Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Real Living Australia

IT’S COLD OUTSIDE, and all I want to do is create a cosy and cocooning space to retreat to at the end of each day. Winter is the perfect time of year to embrace the concept of more is more with cushions, blankets, candles, books… so pile them high and layer them up, I say! This issue, we’ve dedicated 68 pages to beautiful winter homes so you can be inspired by how other people hunker down when the weather starts to get chilly. There’s River Hawk Ranch (p68), a modern country home in northern NSW on the Brunswick River, which has been kitted out with everything a family with three sons could want, from a moveable fire pit to a vast skateboard-friendly living area. Further afield in Paris, we drop…

THE STOFF NAGEL CANDLEHOLDER is the Orion’s Belt of design – a constellation of three stars, mapped out in such a way that you can’t help but let your gaze linger. Anchored by three legs, the candleholder’s shiny domes seem to float in space, but unlike stars that live for billions of years, this piece of history traces back to the end of WWII. The son of a blacksmith, Hans Nagel was born in Cologne, Germany. He was introduced to object design early – to make money, a young Hans collected brass cartridge cases left over from the war, which his father used to make ashtrays, vases and candleholders. Going on to become a member of Cologne’s design community and the CEO of his family’s metalwork company, it was merely…

who lives here? Alexandre Reignier, furniture designer, his partner Aude Bertrand, blogger of The Little World, and their daughters Daphne, 2, and Noée, 3 months. Alexandre-reignier.com | @alexandrereignier IT WAS A GUTSY MOVE INSPIRED BY A CHILDHOOD DREAM. Two years ago and following the birth of their two daughters, furniture designer Alexandre Reignier and his partner Aude traded in their busy city-based existence for a slower-paced lifestyle in the Provençal countryside. Their vision was for a small, made-to-measure hut in the woods fit for a young family, and while searching Instagram for inspiration, Alex came across the work of Thomas Walter from French architecture firm Atelier Ordinaire. “Thomas shares our passion for raw materials, wood and simple, neat, minimalistic lines,” Alexandre says. “I immediately knew he would help me craft…

DO YOU PAY ATTENTION to what your bathroom vanity looks like? You should! It’s one of the first and last things you’ll stand in front of each day, so why not make it something beautiful to behold and use. With a few styling tricks and carefully chosen body products, it’s easy. Start with a selection of beautiful jars or canisters of varying sizes to hold essentials like toothbrushes and cotton balls, then add a decorative tray to showcase your hand wash and lotion. The toiletries you use also play a part. Choose a scent you love, and in bottles that work with your aesthetic, such as the newly designed Ecoya Hand & Body Wash and Lotion. The wash comes in a stylish frosted grey bottle, while the lotion is in…

You’ll need: fine-grain sandpaper; cloth; drop sheets; water-based metal leaf glue; two small flat paint brushes; baby powder; transfer leaf in your chosen colour (sold in booklets); clear lacquer 1 Prepare the chosen surface by giving it a light sand if it’s uneven, then remove dust with the cloth. Protect the surrounding area with drop sheets. 2 Apply a layer of metal leaf glue using one of the small paint brushes. Two coats are recommended. When the glue appears clear and sticky, it’s ready. Wash the brush immediately. 3 Rub a small amount of baby powder over your fingers and palms to prevent the leaf sheets from sticking to your hands. They’re thin and can carry static, so powder will make handling them easier. 4 Place a sheet of transfer…

WITH A BUSINESS ETHOS OF “beauty begins in the belly”, Carla Oates is one of Australia’s original wellness advocates. Through her business The Beauty Chef, she sells a range of beauty products and blends to nourish the skin from the outside and promote gut health from within. She’s also an author and chef, and her latest cookbook, The Beauty Chef Gut Guide, explains the importance of gut functionality and offers weekly meal plans and recipes to get you back on track. “I am a foodie at heart and have tried to make these recipes as delicious as possible,” she tells. “I don’t want you to ever feel like you are depriving yourself, but rather nourishing and nurturing your body.” Here are four recipes to set you on the path to…

