Innholdsfortegnelse for August - September 2025 i Belle

OUR COVER Photography Simon Brown EDITORIAL Editor-in-chief Creative director Art director Deputy editor Senior copy editor Stylist, Homes Contributing editors Tanya Buchanan Lauren Camilleri Shayne Burton Peter Griffiths Deborah Grant Sophie Wilson Steve Cordony (Style director-at-large), Karen McCartney (Architecture), Kirstie Clements (Luxe Files), Judy Pascoe (Library), Carli Philips (Melbourne), Harry Roberts (Art), Jean Wright (Design) EDITORIAL OFFICE GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 1028 Tel (02) 9282 8456, email: belle@aremedia.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Sam Bisso, Simon Brown, Felix Forest, Maree Homer, Stephanie Hope, Holly Irvine, Timothy Kaye, Alana Landsberry, Shannon McGrath, Jack Milenkovic, Maz Mis, Martin Mischkulnig, Megan Morton, Tim O’Connor, Eliza O’Hare, Traianos Pakioufakis, Maria Papantoniou, Chris Pearson, Jenah Piwanski, Anson Smart, Kristina Soljo, Fiona Susanto, Pablo Veiga, Dave Wheeler ADVERTISING Head of Commercial, Home & Lifestyle Commercial brand manager Rhyl Heavener…

RETALLACK THOMPSON is an architecture practice on the cusp of big things. Since launching in 2016, they have been something of the architect’s architect – that is, a younger firm which A-list practices are confident to recommend when a job isn’t the right timing for them. “While this has been wonderful and introduced us to some longstanding clients, we now have direct approaches because people have seen and appreciated our work,’ says Jemima Retallack. With an emphasis on designing houses, alterations and small public buildings, directors Jemima and partner (in life and work) Mitchell Thompson take an optimistic view of any opportunity to eke out the potential beauty in a space. “We look to make the smallest of manoeuvres that render the greatest effect, and understand [that] spaces are formed…

A background in fashion and visual merchandising was the precursor for Tan Arlidge’s move into the creation of chic heat-shaped polymer sculptures. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I’m an artist born in Brisbane in 1987, now living in Sydney’s Bondi with my husband and two beautiful, energetic boys. My career foundations were set in fashion, where I specialised in set design and creative visual merchandising for brands such as sass & bide, Christopher Esber and Alice McCall. DESCRIBE A TYPICAL WORKDAY Once I’ve dropped my sons to school at 8:30am, I get my morning takeaway coffee before heading to the studio by 9am. I tend to spend the first half hour wandering around and getting settled in with my materials and my diary, before I really get into the swing of…

There is a magical quality to natural stone that can’t be replicated. Shaped over time, each piece of marble, travertine or quartzite has its own story to share through its unique tones and textures. “This individuality is what makes natural stone such a beautiful and versatile design feature,” says Tony Victor, the director of CDK Stone. “It can be used in so many ways, from subtle accents to bold statements, bringing depth and distinction to a wide range of interiors.” For more than 40 years, CDK Stone has been providing premium stone slabs, tiles and equipment to architects, stonemasons and homeowners in Australia and New Zealand. Its six selection centres in various locations are a stone lover’s paradise, allowing customers to see and experience the stone first-hand, and witness its…

DAVID HICKS MAY BE KNOWN for deeply comforting interiors, subliminal symmetrical rigour and a clean, warm palette, but when he first started out in the business more than 20 years ago, the Australian design landscape looked very different. “It was either very minimal, precise and structured, or there was a lot of English chintz with European antiques and Asian artefacts,” he explains. “There weren’t as many designers then, but it was still highly competitive as there weren’t as many projects either!” By 2000, David knew design was the only path for him. He took the leap and opened his business out of a spare room in his Melbourne apartment. “I had a landline, just a slim white Telstra phone – with call waiting!” he says. “Plus a drawing board and…

