EDITOR’S LETTER
Hey Siri, play I’m So Excited by The Pointer Sisters.” Welcome to 2020. No matter how it rolls off your tongue – twenty-twenty or two-thousand-and-twenty – it feels rather surreal having arrived in this decade. It’s a time that, pre-Y2K dramas, I dreamed was so far away it would feel like an eternity between then and now. Suddenly being here, though, it’s a little different to what I’d imagined: mostly because I don’t have a flying car in the garage, and Rosie the robot isn’t at home preparing dirty martinis at the end of each working day (if only Siri had arms and legs!). Nonetheless, there are so many things to be excited about right now, and in this agenda-setting issue of Belle. First on the list, we have that new year buzz under our seats. We’ve torn the month of December off the wall calendar – retro, I know – and with the new year comes a rush of renewed energy, charged with resolutions, good intentions and a brighter vision for the future. With this in mind, we are thrilled to present to you our latest edit of what we call Smart Spaces from design stars around the country (p69). Here, you’ll find a line-up of 10 inner-city pads that deliver clever ideas, savvy solutions, sophisticated metropolitan palettes and all-round outstanding design brilliance to inspire and delight you.
Our suite of six showstopping homes is also something to bookmark and revisit again and again. From the cover-star American beauty by Alexandra Kidd Design in Sydney’s east which was inspired by the Obamas’ post-White House address ( p118) to an Australian family’s Amalfi Coast getaway where the dazzling Mediterranean Sea all but laps the doorstep (p126), each page abounds with bliss.
But the excitement certainly doesn’t fizzle out there. Whether you’re a liner-loving luxurian, seafaring sailor or seeking an action-packed ocean odyssey, writer Andrea Black tantalises you with the world’s most beautiful cruises (p163), selected to satisfy the junkies and first-timers alike. So ahoy, there. And bon voyage!
Also this issue, we present Australiana 2.0 (p52). Having matured from the faraway island known for shrimps on barbies and clip-on koalas, meet the local design heroes who are presenting to the world a contemporary Australian design language, peppered with the heart and soul of our irresistible lifestyle. It’s new design for the new decade, and it’s a wonderful place to be. “Hey Siri, play Janet Jackson’s Design of a Decade ...”