Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i Real Living Australia

FOR AN INTERIORS LOVER, there are few invitations that could top being asked to visit Ikea HQ in Sweden. So when that exact situation presented itself to me a few months ago, I was pretty stoked*. It’s important to note, I am not someone who squeals with delight when my husband broaches the idea of an Ikea mission on Saturday afternoons. I love the idea of it, but I’m a horribly impulsive shopper and crap at assembling anything more complex than a toasted sandwich. Nevertheless, my mind went into overdrive about what I might find at this mythical place – giant Allen keys, meatballs and big blue bags as far as the eye could see? Quite unbelievably, my daydream wasn’t too far off the mark. There really was a giant…

“YOU’LL NEVER SEE US SHOOT A FULL CAMPAIGN IN STUDIO – IT’S NOT OUR STYLE AND IT’S NOT EXCITING. WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT TEAM WHO WE’VE WORKED WITH FOR OVER FOUR YEARS NOW, AND ALTHOUGH OUR SHOOTS ARE HUGE AND LOADS OF WORK, THEY ARE ABOVE AND BEYOND BLOODY FUN.” “WHEN PEOPLE SEE OUR LATEST CAMPAIGN, WE HOPE A LITTLE PART OF THEM IS SWEPT AWAY TO SOMEWHERE JUST A BIT MORE EXOTIC AND AMAZING THAN THE EVERYDAY.”…

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WALKING THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR of Thomas Ibsen’s large villa, north of Copenhagen, is like stepping into a (homely) mini museum. The man behind Danish design company Please Wait To Be Seated lives in the 1950s house with his partner, graphic designer Olga Bramsen, and their three teenagers from previous relationships, surrounded by paintings, drawings, music, heirlooms, ceramics and furniture from Danish masters and modern-day designers alike. “I admire the Danish design heritage and its use of colour,” Thomas says. SENSE OF HISTORY The ground floor is home to a bedroom, living room and combined kitchen and dining room – an extension to the original house and previously a studio for a former artist owner. The artist had some generous friends, as the Danish sculptor Edith Willumsen gifted two reliefs in…

THE BLOCK IS BACK AND THIS YEAR’S BLOCKHEADS ARE DELIVERING THE GOODS – CHECK OUT OUR PICKS OF THE SHOW’S BEST BATHROOM DESIGN IDEAS…

01 CONSIDER THE SPACE FIRST Privacy and light control are essential in bedrooms and bathrooms, but living areas can be more open. Think about the direction your window faces and whether you need to protect from summer heat or keep winter warmth inside. 02 WORK WITH YOUR EXISTING STYLE A window treatment should enhance your home’s style not clash with it. If your look is classic, consider long, billowy curtains. If your style is beachy, create a relaxed look using plantation shutters, Roman blinds or textural linen sheers. 03 MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE When in doubt, buy a larger curtain or sheer as they can be hemmed to fit. For custom-made treatments, it’s best to call in a professional – it can be a costly exercise if your measurements are even…

BILLIE IS A NO-FRILLS KIND OF GIRL WHO IS ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HER NEXT MEAL. She enjoys walks around Melbourne’s Yarra and hanging on the couch with her owners – oh, and eating! If Billie was a person, what do you think she would be like? She would probably eat at restaurants every night and would never ever need to take home a doggie bag. I think she’d also be really into playing tennis with her girlfriends. What’s the craziest thing you have ever done for Billie? We bought our jet black Billie glow-in-the-dark dog slippers after we kept losing her on dog walks at night. Needless to say they lasted less than half a lap around the park before they were kicked off. Is Billie pro or against dog…

LET’S PLAY A GAME WITH ICONIC AUSTRALIAN ARTIST KEN DONE. A FEW WORDS FROM REAL LIVING AND HE FILLS IN THE REST……

Equally at home in any room, this bench seat works a treat placed in a hallway to display art and treasured belongings, providing a visual talking point when visitors pop over. Busy thoroughfare Nomi Ash long bench in Natural, $399, Country Road. Ella chaise in Light Grey with Brass legs, $1499, Life Interiors. Square corduroy cushion with insert in Olive, $115, In Bed. Interiors by Martyn Thompson book, $80, and Friends & Founders Knock Out round base table, $1650, Smith Made. Tela large tumbler in Smoke, $43, Hay. Mr Pinchy & Co sea crab in Brass, $99, Becker Minty. OPPOSITE Bench, as before. Orion 2 light pendant in Black/ Smoke, $199, Beacon Lighting. ON BENCH Female torso in White Marble, $135, The Vignette Room. Monochrome Home by Hilary Robertson book,…

