Sommaire pour August 2020 de Inside Out

You can’t change everything, but I believe you can always change something that will make a situation better. And that is basically what Inside Out is about – making things better. Which is squarely in the territory of the gorgeous home-renovation projects we feature in this issue. Fixes can be small, like the joy of creating a fire pit in your backyard (page 128), or bigger, like finally getting the outdoor deck you’ve always wanted to serve that fabulous big, rowdy Christmas lunch on (page 122). Look, even hanging new shelves (page 20) and adding layers of personality to your kitchen with books and objects can bring a huge amount of satisfaction. All the little things do count. One story that’s making me feel especially positive this month is our…

“I love linen’s natural qualities – it’s light and breathable in summer and cosy and warm in winter”PIP VASSETT Why do you think slipping into fresh sheets is such a universally popular thing? It’s like jumping into a cloud – what’s not to love? Slipping into a freshly laundered and made bed makes me feel like a grown-up with my act together. That’s nice, too. How did In Bed begin? When the spark for In Bed was born in 2012, there really wasn’t anything like it in homewares, something that spoke to me the way a great fashion brand does. Homeware brands were either very high-end and slightly stuffy or mass-produced and overly trend-driven. I wanted to create a brand that represented my tastes: classic, utilitarian, simple and beautiful. Basically,…

Many a mum has embarked on a new endeavour while on maternity leave, and for Melbourne interior designer Chris Rose it was the design and build of a home for her young family. Her considered layout revolves around a central outdoor pool and entertaining area, which evoke resort-style holiday vibes year round. “The connection and flow internally and externally is my favourite design feature,” she says. “We can now enjoy every experience that those areas have to offer.”…

As the old adage goes, one shouldn’t mix business with pleasure, but ask Melbourne interior decorator and stylist Kim de Winter and you’ll hear different. In fact, when a friend of Kim’s enlisted her expertise in bringing a home to life, she jumped at the chance. “Having a friendship with a client can sometimes by tricky,” admits Kim, “but we managed to become completely intertwined in each other’s lives throughout the whole design process.” The homeowner with the exciting project was Debra Olenski, an artist whom Kim met up with after living abroad for 15 years and connected through their mutual love of painting. Though Debra and her husband Michael had purchased their house in a south-eastern suburb in 1987, they weren’t ready to renovate until 2017, which meant the…

open invitation A brick beach home from the ’70s is ready to receive This family weekender in a Victorian seaside town has been given an uplifting makeover to provide a relaxed place of retreat for its owners. A new kitchenette and rumpus area downstairs offer an improved connection with the outdoor entertaining deck and pool, helped by the addition of a gas strut window that opens out to the marble-clad barbecue area. Turn the page to see more.…

“White needs a hero, be that texture, contrast, shape or light. Something else is also needed to create depth and character, and most of the time it’s a combination of everything” look beyond leftovers While the white-on-white trend has long left our design shores, it’s still a palette that is so damn practical, easy to work with and suits just about any design style you can throw at it. Whether it’s “the cream, the bone, the off-white, the bright white, the ivory or the beige” (coined by comedian Billy Birmingham), Australians love an all-white aesthetic. But before you clean out your parents’ leftover tins of Antique White USA or (God forbid) Hog Bristle Half, dip into the following... hold out for a hero White’s strength is also its biggest downfall.…

Q I love a white colour palette for a kitchen, however I’m afraid my own will look too sterile and unwelcoming if I stick with all-white. Do you have any tips for making it feel more homely? Lou, via email All-white kitchens definitely have their place. However, to prevent a clinical feel, why not try introducing some earthy tones to warm up the space? Pairing white cabinetry with woodgrain accents like Laminex Elegant Oak will soften the space and create a welcoming and calming kitchen. Introducing a black benchtop is also an alluring feature that will help to balance out the white cabinetry and create a modern vibe. Finish the look with a statement light feature and some tan leather kitchen stools. SACHA LEAGH-MURRAY, GENERAL MANAGER OF MARKETING, LAMINEX Q…

1 Float the idea Outdoor-rated LED strip lights give the pool its ‘floating’ look at night and highlight the plants and pebbles beneath. 2 On high “Path lights play an important role in safely illuminating walkways,” says Oliver. “Where lower plants are used, traditional uplights won’t work. You need to light them from above.” 3 Shining right “If you want to highlight certain plants, look to lighting that’s between 220 and 260 lumens,” adds Oliver. 4 Fixed on foliage LED spike lights are set around the pool to cast light up into the clusters of tropical plants that surround it.…

