With season 9 of Selling Houses Australia starting this Wednesday, February 3, this is the perfect time to roll out lots of design advice not just from me, but from some of the greats in the design and arts industry.
I’ve gathered some of the world’s experts on all things design and style and asked them to turn their expertise to some of the questions all lovers of design find themselves asking as we embark on a new year.
I’ll be sharing their answers each fortnight and I’d love to get your thoughts too, either in the comments section at the bottom of the articles, or by tagging me in your
Tweets @ShaynnaBlaze, or on my Facebook page.
This week’s Eye for Style focuses on this season’s standard-bearer design items. My must-have item for 2016 is an original piece of artwork, even if for you it’s a piece of framed art from your child’s first day of school, because for me 2016 is all about ‘connection’. In terms of favourite colour combos, if you’ve read Design With Colour and Style you’ll know I’m partial to turquoise, teal, black and white. And the trend I wish we could wave goodbye forever…don’t get me started on suede effects paint and macro-suede fabric!!!!
Now, without further ado, I’ll hand over to my distinguished panel of experts…
My must-have interior item for 2016 is…
Darren Palmer, Interior Designer:
…Stability. I renovated last year, moved my office twice and home twice, so this year there will be no interior changes. That said, I just put up more curtains in my house so my must have interior item this year is probably more curtains. See, I can’t help myself.
Kate St James, Interior Designer and Editor in Chief: Universal Magazines:
…A gas-strut window. It will allow me to serve food from my extended kitchen bench
through to my guests outside.
Outdoor living is gaining momentum and a gas strut window would make a fabulous addition to any kitchen.
Neale Whittaker, Editor in chief, Vogue Living:
…A new desk and a great chair! I know it doesn’t sound very exciting but I really need to sort out my home office this year. Top priority.
Miriam Fanning, Founding Principal, Mim Design:
…the Jaime Hayon ‘Palette table” for its sense of tradition.
I love this multipurpose table that converges shape, colour and materials. We have just ordered one for our studio through Great Dane.
Colin McAllister & Justin Ryan, Interior Designers, Style commentators and world savvy Lifestyle gurus:
…They say retro feels old hat if you remember it first time around – lucky we’re wildly young (lol) and don’t remember the first iteration of the hanging basket chair. These days, however, we just can’t get enough of these pendulous dream chairs. We recently installed a wicker basket sling in our own Canadian lake home as part of ‘Colin and Justin’s Cabin Pressure’, our North American TV series. Set in a glass corner overlooking the lake, the chair’s warmth and heritage are a perfect foil for the modernity of the glass wall.
Steve Cordony, Interior Stylist:
…Any item by Michael Verheyden. His beautiful collection of furniture and accessories is so timeless, yet completely of the moment. The way he mixes marble with suede and timber and brass is perfection, and the shapes and colours he creates are so simple yet so intriguing at the same time.
Christopher Boots, Lighting Designer:
…French linen.
Wilhelmina McCarroll, Zuster Design Director:
…is from our latest Halo range, the Halo Storage cabinet with marble handle (either in the palomino or blue sapphire marble), I love the mix of fixtures with the slatted door fronts, marble handle, hexagonal legs and brass feet. It brings the feeling of luxury into your home.
Megan Dougherty
Bravo Management Pty Ltd
Level 5, 111 Coventry Street,
Southbank VIC 3006
P: +61 (3) 8825 6641 (direct)
Blank Canvas Interiors
598-600, Burwood Road
Hawthorn East, VIC AUSTRALIA 3123