After the success of last year’s Search for a Stylist competition, Inside Out magazine and The Home are once again on the search for the next big thing in photographic styling.
Taking eight emerging designers from around Australia and giving each the opportunity to create a mock Inside Out cover, the winner will get the opportunity to style an Inside Out magazine shoot and the cover of The Home’s Summer Style magazine.
My pick by Emma Duckworth
Here at Interiors Addict, Jen and I have our favourites. Mine is Emma Duckworth’s Scandi inspired cover and Jen’s is Lucia Braham’s light and warm space.
Planning a NYE soiree at home? That calls for a special drink (or three) to welcome in 2015 so don’t just bring out the same old same old. How about something impressively different but super easy to make? And as well as tasting great they look amazing! Makes me wish I wasn’t pregnant. Somebody make me a mocktail, this is torture!
First up, the Coconut, Lime, Pineapple and White Rum Slushie. Does it get anymore summery?!
Then we have an Elderflower and Granny Smith Apple Vodka Granita. Right up my street!
Or perhaps the Pomegranate and Raspberry Spritz is more your thing?
I’ll be whipping up a few pregnancy-friendly mocktails with the help of my Sodastream. They seem to have been on a lot of my friends’ Christmas lists this year!
“There is no such thing as an average day in styling,” says Nicole Valentine Don, better known as Little Nicki. “Just yesterday, we were feeding cockatoos apples to get them to sit on a lounge for a shot! I’m always sitting back, looking at the situation and giggling to myself about how ridiculous some moments can be.”
Styling by Jason Grant & Nicole Valentine Don. Photo: Lauren Bamford
Having been assisting in interior and lifestyle styling for the last four years, and doing solo work for the past two, Nicki is well versed in the crazy and unpredictable nature of styling. Undertaking a wide range of work from advertising to editorial to online videos and everything in-between, 2014 in particular has been a year of milestones; having her first home styling project featured in Inside Out, becoming a contributor for US lifestyle blog JB EST 1979 and winning Inside Out and The Home’s Search for a Stylist competition. This involved styling a mock Inside Out cover. Her efforts won her a senior stylist role at the online homewares retailer.
“Winning The Home’s competition means meeting new people and sharpening my skills as a stylist,” explains Nicki. “The brief was so open; it was simply to style a vignette with products from The Home. To narrow it down for myself, I decided to make it entirely my style and embrace my strengths, so I knew I had to introduce something handmade. Once I decided that ultimately I was the only person who had to love it, it became more focused and fun!”
Inside Out and The Home’s Search for a Stylist. Photo: Guy Bailey
A clear lover of all things handmade, Nicki is not only a stylist but also a maker, running her own Etsy shop where she sells feather arrow sticks inspired by her time in Mexico. “I started my Etsy shop because I had just come back from a trip to Mexico City where I visited the Museum of Anthropology and loved these feather sticks the Huichol Indians made. I really wanted to find one to buy and take home, but of course, couldn’t find them anywhere. I came home and made my own interpretation, mixed with native traditions from Canada. A lot of what I make is inspired by travel.”
Photo: Fiona Galbraith
While it seems like a natural fit now, Nicki wasn’t always destined to become a creative, having spent a lot of her time as a competitive gymnastics coach in her home country of Canada. But after a stylist friend saw her knack for decorating her own home, she started referring her assisting jobs, and the first job? Assisting the legendary Sibella Court with her book, Nomad.
Photo: Fiona Galbraith
Assisting turned out to be a very valuable experience and not only led to her first solo job, fitting out the HQ for documentary feature film Storm Surfers 3D, but also gave her the skills that can only come through practice. “Assisting is essential; you might have style and a creative flare, but you need to learn the subtle nuances of making a picture perfect and do a bit of time on the less glamorous side.”
Nicki’s home. Photo: Fiona Galbraith
But it’s not just assisting that Little Nicki recommends if you want to get into the industry. More than anything, she believes it’s about putting together a body of work. “My biggest tip for any budding stylists is to absolutely be producing your own work, all the time. Make friends with photographers (often assistants) on jobs that you’re on and make time to get together and shoot. Soon enough you’ll have a body of work and will undeniably be a stylist. You’ll hopefully get a whole lot better as you go and develop your own style as well.”
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.
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 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.
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.”
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 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 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.”
Inside Out magazine and The Home are running a really cool competition at the moment called Search for a Stylist. Eight people from around Australia are competing for the chance to style an Inside Out cover and to become a senior stylist at The Home.
They’ve each created their own covers (above) and now the public and a panel of judges (50% each) get to vote.
