, this armchair is alluring from every angle.

It has always made sense to me that interior designers should design their own pieces. An ‘atelier for interiors’, Blainey is passionate about connecting ideas from the different design disciplines of fashion, film and the visual arts to create a unique language and ageless aesthetic.

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Interiors Addict

Anna Spiro’s new website plus news of a book and second wallpaper range!

Ever since I’ve written this blog, I’ve wished Anna Spiro had a website. Because I can’t get enough of her gorgeous work. And last night it finally happened! What has been a holding page, ‘coming soon’ for far too long, became a wonderful thing!

Looking at images of Anna’s work always makes me feel happy. It’s a riot of colour and pattern and she is undoubtedly the QUEEN of mixing and matching. She makes it look so easy! One of the things  I like about her is that she’s not much of a self publicist (not that there’s anything wrong with being one). She lets her work speak for itself. There’s her popular blog Absolutely Beautiful Things of course, but the fact she hasn’t had a website for years and has still remained so busy and well known is testament to her talent. The Queensland designer is also a great reminder that not all fabulous design happens in Sydney and Melbourne!

Perhaps even more exciting is the news Anna is working on a book with Penguin. Cannot wait for that one! And she’s also onto her second wallpaper range with Porter’s Paints (I love the first one so much that samples of it cover my fridge!). Hooray!

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Interiors Addict

An afternoon with Jean Pierre Heurteau

If you love a bit of bling, as most of us do, then, interiors addicts, I have just the man for you!

Jean Pierre Heurteau 1

Jean-Pierre Heurteau is one of Melbourne’s most celebrated interior designers and owner of antique furniture store Jean-Pierre Heurteau Design. Over the years he has built a solid reputation for delivering one of a kind pieces sourced from all over the world, as well as his fabulously flamboyant design concepts for members of Melbourne high society. “Work is booming at the moment. Client trust comes with age and as my clients get older, beautiful design becomes more attainable.”

At 22, Jean-Pierre had just finished college and begun work as a ‘slave’ at high-end department store Georges on Collins. “I was fascinated by the clientele and all the housewives that came in from the countryside; we would talk jewellery, diamonds and fur. I loved it.” He admits he does have a penchant for the finer things in life saying: “I want my diamonds to be as big as possible, so as I get older I can see them.” Can I get an amen?

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Interiors Addict

IDEA 2013 entries now open

The Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2013 are now open for entries. Get in quick for early bird rates, which close on 5 April.

The awards, presented by (inside), recognise the finest in Australian interior, lighting and furniture design. The closing date for all entries is 31 May.

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Interiors Addict

Abigail Ahern to open a shop in Sydney

Last week I had the great pleasure of interviewing British interior designer Abigail Ahern while she was in Sydney for Decoration + Design. Despite travelling across the globe to be in Australia for a mere three days and having flu, she delighted audiences with her passionate, quirky and rule-breaking approach to interiors. She also revealed to me, to my great excitement, that opening a shop in Sydney in on her to-do list. I know! How exciting is that?

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Australians have really embraced Abigail and she is as surprised as the next person. She gets more overseas sales from her London shop (Atelier Abigail Ahern), hits on her blog and Facebook fans from Australia than anywhere else. “I don’t understand it and I’m blown away by it,” says Abigail, who has never had PR representation here or deliberately gone after an Australian audience. “My popularity here knocks my socks off! It’s overwhelming.” As she told me in a previous interview, Abigail believes Australians are more into interiors than any other country, even America. “I would love to open a shop here. I love Sydney so I think it would have to be here. It’s definitely on my to-do list.”

Abigail’s new book, Decorating with Style, was released here last week, eight weeks ahead of its release anywhere else in the world (the benefits of being her biggest fans!) and she is really excited about it. While her first book, A Girl’s Guide to Decorating, was a bestseller, it wasn’t her concept, and she feels she has grown with experience. “The first book was more practical. This one’s more about breaking down barriers and showing that anyone can do it, that you don’t need to be an A list interior designer or have loads of money to have a great interior. I was lucky that I was given the freedom to really write this book in my own voice.”

Decorating with Style Abigail Ahern

Having confidence in your own style is something she really encourages, while acknowledging a lack of it is what holds many people back from experimenting. “People always ask themselves ‘what if it doesn’t work?’ or ‘what if I don’t like it?’ but I don’t approach decorating that way. It doesn’t actually hold me back. People are too scared of making mistakes. When people let go and don’t have rules, that’s when they create the most tantalising interiors. I’d like to inspire people to be more confident.”

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Interiors Addict

Top interiors predictions for 2013

I asked some of Australia’s best interior designers and stylists for their opinion of what 2013 will bring in terms of interiors trends. Here’s what they had to say.

Steve Cordony, interior design editor, Belle magazine, and stylist: “This coming year I think we will see lots of natural materials such as marble, timber, brass, copper and cut glass which evoke a sense of calm and grounding. Using different shades and tones of trending colours such as blue, green and orange will inject warmth into our spaces. Quirky pieces (think spiky sculptures and animal shaped ceramics) and one-off finds will add a sense of interest and adventure into our interiors.”