A RICHLY TEXTURED RETREAT, with pistachio-green walls veiled in bright sunlight. That may be the last thing you’d expect from a home that’s eschewed traditional design elements, but when its architects are Zoe Chan Eayrs and Merlin Eayrs, co-founders of Chan + Eayrs, you can be sure bending the rules will have breathtaking results. For their latest project, a loft space in London’s Shoreditch named The Beldi, the husband-and-wife team lived in the empty warehouse while they worked on it (their approach to their roles is as holistic as their style). By moving in, they could observe the space from day to night and build a home they loved around them. The apartment, which occupies one floor of a converted factory, has Crittall windows on all sides that look out…

who lives here? Ali Griffiths, a stylist and interior architect, and her partner Michael Beukers, director of Beukers Building. @aligriffithsinteriors; @beukersbuilding; @bennyscottage “A MEDICATION FOR THE MIND.” That’s how Ali Griffiths describes the home she bought and redesigned with her partner Michael Beukers, an old weatherboard cottage set on five acres of the Byron Hinterland’s rambling hills and valleys. Back in 2017, the pair had been looking for their next design project. “I scoured the coast north and south of Sydney, but I always came back to Byron,” says Ali, who is drawn to the area’s creative energy. She wanted a home with character, manageable land and country views, and this place had it all. Work began the day they got the keys, but she adds, “in the evening we…

make it how to shop to a theme An existing item, be it a piece of furniture, an artwork, a colour or a print, will often set the tone for the rest of a space. Here, the striped wallpaper is the starting point. A striped bedhead and pillowcases carry on the theme, while block-coloured linens ground the look and an animal-print cushion mixes it up. Bonus: the wallpaper’s horizontal lines can be used as a spacial guide when positioning furniture or hanging things. paint it how to shop for small rooms When you’re working within a modest footprint, a bulky bedhead will only swamp the space. Try painting one on the wall instead – it will help anchor your bed without becoming obtrusive. Likewise, build up rather than out to…

at home 1 Graphis, Woollhara, NSW For Walter Auer totems – I love the organic shapes he forms from clay. Graphis stocks the most interesting art from established and emerging artists, and I want a Walter Auer totem sculpture for my personal collection! Graphis.net.au 2 Montmartre Store, Mosman, NSW Virginie the owner is from France. Her passion and eye for detail is so inspiring. I’m always in there buying new linens for my clients. The range of colours is beautiful. @montmartrestore 3 Damon Moon, Adelaide I have a passion for form so I love artists who play with materials and shapes with a still-life feel. I commissioned Damon to do a one-off piece for a project I’ve been working on; it was so fun to collaborate with such a talented…

money myth 1 You need a lot of money to start investing verdict: FALSE Some nifty investment products have hit the market in recent years, allowing consumers to invest with as little as $5. Take the savings app Raiz, which acts like an electronic loose change jar. By linking your transaction cards, Raiz rounds up the balance of your purchases to the nearest dollar. Once $5 accumulates in your account, it’s invested in a mix of ASX-listed funds. For accounts under $5000, a fee of $1.25 per month applies – $15 a year. It may not sound like much, but it can eat up chunks of your savings. Aim to get your balance over $1500 to keep your annual fee to less than one per cent per year. Other micro-investing…

Platter inspo Create the ultimate grazing platter with these options: marinated feta or goats cheese, roasted cherry truss tomatoes, tahini yoghurt, mint, roasted almonds, sumac, pomegranate seeds, green olives and double cream brie. TIP: Take cheese out of the refrigerator up to two hours before serving. Back to base When Kettle extended their delicious flavour capabilities to the cracker market, they truly nailed it. Take the new Kettle Chilli Jam Flat Bread Crackers. Delicious chilli jam is baked into golden flat bread crackers made of wheat, ryeflour and wholegrain oats. The result is a zingy little treat that’s fab on its own… or you can team it with a gourmet grazing platter filled with all matter of yum.…

