Belle

How apt are the words of French critic, journalist and novelist Jean-Baptiste Karr from 170 years ago: plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose – the more things change, the more they stay the same? I am delighted to be back working with the incredib

STYLIST’S ASSISTANTS OLGA LEWIS, LYLA LEVY-JORDAN. PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT PHILLIP CASTLETON. HANDWRITING BY LESLEY WORKMAN. ■

Belle interior design editor Lucy Montgomery has launched a trio of plaster table lamps, all with sculptural silhouettes and a chalky finish redolent of a Mediterranean idyll. These objects of desire – including ‘Minerva’ (pictured) – are topped with

Stockholm-based designer Louise Liljencrantz’s ‘SKL01’ solid mahogany coffee table has been beautifully sculpted with intricate, hand-carved gouges. theinvisiblecollection.com Atelier De Troupe’s latest furniture and lighting collection plays with ma

TO VISIT ARCHITECT Madeleine Blanchfield’s newly completed family home, Tree House, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs is to experience a severe case of house envy. Her longstanding interest in interiors (she worked alongside David Katon of Burley Katon Hal

SYDNEY The brief to architect Phillip Arnold, of practice Plus Minus Design, was to design a garden pavilion (above) to accommodate a home gym and that could be adapted to provide separate guesthouse accommodation should needs change. Sited in the ga

ST YLIST’S ASSISTANTS OLGA LEWIS, ARISTINE DOBSON. PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT PHILLIP CASTLETON ■

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR APPROACH TO DESIGN? Our design language leans towards the experimental, expressing our unique way of thinking and, of course, designing. We are detail-driven, layered yet always refined, and love experimenting with opposin

IS THERE AN ARTIST WHO HAS BEEN AN ENDURING INFLUENCE? I have always loved Dufy’s colour, Modigliani’s portraiture, Bran2usi’s sculpture and Cartier-Bresson’s photography. CONTEMPORARY ART YOU ADMIRE? In Australia, Dale Frank [8] is a master of his g

TRUSTED BRANDS | INNOVATION | CARE | CAPACITY $2,499 (TWF720) A 10 star energy rating makes this one of the best-in-class heat pump dryers on the market. 12 drying programs including bed linen and add-to-load feature. $2,299 (WWG360) 4.5 star energy

The opportunity to live among nature’s beauty and serenity is a powerful drawcard for many. This collection of high-end homes feeds such dreams, featuring innovative architecture that offers luxurious living while engaging with deserts, forests, moun

Belle interior design editor Lucy Montgomery devised a light and airy scheme for her parents’ apartment, an elegant foil for contemporary yet cohesive elements such as an abstraction by James Drinkwater and a pendant light by Anna Charlesworth. See I

THE CLIENTS’ FASCINATION with far-flung cultures saw their treasured art, objects and fabrics star in this penthouse transformation by Yasmine Ghoniem of YSG Studio. What was the brief? The clients called after hearing about a residential design awar

BELGIAN ARCHITECT Nicolas Schuybroek transformed a dilapidated townhouse into an elegant home for a young family. Original elements were maintained as much as possible while floors and volumes were restructured to create a better flow. What was the b

OWNER PETER STEWART helmed the merger of two art-deco apartments into one, then sensitively mastered the clean, mid-century aesthetic that sits happily within the generous new space. What was the starting point for your home? It is the lateral conver

TASKED WITH DESIGNING a warm, welcoming home to suit her downsizing parents who love to entertain, Lucy Montgomery channelled a Mediterranean ambience that fits perfectly into the harbourside setting. What was the brief? My parents sold their Victori

DEVELOPER MILIEU and architects Freadman White pooled their skills on this inspired apartment, one of a boutique collection of 14 homes in a lively pocket of Melbourne. What was the brief? Shannon Peach: In keeping with Milieu's commitment to craftin

SWATHES OF GREEN convey verdant energy and a harmonious mood within this home from home, thoughtfully refreshed by designer Fiona Lynch. What was the brief? Our clients live in a country home in the Macedon Ranges. The busy working lives of this dyna

Design studio Handelsmann + Khaw refreshed a 1960s beach house in Sydney’s east, paring back outdated interiors and applying charming touches that hint of yesteryear but feel both comfortable and contemporary. See Sun Shades, p134. ■

Staged across three levels, the interiors of this Melbourne home dance in a choreographed display of give and take, extraversion and restraint, movement and stillness. One moment you’re gliding through near-empty hallways designed with balletic light

Old meets new in this 1890s heritage terrace in Sydney’s inner east. But not too intimately – rather they brush against each other, with a clear distinction between the two. The words of UK art historian Roy Strong resounded in the owner’s mind when

Elements of the owners’ most-loved holiday destinations – Barbados, Provence and Amalfi – are encapsulated in this home, giving it a true international sensibility. Located on the beachfront in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, the house has been sensitively

It’s an apt way for an owner to describe a long-term home – ‘autobiographical’ – when it has witnessed so many chapters of family life. And this grand house in Sydney’s eastern suburbs keeps on giving, now in a new and more luxurious mode. When the o

Our innate desire for connection materialises in many forms, as simple as an unspoken gesture, or in this case, as concrete as a family home. Once an empty corner block in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton, today this truly singular post-modernist res

High above the madding crowds of Manhattan, spring blooms year-round in an Arcadian state of euphoria. While the streets below succumb to the summer heat and winter snow, more and more rooftops across New York City remain evergreen. In recent years,

Reimagining a historic gentleman’s residence in Melbourne’s Rowville as a whimsical dining destination, designer Brahman Perera fused the vernacular of a 19th-century Australian homestead with a palette informed by the verdant surrounds and a spirit

CONCEIVED WITH the sensibility of a home rather than as its function as a hospitality venue and community resource, Stamford Park by Brahman Perera is now an outstanding contemporary homage to its origins as a country retreat. What was the brief? Bui

SIBLING SHINES in its details, with minimalist design features expertly curated to strike a balance between light and dark, inside and out, and organic and inorganic materials, say Ryan Guppy (above left) of communications agency 21-19 and architect

CALLED ON TO CREATE a dynamic venue where guests would come for a drink and stay for dinner, project architect Sophie Harris fashioned natural elements into arresting sculptural features and sought a spatial plan that would promote conviviality withi

MARKING 25 YEARS Melbourne artisan bakery Laurent celebrated with an elegant new store in Kew, conceived by Kylie Dorotic (above left) and Alicia McKimm of Golden who took design cues from the art of patisserie. What was the brief? Golden was approac

PROJECT ARCHITECT Rachel Wan restored a rundown heritage pub to its rightful place at the heart of its local community. What was the brief? We were engaged to revitalise Woolwich Pier Hotel as the heritage pub had lost its link to the local community

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STUDIO? It’s in an old building with beautiful light, high ceilings and plenty of space. The design studio is upstairs and at street level is HK Edit, our new concept space. WHAT INITIALLY APPEALED TO YOU ABOUT THE SPACE?