July 9, 2025 • 55 mins
Stepping into a beautiful home isn't simply about admiring aesthetics—it's about experiencing how deeply our surroundings affect our wellbeing. Design authority Melissa Penfold joins us to reveal the philosophy behind her stunning new book "Natural Living by Design," where timeless style meets environmental consciousness.
Melissa shares how her childhood beach house, with its weathered wood and connection to nature, shaped her understanding of nurturing spaces. This early influence sparked a career that would help countless Australians reimagine their homes as sanctuaries. The conversation unfolds with practical wisdom about creating spaces that ground us through natural materials—plaster walls, wooden floors, and stone elements that have stood the test of time.
What makes this discussion particularly refreshing is Melissa's insistence that sustainable design doesn't require massive budgets. She enthusiastically reveals her auction house strategies, explains why refurbishing existing elements often trumps replacement, and describes how simple touches like seasonal fruit displays or collected botanical specimens can transform a space more effectively than expensive renovations. The passion in her voice is palpable as she explains how these choices benefit not just current homeowners but future generations.
Beyond the expected design talk, Melissa offers unexpected insights about sound absorption, ventilation strategies, and creating "visual tactility"—elements rarely covered in typical interior discussions. She explains why even the most perfectly styled homes can feel soulless without elements of whimsy, drama, and personal history. The most luxurious homes in her book (from Giorgio Armani's never-before-published living room to a breathtaking Palm Beach residence) all follow these principles.
Ready to transform your space? Listen now and discover how small, thoughtful choices in materials, light, and arrangement can create homes that nurture both inhabitants and the planet.
'Natural Living by Design', available now at all great book stores or online
https://melissapenfold.com/new-book
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
you know, ask us questions and stuff as well, and
at the end of the podcast, um,we will.
Um, it just needs to download.
So just um, you can leave the,leave the platform, but just
don't close your computer untilit's 100 downloaded sure, and do
you edit anything out?
(00:23):
Yeah.
So if you're like oh, I didn'twant to say it like that, just
let us know when we can edit it,okay, sure yeah, hold the
button down for two seconds oh,we like it, we like it, ally.
So let's see, I think I've gotyou starting that one, brie, I
(00:49):
do.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Today on the podcast, we're thrilled to be joined by
one of Australia's mostrespected authorities on style,
interiors and design, MelissaPenfold.
On style, interiors and designMelissa Penfold, you may know
her from her long career as ajournalist and columnist for
publications like Vogue, LivingCountry Style and the Sydney
Morning Herald.
Her work has helped shape theway many Australians think about
(01:15):
the spaces they live in.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Melissa has a gift for showing how beautiful design
can also be deeply nurturingand accessible.
In her new book Natural Livingby Design.
It's a stunning exploration onhow to create homes that are not
just elegant and timeless, butalso sustainable, healthy and
aligned with the natural world.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
From the impact of childhood memories to practical
design tips, from the emotionalpower of awe to the quiet
confidence of timeless style,the book is an absolute insight.
We're so excited to dive intoit with her today, Melissa
welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Thank you so much.
It's so nice to be with you.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Thanks for having us.
I was so thrilled when you sentme a copy of your book.
It is absolutely gorgeous and Isuppose the thing is, you know,
it's got a fabric cover, andwho doesn't love a book with a
fabric cover?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
So pretty.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
But I think it is so much more than what it looks
like and I really wanted to diveinto, you know, some of the
ideas in the book as well.
I absolutely loved reading it.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
You're right.
It's not just a beautiful book.
There are so many design booksthat are.
I don't think there's ever beenmore design books.
This is not just a pretty book,which it certainly is.
It's a book with a purpose andit's ethical.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
I was.
Yeah, I was really.
I just really enjoyed readingit.
And in the introduction of thebook you mentioned a beach house
from your childhood.
You mentioned, if I can quotefrom the book, weathered wood,
wicker furniture, terracotta, etcetera.
It sounds sorry and then I wasgoing to say it sounds like
you've always taken a lot ofnotice in your environment and
(03:06):
was this beach house from yourchildhood, was that informative
in your career?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
talking about interior design and in
journalism.
I think it must have been.
I certainly didn't know it atthe time as a child, but I grew
up in.
That beach house was such ahappy place and it connected to
nature so beautifully.
It had windows where you couldsee the ocean.
It was right on the beach andmy mother had.
Great style was quiteavant-garde.
Our city home was done byMarion Horbis the whole house.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So I probably did a lot of design.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
My mother also was an antique dealer, so I grew up in
beautiful surroundings and, asI said, I don't think I knew it
at the time, but I was taking itall in and I can still now
memorize the layouts of all ourhouses, the fabrics, the pieces.
So and I I thought everyonecould do that, but I think
probably not.
(04:03):
And the interesting thing isthat wherever you live, even if
your house isn't on the beach orit's a rural estate, you can
bring those elements in.
And wherever I've lived sinceI've tried to do that.
So, yes, it probably did informmy design choices.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, it's funny how you don't realise until you're
older and you look back that oh,not everyone can pull that off
and has these beautifulinteriors and people don't
always live like that.
But it isn't that hard to kindof, I guess, introduce those
things into your home, is it?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
No, no, and that's the wonderful thing.
It's so easy.
And this is what the book isabout.
They're very, very small.
Everything you do think aboutit, there are small changes that
add up, and that's what I wantfrom the book to change people's
lives.
(05:03):
It's just small things, smalldecisions, but they have a
cumulative effect.
So every piece you choose foryour house, make it natural,
Make the materials natural.
I'm looking around, mike.
This is a city flat,harbourside flat, but it's
everything I'm looking at.
There's paper mache, there'stimber, there's there's stone,
(05:26):
there's sisal, there's wood,there's, it's, it's.
I'm surrounded by naturalmaterials and they can transport
you to a place and time faraway, even though I'm right in
the middle of double bay.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
That's so true, I love the picture that you've
painted.
I love the picture that you'vepainted there.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Everyone can do that and bring in more light.
I think you know bring in, orwill you?
You ask me questions.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Well, I was just going to apologize for the LED
colored microphone that we'veloaned you for this talk here.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
It's the most garish thing that your home's probably
ever had all these lovely,lovely natural things, and if
you're listening and can't seebut, um, we've sent melissa a
mic to use I'm so excited.
I feel very technologicallyadvanced with it but it's got
all these neon kind of ledlights happening.
(06:22):
You know it, it's flashinggreen.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Changes colours.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And then you're talking about all these
beautiful natural elements andit's balanced out.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
You can't by balancing everything out.
Behind me I've got grass weaveon the walls, you know.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
You need the disco to balance it.
I get it Totally.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
You know, I've got wool, I've got everywhere.
You look, there's lovely thingsand I'm on rattan chairs around
my desk and I'm constantly,when I'm thinking, just feeling
things and inspired.
What sort of fact goes back tothat.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Sorry, Lauren's going to go.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Well, I was just going to say that one of the
quotes that I loved from thebook.
A nourishing home is one thatpromotes healthy living, and
you've just painted that picturethere, and it's all of those
natural materials that createsthat home environment.
They just feel good to besurrounded with.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, look, exactly.
Our homes should nurture us,they should heal us, they should
rejuvenate us.
It's an antidote to the chaosof the world outside.
More than ever, we need homesthat can and should be our
havens.
I like to walk in and just gooh, every time I come home.
And nourishing a home is onewhere lots of natural light.
(07:43):
So open your windows, pull offthe valances.
If you've got pelmets and stuff, pull them off.
Bring in as much natural light,obviously, if you can.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
I love natural light so much, you know, raised
ceilings and enlarged doorways.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
That's great, but that's life-changing, but it can
be expensive.
There are other ways to bringin light.
Use pale color schemes, lightcolor schemes.
Don't use dark color schemes.
Don't hang dark paintings.
Use matte surfaces because theyreflect light.
Hang mirrors they reflect light.
But you also want to bringplants inside.
(08:17):
You want views of the outdoors.
You want non-toxic materials,which is what I was talking
about plaster, wood, stoneplaster.
One thing, and I didn't realiseuntil we looked at the whole
book nearly every house in thisbook has plaster walls or
lime-washed walls, and theeffect can be spellbinding to
live with.
(08:37):
Our country house haslime-washed or plaster walls and
it just makes everything makesyou feel grounded.
And timber floors you instantlyfeel grounded.
I actually have sisal here andI don't think they work as well.
I was recently staying with mydaughter and she's got timber
floors down in Melbourne andthey are just so grounding.
(08:59):
The smell of them.
There's nothing like justnatural materials.
So you just want to think aboutevery single material you bring
into your life, into your homethe lighting, the materials.
You want wonderful sofas thatyou can curl up into.
You want comfortable beds.
(09:20):
You want beautiful dinnerwareto have and hold.
You want great glasses.
You want beautiful dinnerware tohave and hold.
You want great glasses, youwant great door handles.
Anything you have and holdevery day has to be the best you
can afford.
It's sustainable, and that'swhere we get into this climate
change.
Do it once and do it right withyour decisions.
Buy the best you can afford andit will last, so that's nice
(09:42):
and sound.
Last, so that's nice and sound.
Sound is so important.
I had a door that creaked droveme crazy.
Oilish Floorboards that creakput a rug down.
My son was staying with me fora while over COVID and he would
crash the pans in the kitchen.
We got to buy this Magic.
I don't hear anyone in thekitchen anymore.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
But these little things I haven't thought about
that, these little things, thesound of that, the sound.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
You know so many houses that design houses that
you see in all the smartmagazines and on Instagram are
very hard surfaces, lots ofglass and lots of metal and
steel and concrete.
We need soft things, we needsound absorbing things for
luxury, to soothe us and forserenity.
And we need, you know, hanger,tapestry, get-throw rugs,
(10:30):
cushions, curtains they're allthe things that create a home
that nurtures and nourishes.
So add those layers and, evenwith windows, you know the two
things you want.
You want a house that's wellventilated, so think of layers
on your windows.
(10:51):
You know sunscreen, rollerblinds, shutters, louvers,
awnings, so you can get a breezethrough the whole house and you
don't need air conditioning.
So people talk aboutsustainability and climate
change and think, oh yeah, thatsounds nice, but it sounds
expensive.
Um, you'll save money becauseyou're not.
You're not.
(11:12):
Um, uh, turning on air con.
And the other thing is, inwinter, make sure all your
windows are airtight and seal upany cracks.
You ever been in a drafty housewith wind coming up through the
floorboards?
So it's like putting your housein a woolly jumper.
(11:32):
That's the other thing, and evenreally thin particle board in a
house, can you know, help yourenergy efficiency by up to four
times and again you save money.
And this is all nourishing.
It's just nourishing, it'sclimate control, it's everything
.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Look, I could go on Just read the book, and you have
, but it's a really good pointabout.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
It's really basic stuff common sense, A lot of
climate and sustainability isvery technical, or it's very
general.