DOORNBERG IS AN 18TH-CENTURY property of quiet grandeur, a beautifully restored private villa set in the hills overlooking the Bay of Galle and historic Galle Fort. The 930-square-metre house with its stately Palladio columns was originally built in 1712 by a Dutch admiral, a colonial farmhouse that then became the Galle School in 1814, later transferred to the Anglican Church and serving at one point as a boys’ orphanage. Doornberg underwent extensive reconstruction in the early 2000s in a project led by respected Sri Lankan architect Channa Daswatte, and from 2002 operated as both a home and a private hotel, attracting a host of international celebrities and tastemakers drawn to its sense of privacy and elegance. Since 2021, the residence has been in the hands of Australian-born Peter Harris, a…

A flamboyant celebration of the Spanish Mission style, this grand condesa in inner Melbourne is in the pink after an inspired makeover by interior designer Carole Whiting. It respects a glamorous past while embracing an equally exciting, if more colourful, future. And, in that, art remains firmly in the picture. When the owners bought the five-bedroom home in 2020, they were seduced by its fabulous features, relics of its days as a consulate, including cornices, ceiling roses, ornate internal doors and stained-glass windows, all blissfully intact. And there was no shortage of space – a cavernous ballroom at the front and a previous extension at the rear took care of that – so much so the daredevil owner has rollerskated through those rooms! Yet despite its prestigious past, the home…

DESCRIBE YOUR WORKSPACE It’s a cosy, light-filled space filled with pieces and people I cherish. A combination of favourite materials, design details, fixtures and finishes, suppliers and trades have created an inspiring home for our team and showcase for our clients. WHAT INITIALLY APPEALED TO YOU ABOUT THE SPACE? The central location and ground-floor position on the sunny side of the street plus 24 metres of floor-to-ceiling glazing and an open layout with direct access to secure parking. The covered terrace provided an opportunity to introduce landscaping in an urban context. WERE YOUR ALTERATIONS EXTENSIVE? The site was a former restaurant, so alterations included a complete strip out and refit. Our layout was informed by six existing structural columns, which intuitively divided the space into kitchenette, work stations, sample library…

LIVING WITH FLOWERS With elegance and beauty in her DNA, it is no surprise that style icon Aerin Lauder has a way with flowers and loves to include them in every aspect of her life. In this book, she generously shares tips and secrets for creating flawless floral arrangements as well as injecting a little flower power into decorating and entertaining. From blossoming wallpaper and curtains to china, there’s an abundance of blooms and bouquets to inspire. Aerin Lauder, Rizzoli, $140 INSIDE IBIZA With her decorating motto, “A little bit of tackiness can bring you a lot of happiness”, Emma Roig Askari has infused her Ibiza holiday home with a beguiling mix of high-low pieces. Delightfully captured along with other similarly esoteric properties owned by a slew of creatives, including…

“WE CALL IT SCULPTU RAL ASSEMBLAGE” says Ali Yeldham, the director of Arthouse Gallery, standing in front of a Scott Duncan work from his recent ‘Garden of Earthenware Delight’ show, a large-scale artpiece which is a fusion of seriously fabulous stacked mid-century ceramics transformed with the whimsical addition of corrugated cardboard and lollies such as musk sticks and bananas. Ali’s statement was in response to a question about how to describe the sort of three-dimensional artwork being snapped up by galleries across the globe – not quite a classic sculpture, or a totem, nor even a traditional ceramic. “I feel that it is a really exciting time in the realm of sculpture in Australia and the world at the moment. People have been on a journey with painters and artists…

1 Moooi ‘Common Comrades’ side table in Red, $855, Space. 2 Vintage 1950s Italian curved sofa, $8290, 1stDibs. 3 ‘Ola’ calfskin bag, $4350, Loewe. 4 Women’s ballet flat leather shoes with Double G in Rosso Ancora Red, $1500, Gucci. 5 Charlotte Tilbury ‘More Sex’ EDP, $265 for 100ml, Mecca. 6 Tom Ford ‘Lost Cherry’ EDP, $575 for 50ml, Mecca. 7 Valentino Spring 2025 Couture. 8 ‘Kondalilla Studio’ oil-on-canvas artwork by Angela Chauvin, $4900, Michael Reid Northern Beaches. 9 Small ‘Beetroot’ scented candle in Magenta, $200, Loewe. 10 ‘Anagram’ cube dice in Red, $130 Loewe. 11 ‘Florence’ crackle leather 35mm belt in Currant, $149, Oroton. 12 Valentino ‘Caddy Couture’ Italian-made caped silk gown in Merlara, $11,200, Mytheresa.…

SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN LEADER GREAT DANE has a visionary collection of furniture and accessories encompassing the work of original masters through to the foremost contemporary designers of the current age. Most notable are timeless pieces by Hans Wegner, Nanna Ditzel, JL Møller, Ilse Crawford, Antrei Hartikainen, Sofie Refer and Hästens. Recently added to the mix is a series of richly textured handwoven floor coverings by Vandra Rugs, a Swedish atelier that uses techniques popular in Nordic homes since the late 18th century. Established in 2005 by Cia Attling, Larissa Bodén and Marie Wallenberg Olsson, Vandra Rugs has a story grounded in purpose. The company was originally established in southern Ukraine but was relocated to Kosiv in the Carpathian Mountains after the Russian invasion. It now employs 48 women, many of whom…

THERE’S NO SUCH THING as humble soap when said soap is made for kings. Or sultans, as the case may be. For years, Omani perfume house Amouage has been reinterpreting the centuries-old process of Middle Eastern perfume-making for modern audiences. Now, like the proverbial genie, that sensorial prestige has escaped the bottle and made its way to bathroom shelves as part of a collaboration with the new Mandarin Oriental Muscat hotel. The five-star beachfront property in Oman’s capital city opened in June last year and has partnered with Amouage to treat guests to a bespoke line of bath and shower products composed by perfumer Cécile Zarokian. Called ‘Anchorage’, the collection is available in the hotel’s Signature and Royal Suites, and just one other place outside the region: The Anchorage Hotel…

The first time Naomi Tosic saw the three-storey former hat factory that would come to be her favourite place on Earth, she felt the endless possibilities ahead. “It was less about the home and more about what Boris could do with it,” she says of her beloved late husband. Tucked into a Paddington laneway, the warehouse studio had enjoyed a rich previous life as a space for art and ‘happenings’, run by gallerist Robin Gibson, who whitewashed the brick walls and filled the rooms with works by artists such as Brett Whiteley – to the delight of Sydney’s 1970s art scene, who turned up for its edgy openings and wild parties. The most striking element of this extraordinary home, spread over its eventual five floors, is the rich cocoon of…

Behind a former shopfront in Sydney’s east, this four-bedroom family home celebrates the perfectly imperfect in revelatory, light-filled living spaces. All things repurposed, recycled and pre-loved imbue it with a charm and warmth, while a sense of history and a green sensibility pervade its walls. Built in 1872 and home to serial retailers over the years, this latest renovation honours the past and looks to the future while, paradoxically perhaps, being timeless. Little wonder the owner – designer, antique dealer and former Olympian gymnast Ann-Maree Kerry – now calls it her forever home. Drawn by its prime location slap-bang in the middle of a prestigious shopping strip, Ann-Maree and her husband, Phil, bought the double storefront in 2018 for them and their two teenagers. It was also blessed with a…

01 FIONA LYNCH OFFICE WORK SHOP Fiona Lynch Office hosted three exhibitions at its Collingwood studio: the Fiona Lynch Archive (featuring bespoke furniture, lighting and objects), Toni Maticevski x Fiona Lynch (a collaboration repurposing fabric remnants) and Low Key (works by local creatives, including Marlo Lyda, Annie Paxton and Jordan Fleming). fionalynch.com.au 02 TRENT JANSEN EARLY SIGNS COLLINGWOOD GALLERY USEFUL OBJECTS PRESENTED THE GROUNDBREAKING DESIGNS OF TRENT JANSEN AT THE ‘TRENT JANSEN: TWO DECADES OF DESIGN ANTHROPOLOGY’ EXHIBITION. THE EVENT CELEBRATED TRENT’S EARLY PREDILECTION FOR RECYCLING AND MEANINGFUL COLLABORATIONS WITH INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS. THE ‘SIGN’ STOOL (2004), MADE FROM DECOMMISSIONED ROAD SIGNS, AND BLACK LEATHER ‘NGUMU JANKA WARNTI / ALL MADE FROM RUBBISH’ CABINET (2020) WERE TWO OF MANY HIGHLIGHTS. TRENTJANSEN.COM; USEFULOBJECTS.COM.AU 03 100 LIGHTS BEST AND BRIGHTEST North Melbourne’s…