A NEW BREED OF AVID FOODIES ARE FLOCKING TO A SOUTHERN TASMANIAN COMMUNITY, ONCE FAMOUS FOR ITS FARMING AND APPLE TREES WHERE DO YOU GO when you want to make a name for yourself in food? The answer is surely the Huon Valley. In fact, ever since food stylist Michelle Crawford made the move, her career has gone from strength to strength – thanks in part to the food world’s current obsession with all things Huon. “Apples, beef, stone fruits, berries, mushrooms, salmon – there’s so many good things to eat here!” exclaims Michelle, 48, who lives in Huonville with husband Leo, 49, daughter Elsa, 14, son Hugo, 11, Patch the dog, Twiggy the cat and nine fat hens. The 15-strong brood relocated to the southerly tip of Tasmania from…

FOR SONYA MARISH, A RENO DIDN’T JUST CHANGE HER home, it inspired a whole career path. The Sydney-born, Byron Bay local was studying interior design while renovating her house – a combination that sparked a minor obsession with finding the perfect bathroom tiles. “The worldwide search for the tiles I wanted began,” she laughs, “and this research led me to specialise a little further and then go on to study design”. Armed with a new-found design confidence, Sonya created her own tile range, and this, along with her passion for making beautiful spaces, is how Jatana Interiors was born. In her business, Sonya has carved out a beautiful and original niche for encaustic tiles and unique antique finds, with influences stemming from her vast travel experiences. The common link, naturally,…

That’s entertainment This extension, added by the previous owners, was dark and drab, with brown concrete, timber panelling and curtains. It has been transformed with soft pastels and accents of black, plus natural finishes of leather, linen, cork and plywood. Teamed with classic Thonet B9 bentwood chairs, the Atticus table by Lowe Furniture is illuminated by the striking Roll & Hill “Modo” light. “The table seats eight to 10 – great for entertaining,” says Lauren Li of Sisällä Interior Design. An existing banquette, reupholstered in tan leather, is in constant use. All white Renovated by the previous owners, the predominantly white kitchen with hidden butler’s pantry is livened up with a carefully considered shot of colour. It came in the form of the handmade turquoise tiles from Perini lining the…

FORGET ONLINE PERSONALITY TESTS – your home can reveal more of your psyche than a game of Cluedo. For Worn co-founders Lotte Barnes and Lia-Belle King, their thoughtfulness and dedication to handmade items sings from their 1900s principal’s cottage in the Byron Bay Hinterland. “We like our home to be a harmonious reflection of the environment outside, but also of our personal and locational journeys,” Lotte says. “The practice of wabi-sabi [beauty in the imperfect and incomplete] influences our aesthetic, making for a space that is humble and calm, but also artistically interesting.” WAITING GAME When Lotte and Lia-Belle moved from Bali to their house in Clunes, they didn’t rush to deck it out. “We had to wait months for our furniture to arrive, and are still acquiring the pieces…

Bold as brass We have the inside track on how to get the best out of your renovations and prepare financially in the lead-up to Christmas. Jot down your ideas with beautiful stationery in wood and brass. UU small untreated tray, $33, Hay. Pen, for similar try Notemaker pen, $7.99, and 10cm paper clips in gold, $7.99 for pack of 8, Typo. Hay medium stainless steel tray in Gold, $39, and small mesh notepad in Rose, $16, Designstuff. Kate Spade ruler in Gold Acrylic, $89.95 (part of the For Good Measure desk accessories set), NoteMaker. House of Hackney Babylon wallpaper in Anemone, $285 per roll, Radford.…

TRAVEL/ DISCOVER/ EXPLORE PACK UP A ND GO… Fancy waving goodbye to hour-long brunch queues and Saturday morning traffic jams? Just two hours south of Sydney, Berry boasts choice eating, drinking and a magical van that pipes out hot donuts (yes, really!). If that hasn’t got you flinging your bags in the boot (which in the Countryman’s case is v roomy), Berry also has all the rolling green fields, wandering cows and close-by coastal beaches you could wish for. After a cruisy drive out of Sydney, we head to Berry’s picture-perfect main drag, Queen Street. First stop, the Berry Hotel. Built in 1863 it’s one of the oldest buildings in town and is a cosy, roaring fire affair, where the beer is icy cold with plenty of classic pub staples…

Loungin’ around Starburst bone/brass inlay coffee table in White, $1575, Nomadique. Vintage Turkish rug, $2800, SmithMade. Flowers and vase, Boutierre Girls. Small ceramic flower bowl, $95, Dinosaur Designs. Cuff, $375, and ring, $240, Lucy Folk. OPPOSITE Motti sofa in Ecru with brass legs, $3200, SmithMade. Starburst bone/brass inlay coffee table, as before. Lyon dining table with Natural legs and Natural Veneer top, $688, James Lane. Sedha 2017 dining chair in White, $780, Thomas Coward. Ring C-side table, $349, West Elm. Manor 1.8m suspension cord in Antique Brass, $49.95, Karbon 25W ES Clear Decorator G95 lightbulb, $11.95, and Karbon 25W ES Clear Pilot lightbulb, $10.95, Beacon Lighting. ON SOFA Pala Kilim cushion, $99, and small Velvet cushion in Champagne, $85.95, The Vignette Room. Puna throw in white, $320, Pampa. ON COFFEE…