This is just I never realized.
I'm actually quite sustainablyminded, because I don't renovate
kitchens and bathrooms.
I make do with what I've gotand smarten them up, and because
(12:16):
if hardwood cupboards are good,they should last for 100 years
with a coat of paint and newdoorknobs.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Yeah, that's so true.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
So the less you do, the more sustainable.
It is Sorry that's getting offyour question of nurturing home.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
But basically no.
But it sort of leads into thenext one, which was the fact
that you actually do talk aboutclimate change and
sustainability in such a, Iguess, a beautifully aesthetic
book.
That I don't think.
I think it's a bit of asurprise, isn't it, that we
don't really get that a lot tokind of touch on that.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
I love that you ask that, Brie and Lauren.
I love that you ask thatbecause it's when I see those
off the grid container I think,oh, that looks a bit scary, that
looks scary and expensive and Idon't know where to go with all
that Great.
But this is just every decisionyou make, Weigh it up and take
(13:11):
less from the give more to theenvironment than you take.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And yeah, that's, and even though the houses, so
weigh every decision up.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Even though the houses are very high-end and
luxurious and they're all overthe world, it usually trends,
usually start there and filterright down to the rest, the rest
with everything and this iswhere it's starting um luxury.
Now is this sustainability andthis caring about our
environment.
(13:40):
The book's dedicated to mygrandson.
I've got this darling littleboy that my daughter had.
He's now two and I was thinkinghow.
I was in New York and there wasthis.
It was right, as I'd had ameeting with my publisher in the
summer of 2023 and New York wasempty.
In the afternoon it was, theskies were yellow and I thought,
(14:02):
god, what is going on?
And it was the bushfires fromCanada.
Oh wow, and everyone didn'texcept me.
I was trotting around on my ownand I thought what can I do to
make this my bit with my designknowledge to help future
generations?
So if we all do this stuff, weleave the world a better place
for our children.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
That's such a beautiful sentiment as well, I
think and to think about.
I mean, we probably think aboutour kids, but yeah, they're
grandkids.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Well, my children.
I'm hoping to leave a betterworld for my children and my
grandchild and their friends.
Well, that's the way it shouldbe?
Unfortunately, I don't thinkthem if they don't have more,
and my grandchild and theirfriends, yeah Well that's the
way it should be.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Unfortunately, I don't think everyone thinks that
way.
I think everyone lives verymuch in the moment and I think
it's so nice, even just thethings you're saying about not
you know, completely renovatingsomething and fixing things and
actually improving what youalready have, and that's also
where a lot of character comesfrom in our homes too, isn't it
a house?
Speaker 2 (15:02):
oh brie, so true.
That's how you get a house thatlooks layered and lived in by
by.
I often go into houses.
I've learned the most bylooking at what not to do.
I go into a perfect house andall the right brands, all the
right names, and I think this ishas no soul, this house yeah, I
(15:22):
agree and it's usually becauseone of the best things that I
think will probably you'llprobably ask me about this is,
um, shopping your own home, yeah, and reusing what you've got.
And you know our country houseit wasn't I mean, it was a
beautiful house you can see iton my Instagram but it's.
(15:43):
I didn't like the wallpaperthey'd used, but I kept it and I
I made it work.
The floors were salvaged Frenchoak, but they're a bit orange.
I did, I kept them and madethem work and it all worked and
no one would have noticed, butit's making things work, you
don't?
(16:03):
have to rush in and redo it all,as I said, kitchen and
bathroom's here or in the powderroom.
I put Toile de Jouy, newwallpaper up and it was from a
photo shoot.
I said anyone want that?
Great, I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
And it looks fabulous and a new basin, and I think
that's the thing with your book.
You know it looks very elevated, no doubt, as you said, the
designers and the photography,it's world class, they're
incredible.
But the message that you'retalking about is about climate
change.
I have to say I was prettysurprised, I know, but it's
(16:39):
really down to earth and thetips that you give in there.
I mean your passion.
Just hearing you talking, I amjust wanting to, like, dig out
some beautiful dinnerware orsomething that I don't have.
I was going to say, go out andbuy stuff, but that's not the
message.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
No, no but you could thrift it.
Beautiful dinnerware can befound.
I love finding stuff like that.
You don't need to.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Isabella.
My daughter came back from herand her husband had been in
america and uh london when theyfirst got married for two years
and they came back and got aplace in um sydney three bedroom
, nothing.
They didn't have a thingbecause they'd been living in
rentals that were fullyfurnished.
Anyway, she decorated it in twoweeks from auction for nothing.
(17:25):
And it ended up on the frontcover of a 12-page story in
House and Garden.
Front cover, the dining roomtable was $150.
Seriously Her desk which washuge, which was an old French
refectory table was $100.
She got a chest, a Georgianchest of drawers for $100.
I told the head of the auctionhouse how much she got it all
(17:47):
for.
He said that's stopping.
I didn't know there were thingsslipping through the system for
those prices.
She did the whole, apart from abed and a sofa.
Everything was bought atauction in two weeks.
That's wild.
And this is the whole thing,this whole circular economy.
It doesn't go into landfill,it's available now.
(18:08):
There's no shipping costs andalso the stuff has gravitas.
It's weightier, it's made morebeautifully and if you buy two
good pieces of furniture a year,in 10 years you'll have 20
great pieces.
I've still got a chair I boughtwith my first paycheck from
Bell Magazine when I leftuniversity, which was $2,000 I
(18:32):
had to save up and a mirror fromCountry Trader that I bought
for $2,000.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
And it's gone from house to house.
But also then you've gotmemories attached to that right,
even just the fact that youremember that's when you bought
it and it was with your firstpaycheck.
So those things have meaning,even if they're not expensive
things or you know particularbrands.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
To me at the time they were expensive, that $2,000
.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
I was making $540 a week.
Yeah, of course no doubt.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I was making $540 a week and I had to save up, but I
was so thrilled and 40 yearslater, I've still got them.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah, so, melissa, can you tell us a little bit
about your background?
So you mentioned that youworked at Bell Magazine.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Oh, so I did a.
I did a communications andliterature degree and while I
was there I did a workexperience for Kerry Packer at
ACP for House and GardenMagazine, and they kept me for
12 years and I ended up theyoungest design editor ever at
Bell Magazine.
(19:34):
I then got headhunted when Iwas 29 to set up Domain and they
had about 20 people.
Yeah, and I didn't want to gobecause you know I was happy
with the magazines.
It was glossy and glamorous andall my friends were there
Anyway, and it was probably thebest thing.
(19:54):
They had a lot of people andthey wanted me and so I just had
my second child and he wasabout six months old.
Anyway, they said we want youto do the upfront double page
column.
If that works, domain will work.
Anyway, I ended up doing it.
I then had Bargain Huntercolumns in Spectrum, which was
the most read column anywhereever and the most copied column,
(20:16):
and I stayed there for six, uh,17 years and writing those
columns every week, um, and theyhad two million readers a week
oh wow, must have loved you.
I think I sold more advertising.
I was the highest paidcontributing editor the Herald
(20:37):
because my pages brought in somuch.
You know revenue and all thenews editors who were serious
couldn't work it out.
You know I was writing aboutcandles and cushions but it's
what everyone wanted to know andyou know there's been this
tsunami of interest in interiorsever since it wasn't there.
I brought a visual culture intoa writing culture at the Herald
(21:01):
and also showed people okay,what people were doing in the
$30 million houses where to getthe colour paint.
You mightn't have the $30million house, but you can use
the same colour paint.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Yeah, that's so true, you can use the same tiles.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
You can get the look for less.
That is so inspiring and youdon't need, because when people
come to your house, they don'tnotice the million dollar
architecture, they notice theflowers yeah, the personal
details, the cushions, theynotice, you know.
Um, I'm just going to show you.
(21:40):
I mean, the first thing I everdo each week is oh, girls is
bring.
Oh, it doesn't look very good,but I get Beautiful.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Magnolia.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
I get just, I bring life into the house.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
I will go in here.
I love that too, and it's easy.
You can do that in your owngarden too, or even just the
next door neighbors.
I just go out with my littlesecateurs and steal a couple of
branches you know it.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Just, it can be the most beautifully decorated place
in the world, but it looks deadif you don't bring life and
nature into it.
Foliage plants you know, I hadan invented private room.
It was done by one of the bestdecorators in Australia but it
was flat.
So I just went to one of thegrocers and found what was on
(22:34):
sale lemons $1.99, about fivekilos.
For what's that?
$12.
And then daffodil, jonquils andeucalypt and I don't like
eucalypt much were on sale.
So I bought masses of them,piled them in little terracotta
pots, little old earthenwarepots.
It was magic.
(22:56):
Now anyone can do that.
It's bringing you.
You want to buy the fruit?
Buy 30 apples, 30 potatoes,pile them into a tray, make them
look as though they're about tofall off the table and
instantly it brings soul into ahouse.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Agree it's kind of incidental stuff right.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
A little bit.
I know what you were saying.
We see a lot of projects andthey are the multi,
multi-million dollar and you canalmost see the schedule of the
furniture.
Well, that's from here, that'sfrom there.
Dot, dot dot.
But it's those things that yousay go to your grocer's, go to
your Woolworth's, whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
But they don't have soul.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Exactly, they don't have soul.
And it's actually not expensive.
And what we actually um, notexpensive.
No, yeah, and I think that'sanother surprise in the book, a
lot of those tips and you giveso many tips so generously
throughout the whole bookthey're not go out and buy the
most expensive sofa in the world.
It is those little things thatyou can do that elevate your
(23:57):
space and make it feel alive,and I'm just hearing you talk so
passionately about it.
No wonder you've written manybooks and writing it's just,
it's so infectious, it's justawesome.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I just I want everyone to have a beautiful
house and to know it can changewhat surrounds you, affects you.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
What surrounds you affects you.
Good design creates good moods,and it affects your mood, your
health, your happiness and look.
I know this more than ever frommy house in the country.
I have never felt so well, andso I didn't go to a doctor for
15 years.
I just I.
(24:39):
It elevated me in a way I'venever known, because every room
opened, looked out onto greenery, you stepped onto grass.
There was wooden floors, therewere plaster walls, it was just
so earthy and so grounding.
And okay, you may not have arural you know country house,
(25:01):
but these elements you can bringinto your weathered wood
furniture, textured walls.
You know a stone fireplace inthe city.
These are the things that willtransport you and bring you this
peace, and so there's a lot oftactility.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
I think that's what you're talking about.
Everything that you're sayingis very tactile, even if it's a
visual.
I call it like a visualtactility and that's what you
want.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
You want to bring in the sound, the sense of nature,
your rooms.
You want to actually create thefeeling of a forest, almost
like open spaces and littleshady spots.
And that's what you have to belike Light and dark, Like you
would find outdoors.