Stylist and author Megan Morton: “People are now understanding the value and inherent beauty of interiors that are created with hand and heart. This explains the rise and rise of the craft and handmade movement. I predict we will see an even richer combination of made and bought, providing even more delicious spaces.”

Interior designer Greg Natale: “I see Memphis Milano becoming an influence on design again. Memphis was a design movement and furniture company started by Ettore Sottsass in the 80s. It was a reaction against Modernism and I think personally, they were trying to create warm interiors again by injecting humour and colour. What I like about Memphis is the asymmetrical shapes, black and white stripes, strong colour and wit.”

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Designers House Tours

Iconic St Kilda apartment by David Hicks proves size isn’t everything

This apartment, by David Hicks, is in the iconic Banff Building on St Kilda’s famous Fitzroy Street. It was once used as an army barracks by the Americans during World War 2.

“The owners came to us as they liked what we do and had been following our work. They are a professional couple who had downsized from a larger home nearby to allow freedom to travel while providing a bolt hole in their home town,” says David. “The apartment has been the home of many notable St Kilda icons due to its prime position overlooking Albert Park towards the city skyline.”

It’s not huge, as 85 sqm, with two bedrooms, one with ensuite, a powder room, study, separate dining, living and kitchen. “Although we are known for our many high end large scale luxury apartments and residential building designs, the clients could see that our aesthetic of modern luxury could be related to a smaller space. They had an understanding of how we combine architecture with decoration and our dedication to detail and material selection. We have a very strong focus on achieving quality design that is both intelligent in its layering and comfortable.”

Minor structural works were undertaken with one large bathroom divided in two to create an ensuite for the master bedroom and the powder room, complete with shower, that can be used with the second bedroom.

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Homewares Interviews

Jacinta Preston is hookd on her new online store

Sydney interior designer  Jacinta Preston and a former client, Tanya Dammerer, have joined forces to open “an online collection of good things”.

“hookd is quite simply a shop filled with things we’re hooked on. Some things are simple, others ridiculously luxe. There are limited editions, beautifully old things as well as the brand spanking new,” says Jacinta. “We wanted to share the good things we find with the people around us, the design clients, the friends, and the fellow makers. It’s a great opportunity to collaborate and explore the design world.”

It’s laid out more like a blog than an online store which makes for a unique online shopping experience. My favourite picks from the site are the Tom Dixon scented candles (been lusting over these for weeks and dropping hints left, right and centre), the practical yet chic Alice bags with changeable/removable straps, the organic mirrors (so many options!) and the floor standing turned leg candle sticks.

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Designers House Tours

A house of two halves by Greg Natale

It’s always a delight to share one of Greg Natale’s stunning projects here. They’re guaranteed to look gorgeous, of course, but this is a really interesting one too. It was done in two stages: first the front of the house, and then, a few years later, the back. “The front is more pretty and feminine and about her. The back is more about the husband, a builder.”

The formal living room (above) is Greg’s favourite part of the 1940s red brick house in Sydney’s Five Dock. “It’s just stunningly beautiful. I love the green, orange and yellow together, I always have. It’s very Brady Bunch.” 

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Interiors Addict

Melissa Bonney, the design hunter

This is Melissa Bonney, the woman behind the beautiful shop The Design Hunter. It’s only been open seven months but I feel like I’ve been hearing mutterings about how great it is for much longer. Yesterday, I finally went along to have a look for myself (Okay, I admit it, I’m a north shore girl and I didn’t really know where Charing Cross was).

Was it worth the trip? Was it ever! What a divine shop, full to the brim with gorgeous things, beautifully styled, and with friendly and knowledgable staff, not least Melissa, an interior designer. The “little bit of retail” which has quickly turned into a popular store, started when she and her other half Brendan, a builder, were working from home, often together. They had three projects put on hold at the same time and started thinking about what else they could do to bring in revenue at quiet times.

With a background in marketing, Melissa decided they needed to be on the street front, with an office, and a bit of a shop to bring people in, who would then learn more about their services. It worked, and then some. While the shop has taken off, so too has interest in their interior design and building services, with Melissa employing freelance designers to share the load. I have to say, if the shop is a reflection of her taste, I can see why people are queuing up for her to help them transform their homes. “Nothing comes in here (the shop) unless I want to take it home,” she says. “I have to love how it looks.” I think I’d quite happily take most of it home with me too, thank you very much.

Interior design is something she’s passionate about making accessible too: “It’s about bringing good design and putting things together well, to the masses,” says Melissa. “It doesn’t have to be designer furniture, it can be something you’ve found and brought in off the street.” She adds: “A lot of people think they don’t know what they want but I think one of my skills is in asking the right questions to get out of them those few little nuggets that reveal what they do want, but maybe don’t realise.”

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