Editor’s Letter
Well, see you later 2020 – you were a bit of a niiiightmare – and hello 2021! I like to think of myself as an eternal optimist – deluded as it often is – I always think, keep on forging ahead – show up, do the work, be enthusiastic and everything will be AOK. The old 2020 had different ideas, though, and it didn’t play out quite how many people had planned. It has been a tough time for many and it was probably a well-overdue revelation to realise how spoilt and pampered we really are when we had to cope with being grounded, on home detention, cook every meal for ourselves, make our own coffee and forgo the beauty maintenance. However, it was a boon for some businesses such as supermarkets, in that a trip down the aisle behind a trolley was a rare opportunity to socialise from a distance and brilliant for magazines such as Belle – because when you are scrolling those aisles we stand out as a glossy main attraction. We all now know that people being relegated to their home compound with just beautiful homes magazines has set us up for 2021 as the year of the HOME goal. Driven by interior inspiration we have all become maniacal about property – whether it’s moving, redesigning or enhancing – it seems everyone has the urge to Move It On Up! Every single person I speak to connected with homes and interiors is busier than ever as home pride soars. The tradies, the art hangers, the upholsterers, the builders, architects, lamp fixers, removalists and retailers are booming and we are very happy to be part of this giant circle as Australia’s biggest publisher of homes titles.
Whether you are planning to down- or side-size to a Smart Space, p67, or renovate, decorate or search for a dream house, p121, we have plenty of exquisite inspiration on the following pages. If you would simply prefer to collect art rather than relocate or move walls, for painterly brilliance, take a look at gallerist and new author Tim Olsen’s gallery and office space, p50. With a far more minimalist ambience, design, business and life duo Craig Bassam and Scott Fellows have created an office headquarters that feels more like a home, p40.
Finally I would like to thank our partners, Coco Republic, for a truly wonderful decade of design with the Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards. Optimism finally prevailed in November this year when we were able to celebrate the finalists and winners with our other generous sponsors, Signorino, Fisher & Paykel, Wedgwood, Sub-Zero Wolf, Armadillo and Liebherr – see our coverage on p36. Enjoy the issue and here’s to 2021 being less challenging and more goal catching – who would have thought predictability could be so scintillating!