“I love it when the POWER of good design is so EVIDENT.”
The record number of entries in this year’s Australian House & Garden Top 50 Rooms awards shows that while the pandemic may have halted industry, it set creative minds on fire. The calibre of submissions and the amount of truly thoughtful and beautiful work happening around the country is astonishing. For many people, the disruption to standard programming gave them welcome pause for reflection and a chance to re-evaluate life. For some, that meant prioritising home and family and creating an environment tailored to their unique lifestyle. Designers responded with original spatial planning, carefully curated art and furniture pieces, and a good injection of Australian dash and panache. Go to page 71 to see our selection of the 50 most gorgeous rooms of this year. I would happily while away endless hours in any of them.
Stylistas Sophie Wilson and Kirstie Clements give us some very covetable pieces for enjoying what we hope are warmer summer months around the corner. See our outdoor decorating story on page 59 and The Edited on page 67.
This month’s cover house is my kind of dream home, and Juliette Arent and SarahJane Pyke have deftly reimagined a heritage home with contemporary touches and intuitive art and furniture without diluting the historical essence of this gracious residence – take a look on page 150. And for more of this super-talented duo’s work, pick up a copy of their new book, Interiors Beyond the Primary Palette, which is on sale now. Speaking of desirable volumes of inspiration, stellar interior designer Greg Natale, one of our Top 50 Rooms finalists (see pages 76, 92, 95, 114 and 132) has released his third book, The Layered Interior, also available from all good bookstores.
As always, the line-up of houses in this issue covers a broad church of aesthetics and a sliding scale of accessibility and relatability. One home story that resonates with me is written by our Homes Group colleague, Deborah Grant. Her chic home on page 174 took a while to complete and I love how candid she is about the renovation journey, her collaboration with a designer and how happy she and her family are with the way it’s enhanced their lives. I love it when the power of good design is so evident.
I have long been an admirer and collector of Mud Australia pieces. I realised how long I’ve been buying them when I took a giant bowl to a photo shoot and someone exclaimed, “Wow, is that vintage Mud?” I am a big fan of creative powerhouse Vince Frost, so I was very excited to see that Mud Australia’s Shelley Simpson and Vince have collaborated on a collection of house numbers for inside and out. How simple pleasures like your eye catching an element of elegant typography crafted in the right materials can enhance your outlook. Turn to page 212 for our interview with these two fabulous aesthetes. We hope you find lots to admire and inspire in the issue!