Whether you’re planning to extend your entertaining season well into winter or simply want a dedicated space to roast marshmallows with the family, a fire pit will be a versatile addition to your garden or outdoor area that’s guaranteed to improve the ambience. 1 size Gone are the days of concrete blocks and rusty drums for outdoor heat. The new breed of fire pit adds atmosphere as well as warmth to a garden, can create a focal point in an alfresco space, and allow you to spend more time outside in cooler weather. “Adding a fire pit area to your backyard can totally transform the overall look and feel of it, and make the space feel welcoming, regardless of its size,” says Sydney-based landscape designer Adam Robinson. “And don’t forget,…

The new Hermès store in Sydney’s Heritage-listed Trust Building delivers the brand’s universal luxury experience with a jaw-dropping interior housing its covetable fashion and homeware collections. As usual, there is scrupulous craftsmanship everywhere, especially in the restored windows, plasterwork and marble floors, but the true heart of the space is the double-revolution staircase in marble and steam-bent ashwood, designed by French architects RDAI and crafted on site by Brisbane boat builder Wright Marine. Hermès managing director Karin Upton Baker loves it, saying, “The balustrade was a welcome opportunity to commission a masterwork by local craftsmen.” Hermès, 155 King Street, Sydney; (02) 9287 3200 or hermes.com/au/en…

boy from oz It’s official: Coco Republic has gone global. When its co-owner and creative director Anthony Spon-Smith was invited by cult US store Restoration Hardware (now known as RH) to design three outdoor furniture collections, Capri, Remy and Portofino, the luxury pieces in natural materials and organic shapes perfectly captured his easy brand of minimalist Australian style for the American market. But fear not, dear reader, there are plenty of great new outdoor pieces at Coco Republic for locals, too. cocorepublic.com.au…

I first saw Professor Veena Sahajwalla at an industry event, where she spoke about the future and forever changed my views on waste. In her role as director of the Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre at UNSW, she leads a team in taking everyday waste and turning it into amazing new products for areas ranging from construction to interiors. Here, she explains her innovative work. What are you doing at SMaRT Centre? We are pioneering new ways to manage waste and recycling to not only deliver environmental benefits, but reform that material so it can be reused again. We invented what we called Green Steel technology, which uses old rubber tyres and converts them into an essential steel-making ingredient, saving them from landfill and offering an alternative to…

“You can create a warm and inviting all-white interior by playing up sensorial aspects such as texture, sound and even scent”CHRIS ROSE, INTERIOR DESIGNER/OWNER Chris Rose and her husband Kane were expecting their first child when they came across a vacant lot that had been carved out of an old farming property in Melbourne’s south-east. The couple had built their first home together just a few streets away, and loved the quiet lifestyle, fresh air and hilly views the area has to offer. Although many women reduce their workload leading up to the arrival of a baby, interior designer Chris says she saw this plot of land as an opportunity to take on a new challenge and build their ideal family home. “We were moving into the next chapter of…

Four years ago, furniture design duo Kine Ask Stenersen and Kristoffer Eng relocated from Oslo, Norway, to their nearby hometown of Drammen. Expecting their first child at the time, they fell for a two-storey timber house close to their studio space, with sweeping views across a valley and a wonderful sense of tranquillity. Fortunately, it was also spacious and functional, and suited their warm yet minimalistic Nordic aesthetic. “We spent our twenties living in Oslo and never thought we would move back home,” says Kine. “But when we had our son, Vilmer [who has since been joined by brother Artur], we suddenly had someone else to think about besides ourselves. At the same time, we started our business, Ask og Eng, and having a space here in Drammen instead of…

When Angela and Michael bought their 1970s beach house at auction, it had only ever been owned by one family. In a remarkable case of serendipity, the vendors had bestowed half the proceeds of the home’s sale to The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, which just so happens to be where Angela works as a paediatrician. “This unusual set of circumstances gave us all a greater connection to the home’s history and further connected us towards reinventing it for the new owners,” says interior designer Claire Larritt-Evans, who had also worked on the couple’s more formal Edwardian home in Melbourne. “We wanted something different here, something a little more fun,” adds Angela. The couple had come across the solid brick house during the school holidays when they were renting a…