ABOVE THE CLOUDS FRESH FROM LAUNCHING AT THIS YEAR’S SALONE DEL MOBILE, THESE AWA PENDANT LIGHTS APPEAR TO FLOAT FROM THE CEILING LIKE BALLS OF AIR. DESIGNED BY FUMIE SHIBATA FOR LIGHTING BR AND BROKIS, THEY’RE AVAILABLE FROM SPENCEANDLYDA.COM.AU NEW in SOAP STARS The Bodycare range by Ecoya is now available in frosted glass bottles. Made with botanical oils and rich vitamin E, the recyclable duos look good on your sink and feel even better all over your skin. Choose from five lotion or wash sets, $24.95 each. Ecoya.com WEARABLE ART ARM CANDY We’ve just found the perfect plus-one! The Riverstone handbag from Dinosaur Designs is a first for the Aussie label, which has stayed true to its iconic resin aesthetic. There are three colours to choose from, and we want…

who lives here? Louise Jourdan-Gassin, an art historian and the founder of textile company Série Limitée Louise, her partner Florent Sarrot, and Ralph the Cocker Spaniel. @jourdangassinlouise WHEN LOUISE JOURDAN-GASSIN first set foot in her home, it had seen better days. The warehouse studio had fallen into disrepair, and all of its 48 square metres were filled with cardboard boxes. But what Louise’s new home lacked in size (and first impressions) she made up for with her vision, and a whole lot of hard work. During the summer of 2008, Louise, with help from a handful of family and friends, turned the abandoned studio into a home. “I like it because I don’t feel like I live in Paris, it feels more like the countryside,” she says. “I have my…

IF YOU ASKED A TEENAGED BOY to design his dream house, it would probably look a lot like River Hawk Ranch. Stephen Eakin and Kimberly Amos purchased the 60-acre property in 2015 with the idea of giving themselves and their three sons Noa, 19, Hunter, 18, and Arlo, 14, space to breathe, explore and make lots of mess, noise and memories. Its position on the Brunswick River overlooking Byron Bay provides ample opportunities for canoeing, swimming, fishing and chatting around the campfire, while family dinners and movie nights are a regular occurrence up at the homestead. “Here we’ve created a robust boys’ barn,” says Kimberly. “Filthy footprints and muddy paws are welcome; it’s a home to be enjoyed.” BARN RAISING The majestic farmhouse that we see today didn’t always look…

This month, we’re decking our homes in the season’s coolest hues – feel free to join us! *conversion correct at time of print…

Get in between the sheets Loathe the cold? The right linens might change your mind! Opt for cotton or velvet flannel sheets, or natural fabrics such as bamboo and linen, which help regulate body temperature. And if you’re after something a bit more luxurious, silk is known to retain heat. Pile on the plush In the bedroom, swap light quilts for feather or polyester-filled doonas for warmth and weight. Add a throw to your bed, and over an armchair in living areas. Textural fabrics look and feel cosy, so layer cushions and blankets made from velvet, felt, fleece and wool. Dress up your windows Heavy, lined curtains made from thick fabric are a cost-effective and practical winter decorating hack. They keep the cold out, the heat in and create physical…

FOR CENTURIES, THE ONLY WAY to hold onto the fleeting freshness of a flower was to paint, photograph or draw it. That is, until London-based artist Rachel Dein developed an art to not only recreate the beauty of a plant mid-bloom, but capture it and “preserve nature, like a fossil”. She came up with the idea while taking a glass molding course. “We printed shapes in sand and poured liquid glass in,” Rachel recalls. “I found it fascinating and experimented at home with clay.” Her method involved pressing items into the clay, making an impression, carefully prying them out, then pouring plaster into the mold she’d just made. After using this technique to immortalise her wedding bouquet, she knew she’d found a way to print nature. What sets her plaster…

IN A REMOTE FISHING VILLAGE in Lettes Bay on the west coast of Tasmania, there sits a cosy cottage called Captains Rest. It belongs to Sarah Andrews, a self-described teacher, stylist, adventurer and visual storyteller, and the story of how this little cottage came to be is certainly one worth telling. In 2016, finding herself at a crossroads in her life, she spied the tiny shack while flicking through a magazine and bought it sight unseen on the spot. Having been left empty and abandoned for years, it wasn’t in a great state, but over the course of six months, with a lot of patience and ingenuity, and next to no budget, Sarah lovingly transformed the cottage into the peaceful haven it is today. It’s a place she retreats to…