Tag: lynda gardener

10 design gurus share their top tips for moving house

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date April 30, 2018
No Comments on 10 design gurus share their top tips for moving house

Our guide to Australian weekend getaways for interiors addicts

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date August 29, 2017
No Comments on Our guide to Australian weekend getaways for interiors addicts

Who doesn’t love a holiday? If I could, I’d be jetting off every week… but alas there’s work and bills and money doesn’t grow on trees! So that’s where weekend getaways come in. They’re cheap(ish), only a drive away and allow you to appreciate all the beauty Australia has to offer. And when I say beauty I don’t just mean the great outdoors, but rather exquisitely designed accommodation. Below are our top picks for interiors addicts.

Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach, NSW

The former surfer motel turned luxury hotel is situated at one of the country’s best surf breaks and one of its most idyllic beachfront towns, Cabarita Beach in northern NSW. With 19 rooms and two suites, each is individually designed with a definite sense of beachside nostalgia. Featuring an on-site restaurant and bar, plus a beachfront pool and terrace, it’s the ideal setting for a luxurious holiday.

Hotel Hotel, Canberra, ACT

Canberra got cool when Hotel Hotel arrived! A collaboration between designers, artists, artisans and fantasists, each of the 68 rooms (plus apartments and lofts) are unique. With a love for the well made and the handmade, the beds are made from reclaimed oak and the walls are a mix of concrete, cork, earthen clay and natural fibre wallpapers. To top it off there’s an onsite restaurant and bar, the go-to place for lucidity to debauchery between 6.30am and 1am!

The Byron at Byron Resort & Spa, Byron Bay, NSW

Set within a 45 acre rainforest but just minutes from the centre of Byron Bay, the resort truly offers the best of both worlds. Whether your walking to the beach – pass a scrub turkey and tree frog, swimming in the infinity pool, practising yoga with the chilled but professional staff or stuffing yourself at the restaurant, the experience is quintessential Byron Bay.

QT Hotels & Resorts, Nationally (Sydney, Bondi, Melbourne, Falls Creek, Canberra, Gold Coast and Port Douglas)

The un-chainlike chain, QT Hotels & Resorts offers a personalised guest experience, top-notch dining and that signature touch of quirk. From the cockatoo-shaped lamps and retro beach chic at the Gold Coast to the politician photo-framed mirrors in Canberra, each hotel has a distinct playful personality.

Art Series Hotel Group, Nationally (Melbourne, Bendigo, Brisbane and Adelaide)

Dedicated to Australian contemporary artists, each hotel takes design inspiration from its namesake artist, be it landscape artist John Olsen at The Olsen in Melbourne’s South Yarra or indigenous artist Yannima Pikarli Tommy Watson at The Watson in the Adelaide Hills. With original artworks and prints adorning the walls, the multifaceted art-inspired experience comes complete with art libraries, art tours and art utensils available on demand.

The Estate Trentham, VIC

The brainchild of designer and stylist Lynda Gardener, The Estate is a beautiful 1902 federation home in the heart of Trentham, one hour from Melbourne. Boutique accommodation at its best, the interiors are inspired by Scandinavia — think fresh white walls, dark floors and airy rooms; complemented by a mix of old and new furniture from European fleamarkets to local country finds. Two bedrooms are in the house and an original potato pickers shed houses the third. Lynda is also the mastermind behind three other, equally beautiful boutique Victoria properties: The White House Daylesford, The Apartment St Kilda and The White Room Fitzroy.

Saffire Freycinet, Coles Bay, TAS

The environment is the real star of the show at Saffire Freycinet. Set in Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park, you’ll wake each morning to the pink-granite rocks of Hazards mountains and the blue water of Coles Bay. With the architecture and interiors inspired by nature the design is uncontrived and luxurious, creating an almost seamless feel between the inside and out.

We hope you liked our list. Let us know what you would add.

Tags accommodation, art series, australia, boutique hotels, getaway, holiday, hotels, lynda gardener, qt, qt hotel, travel, weekend getaway

Expert Tips Homewares Styling

Steal food and table styling tips from the pros to use at home

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date August 12, 2015
1 Comment on Steal food and table styling tips from the pros to use at home

Maxwell & Williams headed to the newest property from stylist Lynda Gardener in country Victoria, to shoot their latest tableware for their latest Your Style, Your Way campaign. They gave us a peek behind the scenes and shared some great table and food styling tips.

