Ed’s letter Katrina’s inspired by our 50 Beautiful Rooms special
What is it that makes a room beautiful? Is it the pieces — or maybe just one single eyecatching show-stopper — that make a space sing, or maybe a clever feature that tempts us to look twice, or a colour we just can’t get out of our heads? It’s questions such as these we ask ourselves a lot here at Home Beautiful as we review, find and create spaces to help inspire you as you decorate. And, in the leadup to our 50 Beautiful Rooms special, and in particular, the closing date of our Beautiful Rooms competition, they’re ones we consider even more.
For me, a beautiful room is about so much more than the pieces that are in it: rather, it is about the people who live there, and the stories they share. Almost anyone can buy an exquisite armchair, a sofa and a dazzling array of cushions (if their bank balance allows, of course!), but not every decorator can put these pieces together with ease, to create a personal story that is a true reflection of the family who lives there. Ultimately, a beautiful room is one filled with soul.
When I sat with Temple & Webster’s head of styling, Jessica Bellef to look through the entries for HB’s 2019 Beautiful Rooms competition, I was amazed. I know just how clever you all are, but the standard of decorating, styling, telling unique stories and giving a room heart never ceases to inspire me. And, when we narrowed down the finalists – a difficult task, I can tell you – I just loved the tales that were to be told. There was Maj, who has style running through to her fingertips, who ingeniously painted her bedroom wall halfway up in a deep moody Bauwerk x Lynda Gardener green; Camey, who teamed up with her dad to create the most delightful mural for her three year old’s room, and then our winning entrant, who came up with a kitchen combination that just blew us away. Check out our 50 Beautiful Rooms (winners one and all) from page 43.
It’s a dream of mine – and I don’t think I’m alone here – of owning a holiday home by the sea, where I could spend endless hours lounging about with my family thinking about nothing much at all. While I might not own one for the moment, I certainly now know how I would decorate it and turn myself into a superhost thanks to our Holiday Homes Special that starts on page 191. And, while I save for that beach shack, after reading our “Dream Hideaways” story (page 208), I’m now off to a little cottage in Tasmania, or maybe Daylesford, but then there’s always Hamilton Island. I hope you find your own escape in this sunshine-filled issue of ours.
KATRINA O’BRIEN, ACTING EDITOR
Finalist Camey painted this mural (top left) for her three-year-old son , from page 43, and get set to turn your holiday home into a holiday hotspot (left), page 200.