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Welcome to the August/september issue of Belle – the year is zooming by and by the time you read this we will be halfway through 2018. Time seems to move faster when you work in the deadline-driven publishing and design fields. And, as we are all aware, time is money and design is big business so we have introduced a new regular feature ‘Business of Design’ focusing on the entrepreneurial as well as creative pursuits of our talented design community. Architecture and design writer Stephen Todd brings his expertise and experience as design editor at The AFR to these pages based around creative commerce. In his first story he explores bespoke retail fit-outs and boutique fashion labels that are choosing smaller and sometimes more residentially focused design offices to create their store concepts.
Speaking of creative entrepreneurship, Nicci Green has founded an incredible Australian lighting business called Articolo, based in Melbourne and now coveted worldwide – take a look inside her elegant studio, workshop and showroom on page 56. Another Australian designer going places is award-winning furniture creator Tom Fereday who is part of the Local Design gang that heads to Milan each year and is now producing some interesting original pieces for Australian retailers such as King Living. Read more about Tom and take a peek at the slick new desk that he has designed for King Living on page 52.
You may have noticed that we can’t get enough of chic and cleverly conceived Smart Spaces and in this issue we feature 40 inspiring pages of beautiful apartments and terraces from our leading designers, including Thomas Hamel, Greg Natale and Fiona Lynch – see page 79.
In the past couple of years we’ve run some outstanding interiors by designer Dylan Farrell and in this issue we asked him to choose his favourite coffee tables. He has come up with an extraordinary selection – there’s certainly nothing cookie cutter about them – see page 125.
Our houses this issue are pretty gutsy in terms of colour and finishes – the David Flack house on our cover is not for the fainthearted and David admits he had a dream client on this project. Martyn Lawrence Bullard has created maximum Hollywood Regency impact in what was a conventional historic red-brick abode in Rhode Island. Martyn will be in Australia speaking at Decor and Design from July 19-22, decordesignshow.com.au. In Sri Lanka, the simplicity and grace of a beautiful Geoffrey Bawa house commissioned by batik purveyor Ena de Silva and elegantly captured by photographer Nicholas Watt provides contrast.
I would not have thought to have Minneapolis on my travel hit list until I read Carli Philips’s story on the amazing art, food, bar scene and general upbeat vibe that the city has. It seems quite at odds with the fact that it’s one of the coldest cities in the US – but now I definitely want to go there. At the other end of the spectrum is beautiful, serene Ivory House in Sri Lanka – a place that invites you to take it easy and soak up the local landscape.
Enjoy the issue and don’t forget to subscribe to our e-letters, newsletter.bellemag.com.au.