(25:47):
So I am sure, like you weresaying, Lauren, you know you go
into these bigmultimillion-dollar places and
they're too open and if you'veever lived in an open place, you
do need little places toretreat as well.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
A hundred percent I agree with that and you know I I
picked that up in your book.
What you said earlier aboutsound, you know we we see images
, we see images and you know wecan explain um, texture and
everything like that.
But I was like oh, sound, wenever talk about that.
You don't read about that ininterior books.
I thought that was a reallygood point.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Sound is so important .
If you can introduce a littlebabbling water feature, tiny,
it's just magic, especially inan urban place.
Music, of course.
Scent, you know every night Iget a little.
I'm a bit wary of candlesbecause of their toxicity, but a
tiny little candle, the littleone, and just you know I turn on
(26:46):
the table lamps which are, likeyou know they're like the
earrings of the interior andbecause that will bring that
most prize of human experiences,which is pure enjoyment your
lights, your soft lights, thescent.
So remember, there's nothingworse than walking into a house
(27:08):
and thinking, oh, this smellshideous.
Or we've all stayed in thosehotels where you can't open the
windows.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yeah, or the artificial smell and the
synthetic carpet and syntheticfurniture where you can't open
the windows, or the artificialsmell Like you've got to feel
real too and synthetic carpetand synthetic furniture and you
think, oh, we want theantithesis of that.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
You know it was interesting what you said
earlier.
When you're a child and thenyou realize that you were really
capturing, you could reallyremember everything and I
remember that as well.
As a kid, I would go to afriend's house and go oh, this
is different, this is adifferent way of living.
Do you ever open those curtains?
And why is there handles herewithout a tassel on them?
(27:52):
Because where I grew up, my mumhad a tassel hanging on every
single doorknob.
Handle, little thing.
So it is interesting, yeah, andit's just like the, because I
think we understand how it canreally change your life.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
look you're in the mood of a place too people go to
psychiatrists and psychologistsfor their head, but no one
thinks about their surroundings,which I am sure research shows.
Actually, yeah, it's morepowerful than anything I agree
causes.
You know the wrong environmentanxiety, sleep problems, stress.
You know all the chronicdiseases.
(28:27):
Get it right, you'll fly.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Yeah, it's like you said, lauren about going to
someone's house when you'reyounger and I'm thinking about
that and, um, the houses thatstood out for me were the ones
that felt like warm and lived inand you were really comfortable
and felt safe there.
And then there were the onesthat were like so neat and tidy
and everything in its place,perfect, and I felt the
(28:49):
tenseness of that home.
Yeah, I still know those peopleand I know that that's part of
their like that is part of thefamily was really tense and it
was reflected in the interior,and that's what we want to do.
Part of the family was reallytense and it was reflected in
the interior, and that's what wewant to capture the first one
the comfort the safeness.
Yes, the safeness, I think, isa big deal.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Wanting to linger a safe haven and you know when you
walk into a room whether it'ssuccessful or not, and you want
to spend time in and you don'twant to leave.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
And you know the ones like it's a nice feeling.
And it's not always about themost expensive things, and I
thought that was reallyrefreshing.
In the book as well, you gavesome really great tips.
It wasn't, as I said, aboutspending a lot of money.
It's those simple things thatcan really have a lot of impact.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
We show the best to inspire, but from all of them
there are ideas that you can youknow use.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
I think you said in the book something like how much
you spend is less importantthan how well you channel your
inner curator and mix thingsfrom different eras, and I just
loved that.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
It's mixing those eras.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
It's not all about having all the most expensive.
Sure, there's some things thatare worth investing in, and I
was talking about that the otherday.
I think artwork is, and I thinkthat's sort of contrary to a
lot of people think, oh, I'vegot to buy the most expensive
sofa.
I'm like, no, you don't have to, but invest in those other
things like artwork.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
I would rather have an amazing artwork than a really
expensive sofa.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
I've never spent more than $500 on a sofa ever.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Oh wow, I'd love to hear that I know.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Look, I have got friends in the right places.
You know designers.
Usually I say, every time youwant to offload a sofa, send it
to me, but it'll be a top sofa.
And they say, give me $500 forit, I love it, go to auction,
auction, auction.
It's a secondary market.
100%, you know, I would not.
I put my money into otherthings.
(30:46):
Sorry, what were you saying too?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Well, I was just yeah about mixing things from
different eras as well.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Oh, yes, yes, yes, yeah, look, it used to be the
status symbol, used to be howmuch you spent.
You know how much.
Oh, I'm buying an Italiancontemporary sofa for, you know,
huge money.
Now, it's how well you channelyour inner curator, how well you
can mix things, and that is areal art and it's to do it
(31:20):
successfully you need to put acap on the number of stars.
So I mean, yes, you can have abit of French and a bit of
Chinese and a bit of English anda bit of American, but you
don't want Edwardian, victorian,you know, you want to stick to
maybe Regency or Georgian withcontemporary, and there's a big
(31:45):
difference between layered anddistracted.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
And a big mess.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yeah, and a dog's breakfast, a dog's breakfast.
So the secret is having a focalpoint.
You must have a focal point,and all those rooms, the
successful ones, you probablydidn't even know as a kid.
Brie would have had a focalpoint, a fireplace a piece of
art a fabulous rug, a statementrug or something that forces you
(32:12):
to relax.
If you've ever been into a roomyou can't relax, it's usually
there's no focal point there'stoo many things.
Yeah, I totally get that it'scluttered and distracted.
So I think that's probably youcan't think.
Curating, you know, lettingyour inner curator think, is
code for anything goes, becauseit's not anything goes Well.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
The word curation is the key there, right yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:38):
And eclectic everyone .
If you ever ask them what'syour style, they go eclectic.
Well, eclectic is not a bywordfor anything goes.
It's so true, it's not.
You must have, you must have afocal point, and it's a bit
trickier to achieve than thanmost people think.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
I think it is yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
And I don't think the focal point.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
You don't understand it?
Well, no, no, I was just goingto say I don't think the focal
point should be the tv either ohgod, no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
I don't even have a tv any.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Oh well, I've got one that doesn't work, but um yeah,
um, I liked the way that youbreak down the chapters of the
book, and the chapter that Ithought was an interesting one,
which kind of talks about thatfocal point in a way, is the awe
chapter.
Oh yeah, I love awe and there'sthis incredible image in there
(33:33):
with this fantasy scene muralwallpaper, and I think that
people might not have a focalpoint or might not want to
create that sense of awe intheir space because they're
terrified of getting it wrong.
So, do you have any tips orsomething for them to sort of
(33:53):
take that leap?
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Well, they can start small.
So if they, you know, ifthey're nervous, start small,
start in a small area, start ina powder room, start in a small
entry, start inside a cupboard.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Powder room's always great, isn't it Inside a
cupboard inside a pantry Painteda bright colour.
I love that, yeah, painted abright colour, that's cute.
A nice little surprise.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Fabulous, busy, crazy wallpaper that you love but are
too scared to use in a biggerarea.
And then every time you open it, it's a wonderful, an
unexpected moment, a surprisingmoment.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
You find yourself standing in the cupboard all the
time just because you love thewallpaper so much.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Yeah, that's the reason In a pantry, and that's a
way to start small and get yourconfidence up.
Pantry, and that that's a wayto start small and get your
confidence up.
But it can be, you know, it canbe an entry, an alcove, a
bedroom, a um, a hallway anysmall area and it doesn't have
to be a you know, faux books.
(34:55):
It can be stripes, a brightcolor or a brighter color than
you would normally use.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Something that brings you lots of joy, right.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Exactly, and I think a bit of whimsy, and this has
been great working with thesepublishers Vendome because
they've increased my.
I have very.
My taste is very.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
I like non-colors and beiges and accrues and scotches
and car keys, so sort ofneutrals.
Yes, and they have sort ofhelped me be riskier Because
they're giving you a groundingspace and then you're adding to
that.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
I've always liked ground and humble, always, but
just a bit, I think, interiorswithout a bit of whimsy, quirk,
theatre, drama.
I went into an influencer'shouse with a designer friend and
I could not believe how boringit was.
And I said to my designerfriend when we left, what was
(35:58):
the matter with that house, whydidn't you put me off?
And they said no, drama,everything was from the right
fabric places.
It would have, you know, noexpense spared.
But there was no drama, notheatre.
So even if that theatre is amassive Baroque table Baroque,
by the way, is a bargain atauctions at the moment a massive
18th century mirror, you knowjust something fun, and this is
(36:23):
all you know.
It can even be breaking up yourkitchen cupboards with a
ruffled curtain.
You've all seen that.
I love that.
Yeah, put it on and it's just.
You know, hang a Anna Spiro,does this?
Hang a whole bunch of plates ona wall, you know for drama and
like just trays on a wall.
(36:45):
You know rattan trays on a wall.
Things do not need to be.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Something a bit unexpected as well.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
Yeah, I've got a bunch of rattan trays in the
kitchen, just all over the place, and I don't know where I got
them over the years, but theywouldn't have cost much and they
look amazing.
You can hang, you know, allkinds of plates.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
I'm getting very inspired.
I feel like this weekend I'mgoing to be like going around my
own place and going.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
What else can I do?
We set up a festive drinkstable.
It's one of the easy tableagainst the wall and then just
do a really festive drinks tablewith lots of you know.
I went into a girl's house andshe had a huge wooden bowl
filled with coca-cCola cans andit was just so fabulous my kids
would love that.
(37:31):
Yeah, well, that's the problem.
So do some fun things.
You do need a little bit ofwhimsy, fun, excitement,
surprise in an interior, just toprovide uplift.
And that oar is an important.
(37:52):
And the six, the six chaptersare flow, light, ease,
timelessness, or and nature.
And look at any one of them.
Used on their own, can changeyour mood, your life, but used
together, they are magic.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I love that.
I want everyone to experiencethem.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
I want everyone to experience them.
I'm just so excited by thepossibilities.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
And you give that, you share that passion in your
book as well, and I think thatthat's what I found really
refreshing about the book interms of the image has been
quite high end, but you're sortof breaking them down and saying
, look, but that's what I foundreally refreshing about the book
in terms of the images beingquite high end, but you're sort
of breaking them down and saying, look, you know the plates on
the wall and I was just flippingthrough the book then and there
was some images like that andyou could literally go to the
(38:39):
auction house or you could evenfind some quirky stuff off
Marketplace and use them in anunexpected way they said all my
kids use that all the time.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
Oh, my mum is the queen.
Can I ask about?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
the auctions yeah, I have never bought anything
auction.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Oh my God, you will become addicted.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
Bree Addicted, I think I would, and maybe that's
one of the reasons I haven't noAddicted.
But what are the can you giveme?
Like?
Where do you even start?
Like, what can give me?
Like?
Where do you even start?
Like, what are the tips?
