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Welcome to the October issue of Belle. It’s nearly spring and while our winters are hardly insufferable in Australia, the advent of the warmer months seems to lift everyone’s mood and consolidate all those nebulous intentions floating around in our hyperactive minds. Note to self: start a mindfulness regime, eat better – more vegetables – less manchego and vino, take up a daily Pilates practice, read at least two novels a week, learn Spanish and execute grand plans for the home. Ambitious, maybe, but these tasks really do feature on the Belle team’s to-do lists!
If home goals are top of mind, you will be propelled into action by the exquisite kitchens and bathrooms from Australia’s leading design experts ( p171) – whether you have a large space or a compact area – and you’ll draw inspiration from the good-looking and brilliantly utilitarian rooms by interior designers including our Belle Coco Republic Interior Designer of the Year winner SJB, Readers’ Choice winner Thomas Hamel and many more.
Our architecture editor Karen Mccartney talks to visionary interior designer Sue Carr about her lifelong ambition of raising the profile of good design in interior spaces ( p56). I love that in the 70s when her friends were sitting in pink velvet balloon-backed chairs she was importing Eames chairs from the US.
A mysterious collective consciousness is usually at work when we produce each edition – by chance there will be some sort of crazy coincidence or overlap. In this issue we cover two projects that are strikingly different but feature the fabulous statement Gaetano Pesce ‘Up Series 2000’ chair – one is the penthouse of SJB’S Sydney director of architecture Adam Haddow, ( p96) and, at the other end of the spectrum, an Arts and Crafts home on Sydney’s north shore ( p130) that has had a contemporary makeover by interior designer Justine Hugh-jones. For a complete contrast to these two projects you will be wowed by a dream home in Sri Lanka ( p122) designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and shot by regular Belle photographer Nicholas Watt.
The hot spots of northern New South Wales are great escapes during winter – the sun always seems to be shining – and in this issue we are armchair guests at a chic weekend at Halcyon House ( p146) headlining photographic artist George Byrne and new collections from Mr Porter. And Byron regular and our resident chic nomad, Sibella Court, shares her favourite places to eat, drink, shop and play in Byron Bay ( p156).
Speaking of talent – we have three exciting awards on the go at the moment: the Alessi Design Awards 2018 ( p48) for all of you product designers; emerging artists, start painting, you have a few months but the earlier you begin the better your masterpiece will be – Belle Artstart sponsored by Belle Property and Kerry Armstrong is back with generous prize money and exposure to a national art-loving audience ( p55). And boutique builders take note – we are keen to see your work – the Belle Luxury Home Building Awards 2017 sponsored by Brickworks and Tongue N Groove Flooring ( p63) are open for business. Enjoy the issue and we hope that we inspire some home mindfulness!