Maxwell & Williams Diamonds-87

Stylist Stephanie Stamatis (aka Stephanie Somebody) , food stylist Cassandra Morris and photographer Lauren Bamford, worked their magic at The Estate, Trentham.

Maxwell & Williams Colour Basics set up

We asked food stylist Cassandra Morris for her top tips…

What are your favourite ways to use food as style accessories? Being a baker, cakes are my way of using food as a style accessory; a beautifully decorated cake, arranged with foliage and flowers sitting on a ceramic cake stand in the midst of dessert table laden with sweets. You can’t help being drawn to that table as soon as you walk into a party or event and be enticed by it all.

How can food be plated differently for different occasions? If I was hosting a casual party then I would be more likely to do a grazing table that guests can eat from at their leisure throughout the evening. Think a yummy selection of different cheeses, cured meats, fresh fruit, Sicilian olives, quince paste and honeycomb. Then add some fresh sourdough and crackers and that’s my go to. If I was hosting a dinner party, my style is more share plates. I think there is more conversation based around these types of meals; you ask more questions. I’d still use nice crockery and serving bowls placed in the middle of the table.

Maxwell & Williams Diamonds-71

What tips do you have for people who want to create beautiful looking cakes and desserts? I’m all about keeping it simple and adding foliage or flowers to beautify a natural looking cake. My favourite cake combination is spiced pear and cardamom with an espresso butter frosting. With desserts, I like to use seasonal produce keep it simple but packed full of flavours, think a yummy plum crumble with loads of custard.

What do you look for in dinnerware and glassware to bring your recipes to life? I like simple classic white pieces that don’t date and allow the food to be the centrepiece. If I was hosting a high tea, more fine china and tea cups.

Stylist Stephanie Stamantis shared how she gets her inspiration to bring products to life in a photoshoot:

“The inspiration firstly comes from the product and identifying what lifestyle we are trying to convey, and then I will do some research on how to best hero our product. I love to be able to make the product mesh seamlessly into the final shots, but also look for ways to introduce texture and colour palette to the overall styling.

“All of the additional props for a photoshoot are selected to support the hero product and I am always careful that they don’t outweigh what we are trying to sell. I like to add props that sit naturally with the hero and make it look as if it is in use, removing anything that is unnecessary or does not make sense.”

Browse products and find your local Maxwell & Williams stockist.

Tags cassandra morris, food stylist, lauren bamford, lyn gardener, lynda gardener, maxwell & williams, Stephanie Somebody, stephanie stamatis, stylist, stylling, the estate, trentham, victoria

Art House Tours

Artist Saskia Folk exhibits work in her home as part of Melbourne Art Fair

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date August 7, 2014
2 Comments on Artist Saskia Folk exhibits work in her home as part of Melbourne Art Fair

You can get a look at Saskia Folk’s gorgeous home as well as her art when she exhibits where she lives as part of Melbourne Art Fair next week.

The artist, whose Melbourne home is a former shoe manufacturers which used to belong to well known stylist Lynda Gardener, has an interesting and well travelled background. In 2009, a unique job opportunity took her to the desert where she began work as a field officer for Papunya Tula Artists and spent time in Kintore (530km west of Alice Springs) and Kiwirrkurra (770km west, over the West Australian border). During her time driving through the desert, she passed numerous abandoned cars, observing the different stages of decay. These vehicles stood out from the landscape because of their vivid colours – blue, green, red and yellow – now rusty and decayed after time weathered by the desert, some for up to 60 years.

Fascinated by the colours and textures, dents and fractures of the abandoned cars, Saskia purchased a cordless angle grinder and began venturing out into the desert, returning with a Troupy full of different panels. Back in Alice Springs, they were cleaned and the edges buffed, ready to ship to Melbourne to be presented in open box frames. Saskia does not alter the surface of the works, the environment created the unique markings seen on each piece.

In 2011, Saskia selected a series of panels for a sellout show at Scott Livesey Galleries in Melbourne. This month, she will exhibit 38 more panels, of various sizes, throughout her two-storey open plan home in North Fitzroy. Viewings are by appointment from 13 to 17 August.

Set outside of the regular gallery environment – with works shown in her kitchen and living room, down hallways, upstairs and in bedrooms – she will also present the metal works with video projected on a wall, to give context to the panels and their origins in the desert.

Melbourne born Saskia lives between Melbourne and Thora in New South Wales. She lived in Central Australia for two years and has returned a couple of times a year since. “The desert got under my skin, it holds a special place in my heart,” she says.

