For decades the average office worker was expected to witter away their obligatory 9 to 5 in pens as confining as any battery farm, sentenced to a life of uninspired drudgery. Finally over the last decade we’ve seen a revolution! The office farm has gone Free Range. More and more, employers are recognising that habitats …
Remember as a recalcitrant teen, your mother bemoaning the state of your bedroom and warning in a doom-laden voice: “a messy bedroom means a messy mind”? Cue eye-rolling and hormonal temper tantrums but it turns out that Mummy had it right all along. It seems that in a world hungry for philosophy, Tidying Up may …
‘Mindfulness’ has become a buzz word of modern times. From desperate housewives hot-footing it to holistic yoga retreats, to overstretched, over-educated graduates colouring in picture books as a hobby, many are in search of the optimum tool to achieve focus in the present moment. So what actually is this holy grail of the self-help movement? …
The genesis and moulding of an artist is a fascinating thing. Shazia Imran is an Australian artist who has exhibited internationally and whose work hangs in many private collections. She is known for her delicate mixed media works and will be exhibiting on Wall St at the 2016 Decor + Design show, 21 – 24 …
We chat to lead futurist Victoria Redshaw of Scarlet Opus (UK) about the art of trend forecasting and what to expect in the world of design for 2015. In this blog post, Victoria reveals her highlights at Decor + Design in Melbourne along with her favourite pieces from VIVID – Australia’s longest running design competition …
It is one of the great chicken and egg questions of interior design. Should art inspire a room’s furnishings or should furnishings shape the art? Art itself is integral in interior decoration and design. A carefully selected painting brings an important sense of texture and a new dimension. It makes a room feel sophisticated and … Continue reading
Quiz any architecture or design student on their key inspirations and Bjarke Ingels is quite likely to pop up near the top of the list. At a relatively young 41, Ingels has some serious cred. With mammoth projects in development, ranging from the revitalisation of the Ground Zero/World Trade Centre precinct in New York to … Continue reading
For a while now, interior designers have been on a quest to discover what lies beneath. From the tech lofts of Newtown to the café hot spots of Newfarm, stripped back walls and dangerous-looking light fixtures have been de rigeur for the international inner-city hipster, in a similar manner to the way that chintz chair … Continue reading
Karim Rashid is an industrial design superstar, although he dresses more like a rap superstar than one that reshapes the kitchens and hotel lobbies of the world. As the keynote speaker at Maison & Objet in Paris in September 2015, he leapt on the stage in an outfit reminiscent of something Snoop Dogg (Snoop Lion?) … Continue reading
Fashion legend Diana Vreeland once said that ‘the eye must travel’. Allegra Hicks’ gorgeous London studio is a testament to this edict. On a wintry afternoon in Chelsea, her signature fabrics swathe the sitting room of an impeccably stylish four-story terrace. Gently lit by dancing flames in the grate, the room speaks of her Italian … Continue reading
Premium Lighting has a rich history in Australia, a country whose climate and terrain prescribes an original and creative approach to lighting solutions. Established over twenty years ago, the company’s focus in LED technology and design innovation began in earnest five years ago. Today they are a market leader and trailblazer in architectural lighting. With distributors … Continue reading
VANESSA FIEBIG was destined to make her mark as an artist. She grew up in the romantic region of Tuscany, Italy, in a house where you couldn’t see the walls for the artworks that adorned them. Art was her father’s passion. He represented a contemporary Italian artist and developed such a collection of his and … Continue reading
IT TAKES A KEEN EYE and imagination to see creative potential in large discarded household goods. When it comes to repurposing these items into unique and beautiful pieces of furniture, practical ability with tools is must. Luke Neil is an experienced carpenter with a sense of design and the spirit of an environmental entrepreneur and … Continue reading
EMERGING MELBOURNE artist GT Sewell presented his work at Decor + Design for the first time this year. With a background in the construction industry and a love of travel, it was during a five-year international holiday sabbatical that he decided to focus on making his art practice a priority. On his return to Australia … Continue reading
AN AUTUMN LEAF can inspire colour schemes. Ephemeral colours of a summer night sky may do the same. Geometry may inspire form. But whatever the key to creativity and innovation is, the well of inspiration expands greatly when travel comes into play. Throw into the mix the qualities necessary to be a successful chef and … Continue reading
They say history is doomed to repeat itself. Is that such a bad thing? By unleashing their new Retro collection at AIFF, Innovatec shows us the vintage aesthetic will always work its way back into our homes. Now it is simply accompanied by a Smart TV or tablet, rather than a typewriter. This progressive Australian furniture … Continue reading
FOR THOSE WHO DREAM of waving goodbye to a corporate career in a big city and welcoming with open arms the charms of a coastal lifestyle, all you need is the will and savvy means to make it happen. Sometimes those plans are made on the fly. Sometimes they are thrust upon you. And sometimes they … Continue reading