AMONG THE SEA OF FACES that loomed large in this year’s Archibald Prize, Sid Pattni’s self-portrait stood out for what it withheld. “I leaned into the tropes of historical portraiture but stripped away my face, retaining only the eyes and garments,” says the Melbourne-based Indian-Australian artist, whose voidlike absence – wrapped in colonial regalia and framed by a floral border with hand-beaded appliqué – makes us look instead for markers of identity in these other, culturally loaded, embellishments. Remixing elements from Mughal miniature paintings, Indian textiles, botanical drawings and Company paintings (made during British rule by Indian artists for European patrons), Sid’s self-portrait asks how selfhood might be pieced together from external projections and inherited histories, weaving a complex tapestry of styles cut from the colonial cloth. The work’s subtitle,…

Walls are the canvas for every room in your home, with luxury Venetian plaster and other high-end surfaces transforming them into the most sophisticated and elegant backdrops. Enter Soldani Projects, a family-run industry leader specialising in premium plaster finishes, microcement and feature walls. Owner Alfonso Soldani honed his craft in his native Italy, and brings that artistry and bespoke advice to what is an immersive process from conception to delivery. “The heart of Soldani is the difference between us and competitors when it comes to Venetian plaster,” says Alfonso. “It’s all in the material. We use genuine lime straight from Italy – it is eco-friendly, low VOC [volatile organic compounds] and will last forever. It’s the real deal.” The process, like the result, is meticulous and detailed, and begins with…

1_SCI-FI The imposing ‘Soniah’ fibreglass floor lamp by Kar x Faina has an alien quality, with a phosphorescent ball of light seemingly suspended in space. From $19,100. galerie-philia.com 2_BOILING OVER With 3D protrusions like liquid lava, the ‘Breakout’ vase by Brent Warr is made from wood, pulp, plaster and resin. From $3400. bonhamgallery.com 2 3_LARGE FORMAT Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo continues to experiment with exaggerated form and (dis)proportion for Comme des Garçons (left), and Myah Hasbany’s UFO-inspired collection (far left) was one of the standouts at the Fall 2025 RTW BA show at London’s Central Saint Martins. 4_LIGHT AND SHADE Remain incognito while making a huge style statement in a ‘Capeline’ straw cloche hat in Beige by Alaïa. $2190. mytheresa.com 5_BIG COMEBACK Clay and the fluidity of nature are…

UGA RIVA THERE IS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT SRI LANKA, deemed a new ‘hot list’ destination by many travellers. The country is emerging from decades of political turmoil and conflict with a new government and an encouraging focus on eco-tourism. Now visitors can expect tangled jungles and rolling tea plantations, elegant decor and architecture, sublime cuisine, warm hospitality and a thriving cultural scene. What is maddening is when those planning a visit casually refer to Sri Lanka as ‘the new Bali’, a reference perhaps to the innate beauty and grace of both places, but also a prescient reminder about what can exist, and be spoiled, by rapid overdevelopment. If Sri Lanka is indeed at a turning point when it comes to future tourism, there is a responsibility to protect…

ARCHITECT/INTERIOR DESIGNER Studio Prineas PRIMARY FOCUS [ Double Bay, NSW ] Photography FELIX FOREST Styling JACK MILENKOVIC COLOUR WAS INSTRUMENTAL in transforming a Sydney apartment into a joyful personal statement. Lived in by a young family, the design by Eva-Marie Prineas balances luxury with environmental responsibility. What is the project and what made it attractive to you? Embracing the ethos to ‘think more, build less’, we converted an unremarkable 1990s apartment in Sydney’s Double Bay. Seeing new possibilities within the apartment’s existing layout, we applied a reductive approach to ‘rescale’ its volume, modernise its expression and enhance its quality of light. How did you become involved with the project? We had a longstanding relationship with the clients, having designed several homes for their extended family before – this meant we…