Speaker 2 (39:13):
when you start to look at auction houses and I
feel like it's a bitnerve-wracking like do you go in
with like a budget or do youjust go on instinct, like what's
the?
How do you do it?
It's the same thing buy whatyou love and I'm guided by price
and I look for a bargain andwhat?
I love and you know you can'tthis.
You've got to register.
you can't accidentally buy anashtray for $10,000 because
there's, you know they could,because that's the sort of thing
(39:35):
I would probably do no, youcan't because there are sort of
you've got to register threetimes and then you've got to go
through steps, so it'simpossible to do you leave a bid
.
I go on the Thursday auctionson Lennon Jog.
I've got an article in HarsinGarden my daughter and I do a
monthly thing with them calledLittle Black Book.
Oh yes, yeah.
(39:55):
And next month's auctions andwe go through all the auction
houses and talk about ourfavourites.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Oh, I'm going to have to go and read that.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Lennon Jog is our new favorite and they have a
Thursday salon auction.
Oh, vickers and Hode, amazing.
All the dealers shop there.
All the dealers shop there,that's a good tip.
I bought a tapestry a Frenchtapestry for $50.
It's on my wall, Seriously.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
So you just leave a bid and just see if you win, I'm
going to have to do this youwill become addicted.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Isabella and I are.
I don't read books.
What?
Speaker 3 (40:37):
do, you do.
So you have multiple propertiesto put things into.
But if you're still buyingstuff, where is it going?
I'm getting rid of stuff I sellon auction.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
So I sell a lot too.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
And does it help things stay fresh as well.
Like it's like.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Well, it's time for this piece to go when I go into
people's houses and they're thesame as they were five years
before, because, like you, I canremember.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
I think yeah, you kidding, I know you know I have
no judgment, I have things thatI get sick of and I don't
necessarily.
Sometimes you sell them andsometimes they just kind of get
put away and you bring somethingelse out.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Right, I've made a fortune.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Smart you sell.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
So you know you make money on all this stuff you buy
and it's just circular and thenit goes into another world.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Well, it's another part of it being sustainable,
right is actually you're noteven spending new money.
You're not even spending newmoney, You're just spending
money, that was already there inother pieces.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Yeah, it's all very simple.
Yeah, the Leonard Joel sign upto the emails but they are quite
tempting.
But I also like looking at thecategories like jewellery Like
I'm not going to go out andspend $20,000 on a diamond, but
how fun to look at them all.
Speaker 2 (41:46):
But yeah, I've bought a big artwork.
I'm stunned how cheap thejewellery is.
I've never bought like vintagejewellery, but it looks amazing.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
I'm scared of curses.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Oh.
That's so funny, you know likeyou buy a ring and then you find
out it belonged to some deadlady and she was cursed by
another woman because they stoleeverything for jewelry and just
focus on the um, focus on thefurniture, but you know the
things that are cheap at themoment are georgian and regency
(42:21):
furniture all the brownfurniture, but no, not all the
brown, just ge Georgian andRegency.
It is fantastic.
Baroque is very, you know, Iactually quite like Baroque and
clocks.
You know, amazing French clocks, because no one has clocks
anymore, do they no?
But they look fabulous and theyadd elegance.
(42:42):
What we all want is effortlesselegance.
That's the ultimate aim.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
Hmm, well, I have a theory, um, based on what you're
saying, melissa, to buy up allof their underpriced furniture
that is such good quality andkeep it in a warehouse for 30
years until the trend cyclerolls around again.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
Like a mid-century thing.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
Exactly Because it's so underpriced.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Beware of storage.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
I'm just joking.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yeah, I know, I know.
So look, it's so exciting ourhomes and the possibilities, and
the possibilities and I thinkthe book is just about.
I was so excited because I hadto do a PowerPoint presentation
the other day at an event and Iactually went through all the
captions and I could not believethe designers in this book.
(43:39):
They're the 1% of the 1% in theworld that are in this book.
So you're looking at the bestthere is, and they are all using
these techniques that I breakdown, that are so easy for all
of us.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
And they do look effortless.
I think that's one of thethings that I take away when I
look at all those interiors.
There's obviously an absolutewarmth.
You're very drawn to it, butthere is an effortless look
about them.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
Yeah, and it's just weighing up every you know,
weighing the trade-offs.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
When you make a decision, whether it's cushions,
lighting, ventilation, weighthe trade-offs and just make
sure they all have a positiveeffect on your life and on the
planet, and that's, that's howyou will flourish and that's how
we will all flourish youmentioned timeless as well,
(44:31):
that's one of the chapters andand lauren and I've had lots of
conversations about timelessinteriors, um, but I guess
what's your like, what is yourtake on that in terms of
timeless interior like, what'syour explanation of why?
Speaker 2 (44:46):
I think everyone has a different sort of take on it I
think, whatever your, whateveryour um style, no matter what
your style is, the use ofnatural materials will will
always boost your sense ofwell-being.
So, um, just use timelessmaterials like stone, like what?
(45:08):
What we were talking?
about stone wood metal, glass,terracotta, lime wash that stood
the test of time and they lookas fresh now as they did
hundreds of years ago.
And, like I said for urbandwellers, timelessness stone,
fireplace, textured walls,weathered furniture it will
transport you to a time andplace far away.
(45:29):
You know we're looking fortimeless things.
Work with your own possessions,shop your own house.
It's not only a sensibleapproach and Brie, you brought
this up it creates that feelingthat your interior has always
been there, which is somethingwe want.
We don't want to look as thoughwe've just arrived.
That a river's day looksomething we want.
We don't want to look as thoughwe've just arrived.
(45:49):
Yeah, um, that a riviste.
Look um.
So you know, use an old chair,a beautiful old chair with a
thatch seat.
Um, I love, um, I'll just showyou this.
Um, I use these from.
Everyone says where do you getyour accessories from?
I always, whenever we go instyle, we use these pots from
(46:10):
Water Tiger.
Now they are used so much in mybook.
Is it terracotta?
I think so, yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:19):
Is it just like so?
Yeah, it's terracotta.
This is showing us thisbeautiful kind of worn pot, like
an old terracotta pot that'sgot layers of I don't know,
patina, what would it be?
Yeah, patina.
Speaker 2 (46:31):
Yes, it's just aged terracotta clay pot Clay yeah.
And they used in the book.
We did a house at Palm Beach.
The brief for the book was Ihad to get five houses you know
worldwide, but because I'mAustralian, we had to get at
least five houses from Australiathat had never been seen before
(46:54):
, like to be the best, andunpublished, which is very hard.
Speaker 3 (46:59):
Oh, that is hard, very hard, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (47:01):
And they sent a UK photographer from World of
Interiors.
Speaker 3 (47:05):
Oh exciting.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
I love World of Interiors and he does all de
gournay and um kit kemp's stufffor all her firm down which is
anyway.
He's quite well known.
He flew out in summer lastsummer of 24 and I've got this
palm beach house which isincredible and it had all these
wall niches with the mostincredible pots, all from Water
(47:26):
Tiger, which is a shop.
She's been around Kathy Bruceforever and she imports them.
I use these.
I mean all kinds.
They're all different, they'reall one-offs but they will
instantly add soul to your place.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
Agree.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
Yeah, and I think that was.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
I think I'm taking away.
Sorry, lauren, I'm just goingto take away from your version
of timeless is that it can standthe test of time or it has
stood the test of time, whetherthat's a material or a piece of
furniture.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
Yes, that's what makes it timeless.
Yes, I love.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
I don't think we've had that explanation before and
they're not as fresh today asthey have hundreds of years.
Speaker 2 (48:07):
All these, as fresh today as they have hundreds of
years, all these things.
Speaker 3 (48:12):
So, this could have been used in Pompeii, this
vessel.
Speaker 2 (48:16):
But somehow it looks, it freshens up an interior
immediately.
You put that into one of yourmodern interiors, you go into
instantly.
Speaker 1 (48:31):
It makes it look timeless and modern at the same
time.
Yeah, and I was thinking aboutthat Influencers house that you
said you visited.
It sounded like a reallyon-trend vanilla beige, nothing,
yeah, and add those kind ofpots in there and instantly it's
like, oh, hang on, something'sgoing on here of interest.
Yeah, it's so good kind of potsin there and instantly it's
like oh, hang on, something'sgoing on here of interest.
Speaker 2 (48:48):
Yeah, it's so good.
She added them with someincredibly spontaneous,
authentic natural flowerarrangement Fabulous, yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
Fabulous, nice moment .
You know.
You mentioned those that PalmBeach house, which is sublime,
that's sprinkled throughout thebook.
Palm Beach house, which issublime, that's sprinkled
throughout the book.
And you've got, you know,images from designers like Bunny
Williams, giorgio Armani, somany to name.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Yeah, giorgio Armani.
I think that his living roomhas never been published before,
that living room, which isreally exciting.
He never uses art, he only usesmirrors, which is a nice an
interesting take.
It is.
The captions are quiteinteresting.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
The captions are great.
I mean it's style and it'ssubstance.
It's an overused term, but Iguess because I've written a
couple of books as well and Iknow how hard it is to attain
those photographs.
How did you get those kind ofscoops?
Speaker 2 (49:52):
I worked with, I did a wish list of what.
So we had a brief of what wewanted to do with my publisher,
who's based in Palm Beach,florida and London.
I met them in New York insummer of 23.
And originally it was going tobe Mediterranean houses, because
(50:14):
they really go viral on myInstagram, and then we decided
it would be worldwide and itneeded to be worldwide, needed
to have an Australian element.
So I put together a wish listof the houses I wanted.
I think you said you liked theMadrid house, which I adore.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:34):
Converted cow shed Cow shed who knew I would have
liked to have more, but we'reonly allowed in this book to use
three photos from each house.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
Oh, right, that would have been harsh.
Speaker 2 (50:46):
Very right, that would have been harsh, very,
very so not the Australianhouses, but the international.
And so I did my wish list and Iwas working with the
publisher's researcher, who'sbased in Dorset in England, who
helped on my first book, andshe's probably the best in the
(51:06):
world at doing this, and she'sgot connections to all the top
photographers in the world.
So photographers are all thetop photographers in the world.
Yeah, it's clear to see.
And even the guy, simon Brown,that came out I've been working
with photographers all my lifeHis colour, his saturation, the
way he, the straightness of thephotos I mean I just couldn't
(51:31):
believe it.
It was quite extraordinary.
So we had our first pass andthen we just look.
I was spoiled for choice.
I was getting up every day andthere'd be new photos being sent
to me of.
Imani's house in Milan.
I could really wait to get outof it.
It was getting up every day andthere'd be new photos being
sent to me of Imani's house inMilan.
I could really wait to get outof bed.
Speaker 1 (51:49):
It was a joy putting this book together.
Speaker 3 (51:53):
People say oh, books are so hard.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
I found it because I'm a journalist.
