Follow us
#BELLEMAGAZINE
B y the time you read this there’ll be just four weeks until Christmas with all the crazy catch-ups, frenzied shopping, festive imbibing and last-minute deadlines to get through. And if you work in the design industry, it’s going to be an especially stressful time to get that client’s home nished by this psychological drop-dead date. But does it really matter if the bespoke cushions don’t arrive until the new year?
Deadlines are the norm on Belle but we created an extra one with our festive gift guide shoot and complicated it further by involving my new four-legged friend, Barney, pictured with his best mate and handler, Fergus. I didn’t realise how many treats it takes to get furry talent to pose! In our guide, we showcase some super desirable pieces and where to buy them, whether you’re shopping for a friend, the family, your partner or yourself. And we trust you enjoy perusing the decadent, archi, arty and chic selections from the team (p88).
Speaking of archi, we regularly feature the work of Australia’s leading architects and on our Architecture pages this issue (edited by author and design expert, Karen Mccartney), we talk to Matt Gibson (p48), winner of the Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards in 2015. We pay a visit to the new home of Rob Mills in Victoria’s leafy Armadale (p162), where he has created an amazing family home from a former factory. Both Matt and Rob are featured in our new book, Twenty-one Australian Architects Breaking New Ground, edited by Karen Mccartney, and designed by our creative director, Joshua Morris, who make a formidable team. It’s the perfect gift for design lovers – available from all good bookstores or at magshop.com.au. And while you’re at it, pick up our Belle Beautiful Australian Homes Volume II, which is bursting with beautiful interiors from our top talent.
We get to visit two very different but hyper-achieving Melbourne creatives in their zones – interior designer David Flack in his glamorous curated workspace in Fitzroy (p84), and oral doyenne Fleur Mcharg in her converted mechanic’s workshop (p106).
And, of course, we have an exquisite array of houses from the over-the-top glam of Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s home in Palm Springs (p118) to an earthier abode in Morocco (p138), and an understated but supremely luxurious home in Sydney by architect Bruce Stafford and interior design legend Meryl Hare (p170).
Our resident Chic Nomad, Sibella Court, shows us around her home town of Sydney (p196), its highlights and hidden gems, which even Sydneysiders may not have discovered. I’ll be visiting some of Sibella’s hotspots this summer. Susan Skelly, editor and travel expert, takes us to two luxurious destinations – property developer Lang Walker’s Kokomo Island in Fiji (p202), and to the gold-plated streets of Dubai (p208). With the high life in mind, remember if you are visiting Palm Beach this season there’s the wonderfully handy and indulgent Dom Pérignon Now service which delivers perfectly chilled Dom 24/7!
We hope you get a chance during this hectic time of year to have a leisurely read of this issue and we look forward to wowing you with more fabulous homes and creatives in 2018.