SIMPLE LIFE
The founders of lifestyle label Worn share their expertly curated family home
In the picture-perfect green hinterland surrounding Byron Bay, you’ll find this sweet haven of timber and white, belonging to Lia-belle King and Lotte James Barnes of lifestyle label Worn. They share the early1900s former schoolhouse, situated on 22 acres of bushland, with new baby Ophelia and dog Gray. The pair relocated their lives from Indonesia in 2016 and have allowed their new surrounds to have an impact on their style – showing both where they’ve been and where they are. “We like it to be a harmonious reflection of our personal and locational journeys,” says King. “The interior has a distinct coastal feel, but the Art Deco furniture and antiques show the travels we’ve been on.”
The pale colour palette and open layout give the space a sense of much-needed calm, considering their busy business and newborn baby. “The practice of wabi-sabi is an influence,” says King, referring to the Japanese term for finding beauty in the
modest and imperfect. “We like the space to be humble but also artistically interesting. We try to keep our home open, with only a careful few considered adornments that are meaningful.”
Like anyone who shares a home, the couple’s decor is a merging of their individual aesthetics. “Lotte and I actually have very different styles and fusing the two is sometimes a challenge,” says King. “In the end, we opt for a less-is-more approach, working with neutral tones to maintain a calm base, and adding a few statement pieces of furniture or art to bring an interesting lift to an otherwise minimal scheme.”
This minimalistic style combines perfectly with their love of practicality. “Nothing we have in our home is there purely for the sake of decoration,” says King. “Our home is the hub of our day-to-day growth and also a place for creative outlet. Furniture is always rotating and rooms are always changing. We love playing dress-up with new pieces we design before they head to the store.”
The consciousness they bring to their home is also the cornerstone of their much-loved business. “We produce small runs of ethically
made chairs and tables that are really unique in design,” says King. “If you’re looking to invest in one or two pieces, we want people to choose consciously, and to choose a piece that’s special for how it was made, not just for how it looks.”
As well as being surrounded by their own designs, the couple get plenty of decorating inspiration from Instagram. “We do prefer oneoff, antique, custom or collected pieces, so purchasing directly from collectors, craftsmen, designers and artists is made easy thanks to modern technology,” says King. “At Worn, we also stock work by designers and artists who we love and we make a conscious effort to support businesses owned and run exclusively by women.” Who run the world?