In September, she will return to Alice Springs, after raising money through a Pozible campaign, to take part in a three-week arts festival called Free BBQ Cash Giveaway. Using her trusty angle grinder, she’ll create a live public performance with local band Bat Hazzard, as well as holding an exhibition.

In 2015, Saskia plans to head to the US and drive through the desert states, looking for American cars to use for her artwork and then exhibit in New York, LA and Miami. “I like the idea of the panels staying in the country of origin, they are part of our history, like an artefact.”

When: Friday 15 August 6-to-10pm or by appointment from 13 to 17 August 2014.

Where: 424 Nicholson Street, North Fitzroy, VIC 3068.

Works: 38 panels, priced between $450 and $1,500.

Find out more about Saskia and her work and contact her via her website.

Tags alice springs, art, artist, lynda gardener, melbourne, melbourne art fair, north fitzroy, saskia folk

Covet my coffee table Designers House Tours The Block

Covet my coffee table: with The Block judge Darren Palmer

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date June 9, 2014

This week’s coffee table comes to you from the child and pet-friendly, yet ever so stylish home, of interior designer and Block judge Darren Palmer!

Every coffee table needs a tray, of course, and a bit of plant life (gum nuts from the Sydney Flower Market and roses from Thomas Dux). The books change often and the Belle magazine came courtesy of the recent Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards goodie bag.

The clam shell came from a store in Bali on holiday, the gorgeous gilt-edged agate coasters from Becker Minty and the brass turtle from Orson and Blake. The coral came from Contents International Design in Moore Park.

The coffee table itself came from Boyd Blue and was chosen because it’s low enough for his son to play lego on (much lego can also be found stored underneath!)

“You can also see two of our three dogs and our cat,” Darren says. Read more about his tips for a child and pet-friendly home and see photos of his home in our previous interview.

Check out all our other Covet my Coffee Tables here.

Tags agate coasters, Becker minty, coffee table, contents international design, covet my coffee table, darren palmer, design, greg natale, interiors, jason grant, lynda gardener, orson and blake, styling, the block

Covet my coffee table House Tours Styling

Covet my coffee table: with stylist Lynda Gardener

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date May 26, 2014

“I actually salvaged my coffee table from an old day bed (yes, it was covered in old fabric and a mattress which I pulled off totally to reveal a low frame with hessian as the base)! It’s the perfect large coffee table and this is just half of it! Most of the things on it were sourced from my shop, Empire Vintage.

I have two large wooden trays that I sourced via my shop (in Melbourne’s Albert Park) quite a few years ago and have a collection of old books piled on top (which I can source any time). On top of one of the piles of books is a collection of old vintage postcards just randomly placed.

On the other pile of books I have a yellow ruler that was found at a flea market. Next to the books is a tarnished silver tray and old goblets that I have collected over the years. The two metal peacocks were sourced from a flea market in Amsterdam.

You are only seeing half the coffee table, as it’s a big one. On the other side there are interior magazines and coffee table books piled very high with a collection of butterflies in boxes I sourced at a market in Berlin.”

LYNGARDENER 1019v2_2 — Lynda Gardener and her dog Jack

Thank you lovely Lyn, for sharing this glimpse into your gorgeous home with us!

Coming soon on Interiors Addict: A look inside Lynda’s new Fitzroy boutique accommodation, The White Room, the little sister to her well known Daylesford accommodation The White House.

Check out all our other featured coffee tables.

Tags boutique accommodation, coffee table, empire vintage, fitzroy, flea market, jason grant, lynda gardener, melbourne, styling, stylist, the white house daylesford, vintage

Interiors Addict

Mr Jason Grant’s book, A Place Called Home

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date April 2, 2013
7 Comments on Mr Jason Grant’s book, A Place Called Home

Tomorrow I’m off to the Sydney launch of stylist Jason Grant’s first book, A Place Called Home, so it’s about time I reviewed it for you!

If you know MJG, or follow him on social media, you’ll know this is a project that has taken over his life for a good year. Luckily he is DELIGHTED with how it turned out and I can see why. It feels like if Jason was a book, this would be it.

It’s light on words and heavy on beautiful images by photographer James Geer. And let’s face it, who has time to actually read their coffee table books anyway?! I actually devoured this book in one enjoyable afternoon, but it’s the sort of book you’ll want to dip back in and out of on rainy afternoons, especially as its many photos of the beach and Bondi will bring back memories of summer.