I've worked in magazines andnews, but I found it an absolute
joy.
I loved it and I think itprobably comes across in the
page.
Speaker 3 (52:04):
Oh, it totally does it, and I think it probably
comes across in the page.
Oh, it totally does.
It comes across in the book.
But even just I love that we'vegot to actually hear you talk
about it, because it's making mefeel even more attached to the
book.
Like your passion really isquite clear.
Yeah, and everyone went on.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
They say, oh my God, I can't wait to go home and read
it again.
Oh, that's so nice and so yeah.
So I work very closely withKaren, who is the researcher
indoors, so who is brilliant andhas just incredible ties to all
the best photographers and mostof them.
(52:40):
We tried they had to be recentworks or preferably, and then we
, funnily enough, when we wentto put them in the chapters the
chapters I came up with most ofthem could go in any chapter.
Speaker 3 (52:56):
Yeah, because they have, as you said.
That's what makes them amazing,is they touch all those points
right.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
Well, light could have gone into flow or ease or
all.
It was quite extraordinary.
My daughter helped me with thatand we were going.
It was like a Rubik's Cube.
I thought I'm going to that,and with the art director too,
who was based in New York andshe was look, the team was
fabulous, I felt so fortunate.
(53:22):
And they've done books withCabana and Cabana Magazine and,
oh gosh, everyone.
Yeah, they really like theRolls Royce of publishers, so I
was very fortunate, but they itwas just.
That was interesting to me thateach image could almost go in
(53:43):
any chapter.
So when you get it right, youreally get it right.
Do you have a favourite, afavourite house?
Yeah, look that Palm Beachhouse.
I've been into houses all overthe world.
I spent three months in America, upstate New York, in 2023.
I went into a lot of the mostincredible houses in the
(54:05):
Hamptons and I love the Hamptons.
I didn't see a house like thatour Palm Beach house.
I went into a lot of the mostincredible houses in the
Hamptons and I love the HamptonsI didn't see a house like that,
our public house.
It was extraordinary.
It was based on Borgo, one ofthe big villas in Puglia that
the owners had gone to, and thecraftsmanship it's over five
(54:28):
levels.
It's sited into a hill,overlooking pit water.
At the back, instead of a wall,they've got a three or
five-story courtyard with palmtrees that were brought in so
light fills in from there,that's three stories, then
five-story light.
Well, filled with those Italianbowls on the wall.
Speaker 3 (54:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
You know the lifts are just yeah that.
Speaker 3 (54:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:59):
That's down the bottom Stunning.
Speaker 2 (55:04):
Look, it's just the most extraordinary hearse.
And you know, if I was given ahouse I'd love that actually.
Yeah, but do you know what?
Speaker 1 (55:12):
Is that the same house?
Yes, let's have a look.
So it's by Studio Snoop.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (55:19):
Yeah, incredible.
Do you know?
Amanda Talbot she does all this.
Speaker 3 (55:23):
Yeah, she does all.
I know Amanda.
She's.
She does all this.
Yeah, I know Amanda.
Speaker 2 (55:26):
She did Mary Bale.
She's in London now, but shedid Totties Freds Berts, so it's
got that very internationallook that could be anywhere.
It could be in Spain, it couldbe in Italy, it could be in
Greece.
It's that very Mediterraneanlook which I seem to be drawn to
(55:49):
.
Um, it's and it's not designedlike a designer.
Um, I tend to go for a moreundesigned look that's put
together with collections ratherthan fabrics.
Um, but that was fantastic.
The house in darling point bylinda carey is incredible.
It's just.
It's when you walk in, yoursenses are just, your blood
(56:11):
pressure just goes up.
The same as the Queen StreetWillara House.
That's two storeys, seven metreatrium with timber beams from
the Sydney Fish Wars that weresalvaged, 27 sets of antique
European doors that were broughtin, and again you just breathe
out when you go into this place,you just oh that sounds like
(56:38):
heaven.
And then again there was thehouse in Bellevue Hill that
Chloe Matters did and allplaster I think it just sold for
$50 million or something or $55or something.
It was the attention to detailand the things that we can all
(56:58):
use from that house.
It had a lot of built-inbonquette.
I think they must have beenmade in cement, but they were
then plastered with just amattress.
Very Greek, that feeling.
Speaker 3 (57:11):
Yeah, yep, it was gorgeous, so fun.
What about in your own space,melissa?
Like what, do you have afavourite room in your own home?
No, this so look.
Speaker 2 (57:22):
I always think my places are undesigned.
This flat is three bedrooms inDouble Bay.
It was the cover story.
I was surprised it was on thecover.
I didn't even know until it'dbeen on sale for about two weeks
.
I never in a million yearsexpected it to be on the cover,
but they did it last month forthe May issue, I think.
(57:43):
And I've had it for 20 years.
I'd never given it to amagazine because I'd never
really thought it was decorated.
When the journalist came shesaid are you kidding?
This may not be decorated foryou, but it is decorated.
You know it's fabulous.
But I've applied all the aspectsthat I talk about in my book to
(58:03):
this and the reason I bought itwas it's's a douglas snelling.
He was a 1960s arctic superstar.
I'm not a modernist but I likethe elements.
It's got floor to ceilingwindows across the whole
northeastern um aspect, sothere's a lot.
The quality of light isbeautiful and it's just.
(58:25):
I like places that can bemulti-purpose.
This I've.
You know it's been a crash pad.
I lived in the country for 10years while I had this, but it
was a city crash pad.
It's been a guest apartment forfriends.
It's where I have my workstudio.
I had my grandson's christeninghere for 40 people.
It was like a a day club withyou know fabulous.
(58:50):
I filled it with cakes fromFlower and Stone and lovely
chicken sandwiches, and wefilled all the huge pots on the
balcony with ice and champagneand it was just so fabulous and
so it showed.
Speaker 3 (59:06):
I want to go to one of your soirees, and it just
shows what you and so it's.
I want to go to one of your,one of your soirees, and it just
shows what you can do with aspace.
Speaker 2 (59:13):
If you've got imagination, yes.
Speaker 1 (59:16):
Well, thank you so much.
Melissa.
To inspire Exactly For sharingall of those great tips in the
book.
It is just an absolute joy andit's been so fantastic to meet
you and to chat today.
Speaker 3 (59:28):
Thank you so much a very infectious passion for
having me I know, I'm soinspired me too, we'll have to
meet, I don't know where.
Speaker 2 (59:38):
We'll talk later, but I don't know where?
Yes, that'd be amazing and I'dlike to you to get I'll get you
copies of my living world bydesign too anyway, thank you
natural living by.
you know, ask us questions and stuff as well, and
at the end of the podcast, um,we will.
Um, it just needs to download.
So just um, you can leave the,leave the platform, but just
don't close your computer untilit's 100 downloaded sure, and do
you edit anything out?
(00:23):
Yeah.
So if you're like oh, I didn'twant to say it like that, just
let us know when we can edit it,okay, sure yeah, hold the
button down for two seconds oh,we like it, we like it, ally.
So let's see, I think I've gotyou starting that one, brie, I
(00:49):
do.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Today on the podcast, we're thrilled to be joined by
one of Australia's mostrespected authorities on style,
interiors and design, MelissaPenfold.
On style, interiors and designMelissa Penfold, you may know
her from her long career as ajournalist and columnist for
publications like Vogue, LivingCountry Style and the Sydney
Morning Herald.
Her work has helped shape theway many Australians think about
(01:15):
the spaces they live in.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Melissa has a gift for showing how beautiful design
can also be deeply nurturingand accessible.
In her new book Natural Livingby Design.
It's a stunning exploration onhow to create homes that are not
just elegant and timeless, butalso sustainable, healthy and
aligned with the natural world.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
From the impact of childhood memories to practical
design tips, from the emotionalpower of awe to the quiet
confidence of timeless style,the book is an absolute insight.
We're so excited to dive intoit with her today, Melissa
welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Thank you so much.
It's so nice to be with you.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Thanks for having us.
I was so thrilled when you sentme a copy of your book.
It is absolutely gorgeous and Isuppose the thing is, you know,
it's got a fabric cover, andwho doesn't love a book with a
fabric cover?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
So pretty.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
But I think it is so much more than what it looks
like and I really wanted to diveinto, you know, some of the
ideas in the book as well.
I absolutely loved reading it.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
You're right.
It's not just a beautiful book.
There are so many design booksthat are.
I don't think there's ever beenmore design books.
This is not just a pretty book,which it certainly is.
It's a book with a purpose andit's ethical.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
I was.
Yeah, I was really.
I just really enjoyed readingit.
And in the introduction of thebook you mentioned a beach house
from your childhood.
You mentioned, if I can quotefrom the book, weathered wood,
wicker furniture, terracotta, etcetera.
It sounds sorry and then I wasgoing to say it sounds like
you've always taken a lot ofnotice in your environment and
(03:06):
was this beach house from yourchildhood, was that informative
in your career?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
talking about interior design and in
journalism.
I think it must have been.
I certainly didn't know it atthe time as a child, but I grew
up in.
That beach house was such ahappy place and it connected to
nature so beautifully.
It had windows where you couldsee the ocean.
It was right on the beach andmy mother had.
Great style was quiteavant-garde.
Our city home was done byMarion Horbis the whole house.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So I probably did a lot of design.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
My mother also was an antique dealer, so I grew up in
beautiful surroundings and, asI said, I don't think I knew it
at the time, but I was taking itall in and I can still now
memorize the layouts of all ourhouses, the fabrics, the pieces.
So and I I thought everyonecould do that, but I think
probably not.
(04:03):
And the interesting thing isthat wherever you live, even if
your house isn't on the beach orit's a rural estate, you can
bring those elements in.
And wherever I've lived sinceI've tried to do that.
So, yes, it probably did informmy design choices.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, it's funny how you don't realise until you're
older and you look back that oh,not everyone can pull that off
and has these beautifulinteriors and people don't
always live like that.
But it isn't that hard to kindof, I guess, introduce those
things into your home, is it?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
No, no, and that's the wonderful thing.
It's so easy.
And this is what the book isabout.
They're very, very small.
Everything you do think aboutit, there are small changes that
add up, and that's what I wantfrom the book to change people's
lives.
(05:03):
It's just small things, smalldecisions, but they have a
cumulative effect.
So every piece you choose foryour house, make it natural,
Make the materials natural.
I'm looking around, mike.
This is a city flat,harbourside flat, but it's
everything I'm looking at.
There's paper mache, there'stimber, there's there's stone,
(05:26):
there's sisal, there's wood,there's, it's, it's.
I'm surrounded by naturalmaterials and they can transport
you to a place and time faraway, even though I'm right in
the middle of double bay.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
That's so true, I love the picture that you've
painted.
I love the picture that you'vepainted there.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Everyone can do that and bring in more light.