• Balance warms and cools to create depth and intrigue in a space. • If you use test samples, paint large portions of your walls where they get the most natural light and remember not to leave any thick edges, as these can be tricky to cover up when it’s time to repaint. • Choose a white with even just a touch of tint in its formula. Stark white (usually called Vivid) is hard to work with and takes multiple coats to cover previous paintwork due to its opacity. Lexicon Quarter is a good plain white if you’re after a ‘straight from the can’ look. • White walls washed with light trump boring downlights every day and night of the week. • Some colours with high levels of chroma (bright…

Landscape designer Oliver Sizeland of Growing Rooms took a Sydney garden from bland to beautiful by adding an all-encompassing alfresco area that flows out to the new pool. Everything is kept level with the house – there are no steps to negotiate – and the materials palette is soft and natural. Limestone pavers are teamed with dry-stone walling and spotted gum that will gently grey off over time. Turn the page to see more.…

Australians have enjoyed a long-standing love affair with their decks, for all sorts of reasons. They provide precious outdoor living space to hang out and entertain while soaking up the great outdoors, which also adds value to a home. “Decks visually extend internal spaces, provide interconnectivity between indoor and outdoor living, and smooth the transition between hard and soft landscaping,” says Scott Leung of Melbourne’s Eckersley Garden Architecture. Here’s how to make a deck work for you. do I need a permit? The good news is, generally not. Decks, like patios and pergolas, fall into the category of so-called ‘exempt developments’. But before you get carried away, your deck must fulfil certain requirements, which vary from council to council. If it’s less than 25 square metres, no more than one…

Skye McAlpine The English food writer talks lockdown rituals, Italian comforts and the magic of mealtimes How do you think our relationship with cooking has changed during lockdown? For me, cooking has always been about the people I cook for – a way to bring together family and friends, new and old. And while I still love cooking for the people I love, during lockdown I have learnt to love cooking for myself, too. That can be very rewarding, if in a different way. Breakfast, lunch and dinner became the highlights of each day and I found myself putting effort into each and really enjoying it. What is comfort food to you? Risotto is my ultimate comfort food – when I was a child, my mother would always make it…

white walls lay the foundation for colour keep furnishings neutral and layer with artworks and rugs use different textures to warm up your whites think rattan and light timber furniture, wool upholstery, tufted rugs and ceramics for maximum monochrome impact, go grey, navy and black provide the perfect contrast against white…

“Nothing can compare to bamboo furniture” KINE ASK STENERSEN, OWNER/DESIGNER “Bamboo is a very beautiful material and it is of really high quality and durability. It’s also a sustainable choice as it’s actually a type of grass and grows significantly faster than trees — up to a metre per day. This means that the bamboo is ready to be harvested after 4 to 6 years, in comparison to trees that take about 50 years. During growth, bamboo absorbs more CO2 than is released during production, something that makes it CO2 neutral over the complete life cycle. And it grows naturally fast, without any pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilisers.”…

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they find themselves getting excited about the idea of buying home appliances. Whether you view that as a win or a sharp turn in what you thought were your life’s priorities, there’s no denying the irresistible pull of a shiny new object calling your name and promising to make your life easier – how can you resist? If you’ve managed to avoid purchasing any appliances, including the big guns such as fridges, washers, dryers, dishwashers and ovens, in the past five years, chances are you’re missing out on some seriously impressive technology that could be saving you time, energy and money. refrigerators First things first: before you even Google the word ‘fridge’, measure your space, including the doorway (trust us) and figure…

Great outdoor transformations often centre on making the bare beautiful – and that was certainly the case for this garden in Sydney’s east. “When we first saw it, the space was fairly bland, with some tired pavers and a couple of raised garden beds,” says Oliver Sizeland, founder and director of Growing Rooms, the landscape-design firm that was engaged by the homeowners to give it personality and greater functionality. As they had used Growing Rooms to maintain the garden of their previous home, the owners knew that Oliver and his team would be able to deliver exactly what they were after, namely a welcoming front garden and an elegant alfresco area with a swimming pool out the back. The dry-stone wall by the pool brings texture and movement to the…