Inside Out July 2020

Have you ever designed a home for a family? I haven’t, but I know people who have. Robert and Cortney Novogratz, the US design stars whose series of home renovations cause a regular sensation in the States, each one a colourful, well-considered project rich with joyful detail and lots of striped fabric. But what astounds me is that when they design each of their home projects, they are accommodating a family of nine. Yes, that’s right – seven children and a thriving design business. Their renovation story on page 22 is an important lesson in fun and function. Most of this issue is about making homes for families, with lots of clever ideas direct from our featured owners – mostly about how they got their incredible homes to fit the people…

Have you ever designed a home for a family? I haven’t, but I know people who have. Robert and Cortney Novogratz, the US design stars whose series of home renovations cause a regular sensation in the States, each one a colourful, well-considered project rich with joyful detail and lots of striped fabric. But what astounds me is that when they design each of their home projects, they are accommodating a family of nine. Yes, that’s right – seven children and a thriving design business. Their renovation story on page 22 is an important lesson in fun and function. Most of this issue is about making homes for families, with lots of clever ideas direct from our featured owners – mostly about how they got their incredible homes to fit the…

swing time This low-riding reinvention of a classic Modernist chandelier designed by Gino Sarfatti for Flos in 1958 presents today in a petite version, made with apartment living in mind. Lower ceiling heights can shatter dreams of full-sized dramatic pendant lamps, but at 70cm the 2097/18 works. The 18 LED light bulbs and their exposed cords also deliver a little industrial edge to the elegant and organic form. Priced at $3420. euroluce.com.au HOT SPOT NO.92 This neighbourhood joint just took Sydney bar dining to a whole new level with a three-strikes-and-you’re-in strategy: a transformative fitout by Pattern Studio, the cuisine of Michelin-starred chef John Lyons, and drinks selected by Super Super. Have small plates and drinks downstairs or a full-tilt degustation in one of the three dining salons upstairs, all elegantly decorated with feminine…

swing time This low-riding reinvention of a classic Modernist chandelier designed by Gino Sarfatti for Flos in 1958 presents today in a petite version, made with apartment living in mind. Lower ceiling heights can shatter dreams of full-sized dramatic pendant lamps, but at 70cm the 2097/18 works. The 18 LED light bulbs and their exposed cords also deliver a little industrial edge to the elegant and organic form. Priced at $3420. euroluce.com.au HOT SPOT NO.92 This neighbourhood joint just took Sydney bar dining to a whole new level with a three-strikes-and-you’re-in strategy: a transformative fitout by Pattern Studio, the cuisine of Michelin-starred chef John Lyons, and drinks selected by Super Super. Have small plates and drinks downstairs or a full-tilt degustation in one of the three dining salons upstairs, all…

How did Little Big Learning begin? Describe those early years Like most family-centred businesses, Little Big Learning started with the arrival of our own baby, a product that couldn’t be found and a mum – or two! – with an idea. The early days of business coincided with the early days of parenthood, so it was a blur of sleepless nights, juggling the needs of the two children (the human one and the business one), celebrating their milestones, crying over them (mostly the biz-child), laughing about them, and all the emotions in between. What is the philosophy behind the brand? It’s pretty simple. We ethically create natural and purposeful products for little big people, with a focus on the impact our choices have on the Earth. How do you choose which products…

After 20 years of living in Manhattan, and one too many brutal winters, we packed up our seven kids and headed across the country. We moved our brood from the West Village in New York City to the Hollywood Hills, arriving in August, a week before the school year began. We moved into a rental home and immediately began to scour the city in search of the perfect fixer-upper. As we started the search, we had some important criteria; for us New Yorkers, a home within walking distance of restaurants and city life was non-negotiable. But we also wanted to take advantage of the incredible California weather, which meant having an outdoor space with a big patio and a swimming pool. It didn’t take long. After searching for a few weeks, we…