I think you know bring in, orwill you?
You ask me questions.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Well, I was just going to apologize for the LED
colored microphone that we'veloaned you for this talk here.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
It's the most garish thing that your home's probably
ever had all these lovely,lovely natural things, and if
you're listening and can't seebut, um, we've sent melissa a
mic to use I'm so excited.
I feel very technologicallyadvanced with it but it's got
all these neon kind of ledlights happening.
(06:22):
You know it, it's flashinggreen.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Changes colours.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
And then you're talking about all these
beautiful natural elements andit's balanced out.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
You can't by balancing everything out.
Behind me I've got grass weaveon the walls, you know.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
You need the disco to balance it.
I get it Totally.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
You know, I've got wool, I've got everywhere.
You look, there's lovely thingsand I'm on rattan chairs around
my desk and I'm constantly,when I'm thinking, just feeling
things and inspired.
What sort of fact goes back tothat.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Sorry, Lauren's going to go.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Well, I was just going to say that one of the
quotes that I loved from thebook.
A nourishing home is one thatpromotes healthy living, and
you've just painted that picturethere, and it's all of those
natural materials that createsthat home environment.
They just feel good to besurrounded with.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, look, exactly.
Our homes should nurture us,they should heal us, they should
rejuvenate us.
It's an antidote to the chaosof the world outside.
More than ever, we need homesthat can and should be our
havens.
I like to walk in and just gooh, every time I come home.
And nourishing a home is onewhere lots of natural light.
(07:43):
So open your windows, pull offthe valances.
If you've got pelmets and stuff, pull them off.
Bring in as much natural light,obviously, if you can.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
I love natural light so much, you know, raised
ceilings and enlarged doorways.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
That's great, but that's life-changing, but it can
be expensive.
There are other ways to bringin light.
Use pale color schemes, lightcolor schemes.
Don't use dark color schemes.
Don't hang dark paintings.
Use matte surfaces because theyreflect light.
Hang mirrors they reflect light.
But you also want to bringplants inside.
(08:17):
You want views of the outdoors.
You want non-toxic materials,which is what I was talking
about plaster, wood, stoneplaster.
One thing, and I didn't realiseuntil we looked at the whole
book nearly every house in thisbook has plaster walls or
lime-washed walls, and theeffect can be spellbinding to
live with.
(08:37):
Our country house haslime-washed or plaster walls and
it just makes everything makesyou feel grounded.
And timber floors you instantlyfeel grounded.
I actually have sisal here andI don't think they work as well.
I was recently staying with mydaughter and she's got timber
floors down in Melbourne andthey are just so grounding.
(08:59):
The smell of them.
There's nothing like justnatural materials.
So you just want to think aboutevery single material you bring
into your life, into your homethe lighting, the materials.
You want wonderful sofas thatyou can curl up into.
You want comfortable beds.
(09:20):
You want beautiful dinnerwareto have and hold.
You want great glasses.
You want beautiful dinnerware tohave and hold.
You want great glasses, youwant great door handles.
Anything you have and holdevery day has to be the best you
can afford.
It's sustainable, and that'swhere we get into this climate
change.
Do it once and do it right withyour decisions.
Buy the best you can afford andit will last, so that's nice
(09:42):
and sound.
Last, so that's nice and sound.
Sound is so important.
I had a door that creaked droveme crazy.
Oilish Floorboards that creakput a rug down.
My son was staying with me fora while over COVID and he would
crash the pans in the kitchen.
We got to buy this Magic.
I don't hear anyone in thekitchen anymore.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
But these little things I haven't thought about
that, these little things, thesound of that, the sound.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
You know so many houses that design houses that
you see in all the smartmagazines and on Instagram are
very hard surfaces, lots ofglass and lots of metal and
steel and concrete.
We need soft things, we needsound absorbing things for
luxury, to soothe us and forserenity.
And we need, you know, hanger,tapestry, get-throw rugs,
(10:30):
cushions, curtains they're allthe things that create a home
that nurtures and nourishes.
So add those layers and, evenwith windows, you know the two
things you want.
You want a house that's wellventilated, so think of layers
on your windows.
(10:51):
You know sunscreen, rollerblinds, shutters, louvers,
awnings, so you can get a breezethrough the whole house and you
don't need air conditioning.
So people talk aboutsustainability and climate
change and think, oh yeah, thatsounds nice, but it sounds
expensive.
Um, you'll save money becauseyou're not.
You're not.
(11:12):
Um, uh, turning on air con.
And the other thing is, inwinter, make sure all your
windows are airtight and seal upany cracks.
You ever been in a drafty housewith wind coming up through the
floorboards?
So it's like putting your housein a woolly jumper.
(11:32):
That's the other thing, and evenreally thin particle board in a
house, can you know, help yourenergy efficiency by up to four
times and again you save money.
And this is all nourishing.
It's just nourishing, it'sclimate control, it's everything
.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Look, I could go on Just read the book, and you have
, but it's a really good pointabout.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
It's really basic stuff common sense, A lot of
climate and sustainability isvery technical, or it's very
general.
This is just I never realized.
I'm actually quite sustainablyminded, because I don't renovate
kitchens and bathrooms.
I make do with what I've gotand smarten them up, and because
(12:16):
if hardwood cupboards are good,they should last for 100 years
with a coat of paint and newdoorknobs.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Yeah, that's so true.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
So the less you do, the more sustainable.
It is Sorry that's getting offyour question of nurturing home.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
But basically no.
But it sort of leads into thenext one, which was the fact
that you actually do talk aboutclimate change and
sustainability in such a, Iguess, a beautifully aesthetic
book.
That I don't think.
I think it's a bit of asurprise, isn't it, that we
don't really get that a lot tokind of touch on that.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
I love that you ask that, Brie and Lauren.
I love that you ask thatbecause it's when I see those
off the grid container I think,oh, that looks a bit scary, that
looks scary and expensive and Idon't know where to go with all
that Great.
But this is just every decisionyou make, Weigh it up and take
(13:11):
less from the give more to theenvironment than you take.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And yeah, that's, and even though the houses, so
weigh every decision up.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Even though the houses are very high-end and
luxurious and they're all overthe world, it usually trends,
usually start there and filterright down to the rest, the rest
with everything and this iswhere it's starting um luxury.
Now is this sustainability andthis caring about our
environment.
(13:40):
The book's dedicated to mygrandson.
I've got this darling littleboy that my daughter had.
He's now two and I was thinkinghow.
I was in New York and there wasthis.
It was right, as I'd had ameeting with my publisher in the
summer of 2023 and New York wasempty.
In the afternoon it was, theskies were yellow and I thought,
(14:02):
god, what is going on?
And it was the bushfires fromCanada.
Oh wow, and everyone didn'texcept me.
I was trotting around on my ownand I thought what can I do to
make this my bit with my designknowledge to help future
generations?
So if we all do this stuff, weleave the world a better place
for our children.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
That's such a beautiful sentiment as well, I
think and to think about.
I mean, we probably think aboutour kids, but yeah, they're
grandkids.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Well, my children.
I'm hoping to leave a betterworld for my children and my
grandchild and their friends.
Well, that's the way it shouldbe?
Unfortunately, I don't thinkthem if they don't have more,
and my grandchild and theirfriends, yeah Well that's the
way it should be.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Unfortunately, I don't think everyone thinks that
way.
I think everyone lives verymuch in the moment and I think
it's so nice, even just thethings you're saying about not
you know, completely renovatingsomething and fixing things and
actually improving what youalready have, and that's also
where a lot of character comesfrom in our homes too, isn't it
a house?
Speaker 2 (15:02):
oh brie, so true.
That's how you get a house thatlooks layered and lived in by
by.
I often go into houses.
I've learned the most bylooking at what not to do.
I go into a perfect house andall the right brands, all the
right names, and I think this ishas no soul, this house yeah, I
(15:22):
agree and it's usually becauseone of the best things that I
think will probably you'llprobably ask me about this is,
um, shopping your own home, yeah, and reusing what you've got.
And you know our country houseit wasn't I mean, it was a
beautiful house you can see iton my Instagram but it's.
(15:43):
I didn't like the wallpaperthey'd used, but I kept it and I
I made it work.
The floors were salvaged Frenchoak, but they're a bit orange.
I did, I kept them and madethem work and it all worked and
no one would have noticed, butit's making things work, you
don't?
(16:03):
have to rush in and redo it all,as I said, kitchen and
bathroom's here or in the powderroom.
I put Toile de Jouy, newwallpaper up and it was from a
photo shoot.
I said anyone want that?
Great, I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
And it looks fabulous and a new basin, and I think
that's the thing with your book.
You know it looks very elevated, no doubt, as you said, the
designers and the photography,it's world class, they're
incredible.
But the message that you'retalking about is about climate
change.
I have to say I was prettysurprised, I know, but it's
(16:39):
really down to earth and thetips that you give in there.
I mean your passion.
Just hearing you talking, I amjust wanting to, like, dig out
some beautiful dinnerware orsomething that I don't have.
I was going to say, go out andbuy stuff, but that's not the
message.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
No, no but you could thrift it.
Beautiful dinnerware can befound.
I love finding stuff like that.
You don't need to.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Isabella.
My daughter came back from herand her husband had been in
america and uh london when theyfirst got married for two years
and they came back and got aplace in um sydney three bedroom
, nothing.
They didn't have a thingbecause they'd been living in
rentals that were fullyfurnished.
Anyway, she decorated it in twoweeks from auction for nothing.
(17:25):
And it ended up on the frontcover of a 12-page story in
House and Garden.
Front cover, the dining roomtable was $150.
Seriously Her desk which washuge, which was an old French
refectory table was $100.
She got a chest, a Georgianchest of drawers for $100.
I told the head of the auctionhouse how much she got it all
(17:47):
for.
He said that's stopping.
I didn't know there were thingsslipping through the system for
those prices.
She did the whole, apart from abed and a sofa.
Everything was bought atauction in two weeks.
That's wild.
And this is the whole thing,this whole circular economy.
It doesn't go into landfill,it's available now.
(18:08):
There's no shipping costs andalso the stuff has gravitas.
It's weightier, it's made morebeautifully and if you buy two
good pieces of furniture a year,in 10 years you'll have 20
great pieces.
I've still got a chair I boughtwith my first paycheck from
Bell Magazine when I leftuniversity, which was $2,000 I
(18:32):
had to save up and a mirror fromCountry Trader that I bought
for $2,000.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
And it's gone from house to house.
But also then you've gotmemories attached to that right,
even just the fact that youremember that's when you bought
it and it was with your firstpaycheck.
So those things have meaning,even if they're not expensive
things or you know particularbrands.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
To me at the time they were expensive, that $2,000
.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
I was making $540 a week.
Yeah, of course no doubt.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I was making $540 a week and I had to save up, but I
was so thrilled and 40 yearslater, I've still got them.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah, so, melissa, can you tell us a little bit
about your background?