1 DID YOU KNOW? The first two letters of Ikea are founder Ingvar Kamprad’s initials, while the last two stand for the name of the farm and village where he grew up in southern Sweden. I K E A Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd 2 Every year, hundreds of media from around the world descend upon Ikea HQ in Älmhult for its Democratic Design Days, where the latest designer collaborations and innovations are revealed for the year ahead. 3 The iconic blue Frakta bag has become a design classic. This year, the bag has been redesigned by both Hay and Reform Studio – the latter gave it a blingy silver makeover using material made entirely out of 32 recycled chip packets! 4 Pieces from the brand’s designer collaborations can be a…

Design classics Nina made the walnuttopped dining table as a present for her partner Karsten. Colourful Eames armchairs surround it. The Granny pendant lamp is by Nina’s former design studio Pudelskern. Skirt around Nina loves vintage style, which is evident in her home – and her wardrobe (opposite). Like an Egyptian Nina designed the Cooper side table in Coral (opposite), inspired by sieves used for cooking in Cairo. A THE PERFECT LIFESTYLE for Nina Mair is one that is simple, practical and in touch with nature – and she’s struck lucky with her home in the Austrian city of Innsbruck, situated in the heart of alpine country. “To be surrounded by nature is the best thing about living here,” she says. GRAND DAME Nina and her partner Karsten moved into…

BEST BATHROOMS EVER More than just somewhere to take a quick shower or brush your teeth, a bathroom is the one place we can retreat, and be completely alone. Turn yours into a sanctuary with one of these inspiring looks… ELEGANT SCANDI BATHROOM DESIGN | LILJENCRANTZ DESIGN LILJENCRANTZDESIGN.COM; @LILJENCRANTZDESIGN The look We love that this is a bathroom in disguise – all the functional elements are there, but with the addition of soft textiles and greenery, it looks as styled as a living room. Try it Sheer, floor-length curtains (or a shower-curtain equivalent), a tree-like pot plant and a rug-sized bathmat will give you this elegant, decorated look. GREEN AND BRASS BATHROOM DESIGN | TECHNÉ ARCHITECTURE + INTERIOR DESIGN TECHNE.COM.AU; @TECHNEARCHITECTS The look The dark and glossy forest-green tiles in…

Ater many years of searching, Vilija Manners and her husband James knew they’d found “The One” when they stumbled across their future home in Melbourne’s hip northern suburb of Thornbury. The small, dated but well-maintained Edwardian weatherboard house (circa 1910) “had a great vibe”, Vilija says. “We went to the auction on our way to the airport for a work trip and happened to get it.” The couple settled into the home not a moment too soon – Vilija was eight months pregnant. “The first thing we did was repaint – probably not recommended in the last two weeks of pregnancy,” she recalls with a laugh. “My friend described the wall colour as tobacco-stained yellow, so that had to be fixed straightaway!” Fast forward four years, and Vilija and James…

“SOMETIMES PHOTOS DON’T WORK. WHAT’S IN YOUR HEAD DOESN’T ALWAYS TRANSLATE TO THE PHONE. IT’S NOT NECESSARILY HIS FAULT THAT THE SHOTDOESN’T WORK. THEN AGAIN,IT PROBABLY IS.” A mate of mine just came back from a week in Bali with his girlfriend. When I enquired about his trip, he went white. “It was the worst ever!” Expecting tales of satay-induced dysentery, I nimbly tried to change the subject but he needed to vent. “It was hell!” he was almost sobbing. “She made me take photos of her all week. I barely got to surf.” Herein lays the pain of the modern man. Today’s loved-up gentleman has been unknowingly press-ganged into becoming the official photographer on all trips. Men whose biggest concern used to be what to have next at the…

SAVOUR/ SHARE SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY “This pastry will have a slightly uneven edge around the rim of the tin, resulting in a tart that looks rustic and homemade, which is what we aim for at Bourke Street Bakery. If you are after a perfectly even effect, this is not the pastry to use – this dough has water in it, which means it will shrink as the water evaporates during baking; the following method is to help counteract this shrinkage. The number of tarts you end up with will vary, depending on how thinly the pastry is rolled. The dough can be frozen for up to two months.” Makes 1 quantity Prep time 30 mins, plus chilling Equipment Small bowl; large bowl; pastry scraper; plastic wrap; rolling pin; tray 400g…