10 FAVOURITE THINGS

Creative director and style doyenne Sophie Holt on what inspires and intrigues her most

1. VINTAGE PORTRAITS There’s something about the nostalgic feel of this vintage portrait of my dad [Nicholas] painted by my grandmother that I love. 2. BYREDO FLOWERHEAD EDP is my favourite fragrance. It’s made up of white f lowers ( jasmine and tuberose) so it’s fresh and crisp. I like that it’s not overly sweet. 3. OVERSIZED DIPTYQUE CANDLES Baies Noire is my favourite scent. 4. BARN-INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE These structures are my primary inspiration at the moment — my Pinterest is full of black barns. 5. SHELL NECKLACE I love shell necklaces. This one, made up of beautiful big nautilus shells, is my favourite as it was given to me by my mum [Caroline] — it’s even been used in a Country Road summer photo shoot. 6. TIME AT THE BEACH Time is spent best with the family at our Portsea beach house called Whimsy [ pictured]. At any opportunity, I will pile the kids [ Ned, 21, Indi, 18, and Joe, 13] into the car and head down the coast from Melbourne. One of my favourite things to do is spend a day out on our boat with friends. 7. BLACK CUTLERY I like the strong statement of having black highlights throughout my home — black cutlery and crockery looks modern against my oak dining table. 8. COLOUR I enjoy working with colour and creating combinations that look fresh and new. 9. FLOWERS I prefer white and green flowers at home, anything from agapanthus to hyacinths. My garden is filled with white hydrangeas [ pictured], and when entertaining I often decorate the table with simple herb posies. 10. CÉLINE I love the simplicity and strength of Céline’s collections, particularly the gold jewellery and accessories. I wear a lot of navy, black and white, so a pop of gold adds a touch of luxe.