Ed’s letter Katrina is inspired by our Colour & Decorating Special
One of the most joyous parts of my job is seeing pages from Home Beautiful come to life, on what we magazine tragics affectionately call ‘the wall’. Here, mini versions of each story are printed, then pinned on a board, just behind where I’m sitting now, so we can see exactly how the pages will look sideby-side in print. It’s where we look to decide on the right rhythm, story combination and visual sass for each issue, that says ‘we’re excited!’
The April issue’s reveal has felt like a work of art in the making, as this is our annual Colour & Decorating Special. It really has been quite difficult to keep my eyes off ‘the wall’ when stories get pinned up; for this is the issue where we push the decorating envelope a little to encourage us all to step out of our comfort zone – white bathroom, anyone? – and make a splash with colour and pattern. And it’s our stylists, experts and, significantly, our very talented homeowners, who show us the way.
This month’s homeowners live and breathe their stand-out style and are not afraid to flaunt it. “I think your interior design should reflect your personality,” homeowner and interior designer Margaret said to our journalist Christina as they sat in Margaret’s sensational home in Byron Bay’s hinterland, surrounded by deep blue walls, divinely patterned rugs and the occasional peacock. Margaret’s home certainly takes pattern up a notch, but her knack of placing carefully chosen pieces, often soaked in colour, beside treasured collectibles, and knowing exactly where to give a piece – such as a 10-seater table – some space, is remarkable (see page 80). So where does she find her inspiration? “I say [to clients], ‘Look in nature and tell me a colour that doesn’t go with every other colour.’ You don’t look at a flower and say, ‘Oh that green doesn’t go with that pink.’ It always looks amazing, so who are we to say that nature’s not right?”
While I might not replicate every single look that appears in this issue, I have totally fallen for combinations (that Rebel Walls wallpaper and rich cobalt sofa chair on page 46), fabrics (blue and white finds on page 120) and pieces (Kerrie Brown’s lampshade, page 42 – sigh!) that I will now add to my ever-growing moodboard. Our wish is that you’ll find plenty to add to your own decorating vision from this issue, too.