So you mentioned that youworked at Bell Magazine.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Oh, so I did a.
I did a communications andliterature degree and while I
was there I did a workexperience for Kerry Packer at
ACP for House and GardenMagazine, and they kept me for
12 years and I ended up theyoungest design editor ever at
Bell Magazine.
(19:34):
I then got headhunted when Iwas 29 to set up Domain and they
had about 20 people.
Yeah, and I didn't want to gobecause you know I was happy
with the magazines.
It was glossy and glamorous andall my friends were there
Anyway, and it was probably thebest thing.
(19:54):
They had a lot of people andthey wanted me and so I just had
my second child and he wasabout six months old.
Anyway, they said we want youto do the upfront double page
column.
If that works, domain will work.
Anyway, I ended up doing it.
I then had Bargain Huntercolumns in Spectrum, which was
the most read column anywhereever and the most copied column,
(20:16):
and I stayed there for six, uh,17 years and writing those
columns every week, um, and theyhad two million readers a week
oh wow, must have loved you.
I think I sold more advertising.
I was the highest paidcontributing editor the Herald
(20:37):
because my pages brought in somuch.
You know revenue and all thenews editors who were serious
couldn't work it out.
You know I was writing aboutcandles and cushions but it's
what everyone wanted to know andyou know there's been this
tsunami of interest in interiorsever since it wasn't there.
I brought a visual culture intoa writing culture at the Herald
(21:01):
and also showed people okay,what people were doing in the
$30 million houses where to getthe colour paint.
You mightn't have the $30million house, but you can use
the same colour paint.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Yeah, that's so true, you can use the same tiles.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
You can get the look for less.
That is so inspiring and youdon't need, because when people
come to your house, they don'tnotice the million dollar
architecture, they notice theflowers yeah, the personal
details, the cushions, theynotice, you know.
Um, I'm just going to show you.
(21:40):
I mean, the first thing I everdo each week is oh, girls is
bring.
Oh, it doesn't look very good,but I get Beautiful.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Magnolia.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
I get just, I bring life into the house.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
I will go in here.
I love that too, and it's easy.
You can do that in your owngarden too, or even just the
next door neighbors.
I just go out with my littlesecateurs and steal a couple of
branches you know it.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Just, it can be the most beautifully decorated place
in the world, but it looks deadif you don't bring life and
nature into it.
Foliage plants you know, I hadan invented private room.
It was done by one of the bestdecorators in Australia but it
was flat.
So I just went to one of thegrocers and found what was on
(22:34):
sale lemons $1.99, about fivekilos.
For what's that?
$12.
And then daffodil, jonquils andeucalypt and I don't like
eucalypt much were on sale.
So I bought masses of them,piled them in little terracotta
pots, little old earthenwarepots.
It was magic.
(22:56):
Now anyone can do that.
It's bringing you.
You want to buy the fruit?
Buy 30 apples, 30 potatoes,pile them into a tray, make them
look as though they're about tofall off the table and
instantly it brings soul into ahouse.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Agree it's kind of incidental stuff right.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
A little bit.
I know what you were saying.
We see a lot of projects andthey are the multi,
multi-million dollar and you canalmost see the schedule of the
furniture.
Well, that's from here, that'sfrom there.
Dot, dot dot.
But it's those things that yousay go to your grocer's, go to
your Woolworth's, whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
But they don't have soul.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Exactly, they don't have soul.
And it's actually not expensive.
And what we actually um, notexpensive.
No, yeah, and I think that'sanother surprise in the book, a
lot of those tips and you giveso many tips so generously
throughout the whole bookthey're not go out and buy the
most expensive sofa in the world.
It is those little things thatyou can do that elevate your
(23:57):
space and make it feel alive,and I'm just hearing you talk so
passionately about it.
No wonder you've written manybooks and writing it's just,
it's so infectious, it's justawesome.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I just I want everyone to have a beautiful
house and to know it can changewhat surrounds you, affects you.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
What surrounds you affects you.
Good design creates good moods,and it affects your mood, your
health, your happiness and look.
I know this more than ever frommy house in the country.
I have never felt so well, andso I didn't go to a doctor for
15 years.
I just I.
(24:39):
It elevated me in a way I'venever known, because every room
opened, looked out onto greenery, you stepped onto grass.
There was wooden floors, therewere plaster walls, it was just
so earthy and so grounding.
And okay, you may not have arural you know country house,
(25:01):
but these elements you can bringinto your weathered wood
furniture, textured walls.
You know a stone fireplace inthe city.
These are the things that willtransport you and bring you this
peace, and so there's a lot oftactility.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
I think that's what you're talking about.
Everything that you're sayingis very tactile, even if it's a
visual.
I call it like a visualtactility and that's what you
want.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
You want to bring in the sound, the sense of nature,
your rooms.
You want to actually create thefeeling of a forest, almost
like open spaces and littleshady spots.
And that's what you have to belike Light and dark, Like you
would find outdoors.
(25:47):
So I am sure, like you weresaying, Lauren, you know you go
into these bigmultimillion-dollar places and
they're too open and if you'veever lived in an open place, you
do need little places toretreat as well.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
A hundred percent I agree with that and you know I I
picked that up in your book.
What you said earlier aboutsound, you know we we see images
, we see images and you know wecan explain um, texture and
everything like that.
But I was like oh, sound, wenever talk about that.
You don't read about that ininterior books.
I thought that was a reallygood point.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Sound is so important .
If you can introduce a littlebabbling water feature, tiny,
it's just magic, especially inan urban place.
Music, of course.
Scent, you know every night Iget a little.
I'm a bit wary of candlesbecause of their toxicity, but a
tiny little candle, the littleone, and just you know I turn on
(26:46):
the table lamps which are, likeyou know they're like the
earrings of the interior andbecause that will bring that
most prize of human experiences,which is pure enjoyment your
lights, your soft lights, thescent.
So remember, there's nothingworse than walking into a house
(27:08):
and thinking, oh, this smellshideous.
Or we've all stayed in thosehotels where you can't open the
windows.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yeah, or the artificial smell and the
synthetic carpet and syntheticfurniture where you can't open
the windows, or the artificialsmell Like you've got to feel
real too and synthetic carpetand synthetic furniture and you
think, oh, we want theantithesis of that.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
You know it was interesting what you said
earlier.
When you're a child and thenyou realize that you were really
capturing, you could reallyremember everything and I
remember that as well.
As a kid, I would go to afriend's house and go oh, this
is different, this is adifferent way of living.
Do you ever open those curtains?
And why is there handles herewithout a tassel on them?
(27:52):
Because where I grew up, my mumhad a tassel hanging on every
single doorknob.
Handle, little thing.
So it is interesting, yeah, andit's just like the, because I
think we understand how it canreally change your life.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
look you're in the mood of a place too people go to
psychiatrists and psychologistsfor their head, but no one
thinks about their surroundings,which I am sure research shows.
Actually, yeah, it's morepowerful than anything I agree
causes.
You know the wrong environmentanxiety, sleep problems, stress.
You know all the chronicdiseases.
(28:27):
Get it right, you'll fly.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Yeah, it's like you said, lauren about going to
someone's house when you'reyounger and I'm thinking about
that and, um, the houses thatstood out for me were the ones
that felt like warm and lived inand you were really comfortable
and felt safe there.
And then there were the onesthat were like so neat and tidy
and everything in its place,perfect, and I felt the
(28:49):
tenseness of that home.
Yeah, I still know those peopleand I know that that's part of
their like that is part of thefamily was really tense and it
was reflected in the interior,and that's what we want to do.
Part of the family was reallytense and it was reflected in
the interior, and that's what wewant to capture the first one
the comfort the safeness.
Yes, the safeness, I think, isa big deal.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Wanting to linger a safe haven and you know when you
walk into a room whether it'ssuccessful or not, and you want
to spend time in and you don'twant to leave.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
And you know the ones like it's a nice feeling.
And it's not always about themost expensive things, and I
thought that was reallyrefreshing.
In the book as well, you gavesome really great tips.
It wasn't, as I said, aboutspending a lot of money.
It's those simple things thatcan really have a lot of impact.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
We show the best to inspire, but from all of them
there are ideas that you can youknow use.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
I think you said in the book something like how much
you spend is less importantthan how well you channel your
inner curator and mix thingsfrom different eras, and I just
loved that.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
It's mixing those eras.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
It's not all about having all the most expensive.
Sure, there's some things thatare worth investing in, and I
was talking about that the otherday.
I think artwork is, and I thinkthat's sort of contrary to a
lot of people think, oh, I'vegot to buy the most expensive
sofa.
I'm like, no, you don't have to, but invest in those other
things like artwork.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
I would rather have an amazing artwork than a really
expensive sofa.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
I've never spent more than $500 on a sofa ever.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Oh wow, I'd love to hear that I know.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Look, I have got friends in the right places.
You know designers.
Usually I say, every time youwant to offload a sofa, send it
to me, but it'll be a top sofa.
And they say, give me $500 forit, I love it, go to auction,
auction, auction.
It's a secondary market.
100%, you know, I would not.
I put my money into otherthings.
(30:46):
Sorry, what were you saying too?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Well, I was just yeah about mixing things from
different eras as well.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Oh, yes, yes, yes, yeah, look, it used to be the
status symbol, used to be howmuch you spent.
You know how much.
Oh, I'm buying an Italiancontemporary sofa for, you know,
huge money.
Now, it's how well you channelyour inner curator, how well you
can mix things, and that is areal art and it's to do it
(31:20):
successfully you need to put acap on the number of stars.
So I mean, yes, you can have abit of French and a bit of
Chinese and a bit of English anda bit of American, but you
don't want Edwardian, victorian,you know, you want to stick to
maybe Regency or Georgian withcontemporary, and there's a big
(31:45):
difference between layered anddistracted.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
And a big mess.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yeah, and a dog's breakfast, a dog's breakfast.
So the secret is having a focalpoint.
You must have a focal point,and all those rooms, the
successful ones, you probablydidn't even know as a kid.
Brie would have had a focalpoint, a fireplace a piece of
art a fabulous rug, a statementrug or something that forces you
(32:12):
to relax.
If you've ever been into a roomyou can't relax, it's usually
there's no focal point there'stoo many things.
Yeah, I totally get that it'scluttered and distracted.
So I think that's probably youcan't think.
Curating, you know, lettingyour inner curator think, is
code for anything goes, becauseit's not anything goes Well.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
The word curation is the key there, right yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:38):
And eclectic everyone .
If you ever ask them what'syour style, they go eclectic.
Well, eclectic is not a bywordfor anything goes.
It's so true, it's not.
You must have, you must have afocal point, and it's a bit
trickier to achieve than thanmost people think.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
I think it is yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
And I don't think the focal point.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
You don't understand it?