Jason is a well known freelance interior stylist and was previously style director of Real Living, who he still works for, alongside almost every other Australian homes magazine. He was also one of the very first people I interviewed for Interiors Addict! Jason has his own paint ranges for Murobond and recently styled Freedom’s new winter collection for its catalogue and advertising.

Tags a place called home, bondi, coffee table book, freedom, hardie grant, interiors, james beer, jane frosh, jason grant, lynda gardener, mr jason grant, murobond, real living, styling, stylist

Interiors Addict

A peek inside the world of interior decorator and long-time collector Lynda Gardener

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date December 17, 2012

Lynda Gardener at The White House, Daylesford

Interior decorator and shop owner Lynda Gardener is a hoarder in the best possible sense. Scouring every corner of country Victoria for industrial treasures, she collects them to use in her homes and decorating projects and, if we’re lucky, to sell in her wonderful store Empire Vintage, in Melbourne’s Albert Park.

She admits though, that her longstanding storage unit is packed to the rafters and getting out of control and, following the most recent renovation of the shop, she’ll be bringing more out to sell to lucky customers after Christmas. “I still have finds in there from 20 years ago,” says Lynda. “I have collected for a very long time and over the years have put much of it aside. Next year I am going to start going through my storage unit and bringing those items forward to be showcased at Empire. It’s about time I started to sell them rather than collect and keep everything, so there will be some wonderful items sifting through the store over the coming year or years (I do have a lot of stock)!”

She has owned Empire Vintage for 18 years. The recent renovation saw it go from two floors to one with the staircase removed to give more space. “I decided to use the wasted space above and beyond eye level and asked my favourite builder to build me pigeon holes that would take up two of the walls.” Adding to her desire for an old corner shop feel, there is a ladder to climb up to the highest shelves that can be wheeled around and makes a great feature. The previously pure white walls were painted in moody colours from stylist (and Lynda’s friend) Mr Jason Grant’s range for Murobond, to create a more dramatic look, and custom lighting added.

Tags albert park, empire vintage, gardener and marks, industrial, interior decorator, lynda gardener, mr jason grant, murobond, the white house daylesford

Interviews

Jane Frosh, styling events with personality

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date November 10, 2011

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.

Tags glen proebstel, jane frosh, kelly wearstler, lynda gardener, megan morton, mr jason grant, show.pony

Interiors Addict

The Local Bottle Store & Provisions in St Kilda, Melbourne, is the latest work by interior desig

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date July 1, 2011

The Local Bottle Store & Provisions in St Kilda, Melbourne, is the latest work by interior design duo Gardener & Marks.

Lynda Gardener says: “We wanted an authentic/slightly industrial feel of an early provisions store… recycled timber flooring, handmade white tiles, pigeon holes for storing the beer and wine and old fashioned friendly service. Staff in butcher’s aprons to complete the look.”

The store sits alongside The Local Taphouse, which Gardener & Marks did the interior for two years ago, also owned by Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone.

Tags gardener & marks, interior design, lynda gardener, the local taphouse

Interiors Addict

The White House in Daylesford, VIC

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date April 27, 2011

The White House in Daylesford, VIC

This beautiful country home full of vintage treasure belongs to interior designer Lynda Gardener, owner of Empire Vintage in Melbourne’s Albert Park. “The White House was something I had always dreamed about; a country property and somewhere special. Daylesford is just that,” says Lynda.

“The house is an 1850s brick miner’s cottage and needed every wall, floorboard and most windows replaced. The four walls are really all that was kept. It had been renovated in the 1980s and for my eyes, ruined. It took months of a great team to bring it back to life and I am just so very proud of it now.

“It has a great feel and as I have now also turned it into accomodation, my guests feel the same. I have filled it to the brim with all my favorite vintage items, from industrial work benches and a claw foot bath to handmade union jack flag cushions, vintage artwork, old leather 1930s club chairs and so on. There is a divine garden room for guests to stay in too that is a pure white, linen filled room, once again filled with character and hand selected one-off items.

“The place is so loved, not just by me now but all the guests who stay, that it is booked out six months in advance most of the time. I’m very happy!”

Tune in tomorrow to meet the woman behind the White House, Lynda Gardener. She tells Interiors Addict about her work, her style and her top tips for making your own home fabulous.

Photography: Tim James

Tags daylesford, empire vintage, interior design, lynda gardener, the white house daylesford