Here at Interiors Addict, Olivia and I have our favourites. Mine is Sophie Thé’s cover (ok, closely followed by Aimee Tarulli’s) and Olivia’s is Tahnee Carroll’s.
My pick: Sophie Thé’s coverOlivia’s pick: Tahnee Carroll’s cover
The Home, Food & Wine Festival starts today in Sydney and it’s your chance to meet two of The Block judges, Neale Whitaker and Darren Palmer. We asked Neale why you should go along and couldn’t help but ask him for some interiors tips too…
Belle’s Neale Whitaker
Why should people attend the Home, Food & Wine Weekend?
Because it’s an unparalleled opportunity to get up close and personal with the editors and experts from Australia’s favourite magazines!
What events will you be involved in?
I’m hosting a session on behalf of Natuzzi Italia tomorrow (Saturday 24 May) at 3pm to talk room planning. Our special guest is my good mate and fellow The Block judge Darren Palmer. And on Sunday (25 May) at 11.30am I’ll be hosting a session on behalf of Smeg to discuss new trends and directions in kitchen design.
What are some of the latest kitchen trends?
Mixing natural materials like wood and steel or wood and marble with laminates, soft-close features and integrated technology, and tiled and decorative splashbacks. It’s an interesting mix of the raw and rustic with hi-tech!
What are some tricks for optimising the design of a kitchen?
No tricks. Just planning, planning and planning. Kitchens are a big investment and you need to be realistic about your own needs, with one eye on resale. Kitchens sell houses, as my friend (real estate guru) John McGrath always says. Priorities should be abundant storage, integrated appliances and if there is space, a work/study area is a real luxury in a kitchen.
What are some of your biggest tips when it comes to renovating or re-doing a room?
I’m going to quote Darren here as it’s his specialist area: “Get references, gather samples, shop with your phone and check all of your measurements twice!” There’s more, but you’ll have to come along on Saturday to find out! It makes a huge difference too whether you’re renovating for yourself or for resale.
The Home Food & Wine Show, today, tomorrow and Sunday, Westfield Bondi Junction. More details.
We put the finishing touches to the Interiors Addict/Nest Designs apartment project we’ve been working on last Thursday night to host opening drinks and reveal the transformation. Here are the photos you’ve been waiting for! We know many of you have been following its progress and the reality behind the scenes of a reno, but what everyone really wants to see are the after shots, let’s face it!
The living area
Emma Blomfield from Nest Designs did a fantastic job furnishing and styling the apartment and I think this living area shows how she nailed a coastal holiday apartment vibe without falling into dodgy, overly-beachy territory (I think we’ve all seen that on a weekend away)!
While there it was great to reference the stunning Palm Beach location here and there, she definitely got the balance just right. Do you agree?
I was delighted when The Home asked me to pick some of my favourite products for a special winter warmer sale (starting today) and to join them on a photoshoot on location to bring them to life. Isn’t the end result stunning? I’m so in love with this clever photo!
I headed straight to some of my favourite places, like Cadrys rugs and Have You Met Miss Jones to pick some cosy and colourful items. I’ve always loved the look of layered rugs but never tried this in my own home so it was fun to pick several to work together. I think this shoot goes to show that mix and match can totally work, and it’s all about contrast and texture. And how about that lamp? I’m buying one of those babies for myself!
As for these beautiful images, a LOT of hard work and talent went into them behind the scenes, which I got to watch, but cannot take any credit for (apart from putting the flowers in the vase and making the tea for the cup on the tray…)! Joining me at the gorgeous property in the Hunter Valley were The Home’s stylist Marj Silva, photographer Lisa Zhou and buyer Emma Blomfield (also stylist at Nest Designs). They made that picture happen, and no, it really isn’t glamorous! Unless of course you count climbing on scaffolding and holding boards up on the other side of windows to stop pesky sun rays coming through and spoiling the shot glamorous!
Wow, yesterday was a big one and I have the blisters to prove it. In the morning I visited Project 82 in Surry Hills, which is about to turn two! More on this later in the week but I thoroughly recommend a visit. They’re in Fitzroy Street (number 82, would you believe it?!). Then at lunchtime I was off to ACP in Park Street for a photoshoot for Cleo magazine. My story about how I took blogging full-time will be in the January issue (out in December). I had my hair and makeup done and it was lots of fun. Everyone was lovely and it wasn’t half as painful as I thought it would be. After all, I HATE having my photo taken! Then in the evening I stopped by the launch party for The Home (which used to be called Dalani) where it was great to catch up with Mr Jason Grant and hear all about his book, which is almost finished and out next year. THEN I met my girlfriends for dinner. PHEW. Today I’m just meeting my accountant…