Well, no, no, I was just goingto say I don't think the focal
point should be the tv either ohgod, no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
I don't even have a tv any.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Oh well, I've got one that doesn't work, but um yeah,
um, I liked the way that youbreak down the chapters of the
book, and the chapter that Ithought was an interesting one,
which kind of talks about thatfocal point in a way, is the awe
chapter.
Oh yeah, I love awe and there'sthis incredible image in there
(33:33):
with this fantasy scene muralwallpaper, and I think that
people might not have a focalpoint or might not want to
create that sense of awe intheir space because they're
terrified of getting it wrong.
So, do you have any tips orsomething for them to sort of
(33:53):
take that leap?
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Well, they can start small.
So if they, you know, ifthey're nervous, start small,
start in a small area, start ina powder room, start in a small
entry, start inside a cupboard.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Powder room's always great, isn't it Inside a
cupboard inside a pantry Painteda bright colour.
I love that, yeah, painted abright colour, that's cute.
A nice little surprise.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Fabulous, busy, crazy wallpaper that you love but are
too scared to use in a biggerarea.
And then every time you open it, it's a wonderful, an
unexpected moment, a surprisingmoment.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
You find yourself standing in the cupboard all the
time just because you love thewallpaper so much.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Yeah, that's the reason In a pantry, and that's a
way to start small and get yourconfidence up.
Pantry, and that that's a wayto start small and get your
confidence up.
But it can be, you know, it canbe an entry, an alcove, a
bedroom, a um, a hallway anysmall area and it doesn't have
to be a you know, faux books.
(34:55):
It can be stripes, a brightcolor or a brighter color than
you would normally use.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Something that brings you lots of joy, right.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Exactly, and I think a bit of whimsy, and this has
been great working with thesepublishers Vendome because
they've increased my.
I have very.
My taste is very.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
I like non-colors and beiges and accrues and scotches
and car keys, so sort ofneutrals.
Yes, and they have sort ofhelped me be riskier Because
they're giving you a groundingspace and then you're adding to
that.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
I've always liked ground and humble, always, but
just a bit, I think, interiorswithout a bit of whimsy, quirk,
theatre, drama.
I went into an influencer'shouse with a designer friend and
I could not believe how boringit was.
And I said to my designerfriend when we left, what was
(35:58):
the matter with that house, whydidn't you put me off?
And they said no, drama,everything was from the right
fabric places.
It would have, you know, noexpense spared.
But there was no drama, notheatre.
So even if that theatre is amassive Baroque table Baroque,
by the way, is a bargain atauctions at the moment a massive
18th century mirror, you knowjust something fun, and this is
(36:23):
all you know.
It can even be breaking up yourkitchen cupboards with a
ruffled curtain.
You've all seen that.
I love that.
Yeah, put it on and it's just.
You know, hang a Anna Spiro,does this?
Hang a whole bunch of plates ona wall, you know for drama and
like just trays on a wall.
(36:45):
You know rattan trays on a wall.
Things do not need to be.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Something a bit unexpected as well.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
Yeah, I've got a bunch of rattan trays in the
kitchen, just all over the place, and I don't know where I got
them over the years, but theywouldn't have cost much and they
look amazing.
You can hang, you know, allkinds of plates.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
I'm getting very inspired.
I feel like this weekend I'mgoing to be like going around my
own place and going.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
What else can I do?
We set up a festive drinkstable.
It's one of the easy tableagainst the wall and then just
do a really festive drinks tablewith lots of you know.
I went into a girl's house andshe had a huge wooden bowl
filled with coca-cCola cans andit was just so fabulous my kids
would love that.
(37:31):
Yeah, well, that's the problem.
So do some fun things.
You do need a little bit ofwhimsy, fun, excitement,
surprise in an interior, just toprovide uplift.
And that oar is an important.
(37:52):
And the six, the six chaptersare flow, light, ease,
timelessness, or and nature.
And look at any one of them.
Used on their own, can changeyour mood, your life, but used
together, they are magic.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I love that.
I want everyone to experiencethem.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
I want everyone to experience them.
I'm just so excited by thepossibilities.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
And you give that, you share that passion in your
book as well, and I think thatthat's what I found really
refreshing about the book interms of the image has been
quite high end, but you're sortof breaking them down and saying
, look, but that's what I foundreally refreshing about the book
in terms of the images beingquite high end, but you're sort
of breaking them down and saying, look, you know the plates on
the wall and I was just flippingthrough the book then and there
was some images like that andyou could literally go to the
(38:39):
auction house or you could evenfind some quirky stuff off
Marketplace and use them in anunexpected way they said all my
kids use that all the time.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
Oh, my mum is the queen.
Can I ask about?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
the auctions yeah, I have never bought anything
auction.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Oh my God, you will become addicted.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
Bree Addicted, I think I would, and maybe that's
one of the reasons I haven't noAddicted.
But what are the can you giveme?
Like?
Where do you even start?
Like, what can give me?
Like?
Where do you even start?
Like, what are the tips?
Speaker 2 (39:13):
when you start to look at auction houses and I
feel like it's a bitnerve-wracking like do you go in
with like a budget or do youjust go on instinct, like what's
the?
How do you do it?
It's the same thing buy whatyou love and I'm guided by price
and I look for a bargain andwhat?
I love and you know you can'tthis.
You've got to register.
you can't accidentally buy anashtray for $10,000 because
there's, you know they could,because that's the sort of thing
(39:35):
I would probably do no, youcan't because there are sort of
you've got to register threetimes and then you've got to go
through steps, so it'simpossible to do you leave a bid
.
I go on the Thursday auctionson Lennon Jog.
I've got an article in HarsinGarden my daughter and I do a
monthly thing with them calledLittle Black Book.
Oh yes, yeah.
(39:55):
And next month's auctions andwe go through all the auction
houses and talk about ourfavourites.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Oh, I'm going to have to go and read that.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Lennon Jog is our new favorite and they have a
Thursday salon auction.
Oh, vickers and Hode, amazing.
All the dealers shop there.
All the dealers shop there,that's a good tip.
I bought a tapestry a Frenchtapestry for $50.
It's on my wall, Seriously.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
So you just leave a bid and just see if you win, I'm
going to have to do this youwill become addicted.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Isabella and I are.
I don't read books.
What?
Speaker 3 (40:37):
do, you do.
So you have multiple propertiesto put things into.
But if you're still buyingstuff, where is it going?
I'm getting rid of stuff I sellon auction.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
So I sell a lot too.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
And does it help things stay fresh as well.
Like it's like.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Well, it's time for this piece to go when I go into
people's houses and they're thesame as they were five years
before, because, like you, I canremember.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
I think yeah, you kidding, I know you know I have
no judgment, I have things thatI get sick of and I don't
necessarily.
Sometimes you sell them andsometimes they just kind of get
put away and you bring somethingelse out.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Right, I've made a fortune.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Smart you sell.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
So you know you make money on all this stuff you buy
and it's just circular and thenit goes into another world.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Well, it's another part of it being sustainable,
right is actually you're noteven spending new money.
You're not even spending newmoney, You're just spending
money, that was already there inother pieces.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Yeah, it's all very simple.
Yeah, the Leonard Joel sign upto the emails but they are quite
tempting.
But I also like looking at thecategories like jewellery Like
I'm not going to go out andspend $20,000 on a diamond, but
how fun to look at them all.
Speaker 2 (41:46):
But yeah, I've bought a big artwork.
I'm stunned how cheap thejewellery is.
I've never bought like vintagejewellery, but it looks amazing.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
I'm scared of curses.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Oh.
That's so funny, you know likeyou buy a ring and then you find
out it belonged to some deadlady and she was cursed by
another woman because they stoleeverything for jewelry and just
focus on the um, focus on thefurniture, but you know the
things that are cheap at themoment are georgian and regency
(42:21):
furniture all the brownfurniture, but no, not all the
brown, just ge Georgian andRegency.
It is fantastic.
Baroque is very, you know, Iactually quite like Baroque and
clocks.
You know, amazing French clocks, because no one has clocks
anymore, do they no?
But they look fabulous and theyadd elegance.
(42:42):
What we all want is effortlesselegance.
That's the ultimate aim.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
Hmm, well, I have a theory, um, based on what you're
saying, melissa, to buy up allof their underpriced furniture
that is such good quality andkeep it in a warehouse for 30
years until the trend cyclerolls around again.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
Like a mid-century thing.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
Exactly Because it's so underpriced.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Beware of storage.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
I'm just joking.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yeah, I know, I know.
So look, it's so exciting ourhomes and the possibilities, and
the possibilities and I thinkthe book is just about.
I was so excited because I hadto do a PowerPoint presentation
the other day at an event and Iactually went through all the
captions and I could not believethe designers in this book.
(43:39):
They're the 1% of the 1% in theworld that are in this book.
So you're looking at the bestthere is, and they are all using
these techniques that I breakdown, that are so easy for all
of us.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
And they do look effortless.
I think that's one of thethings that I take away when I
look at all those interiors.
There's obviously an absolutewarmth.
You're very drawn to it, butthere is an effortless look
about them.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
Yeah, and it's just weighing up every you know,
weighing the trade-offs.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
When you make a decision, whether it's cushions,
lighting, ventilation, weighthe trade-offs and just make
sure they all have a positiveeffect on your life and on the
planet, and that's, that's howyou will flourish and that's how
we will all flourish youmentioned timeless as well,
(44:31):
that's one of the chapters andand lauren and I've had lots of
conversations about timelessinteriors, um, but I guess
what's your like, what is yourtake on that in terms of
timeless interior like, what'syour explanation of why?
Speaker 2 (44:46):
I think everyone has a different sort of take on it I
think, whatever your, whateveryour um style, no matter what
your style is, the use ofnatural materials will will
always boost your sense ofwell-being.
So, um, just use timelessmaterials like stone, like what?
(45:08):
What we were talking?
about stone wood metal, glass,terracotta, lime wash that stood
the test of time and they lookas fresh now as they did
hundreds of years ago.
And, like I said for urbandwellers, timelessness stone,
fireplace, textured walls,weathered furniture it will
transport you to a time andplace far away.
(45:29):
You know we're looking fortimeless things.
Work with your own possessions,shop your own house.
It's not only a sensibleapproach and Brie, you brought
this up it creates that feelingthat your interior has always
been there, which is somethingwe want.
We don't want to look as thoughwe've just arrived.
That a river's day looksomething we want.
We don't want to look as thoughwe've just arrived.
(45:49):
Yeah, um, that a riviste.
Look um.
So you know, use an old chair,a beautiful old chair with a
thatch seat.
Um, I love, um, I'll just showyou this.
Um, I use these from.
Everyone says where do you getyour accessories from?
I always, whenever we go instyle, we use these pots from
(46:10):
Water Tiger.
Now they are used so much in mybook.
Is it terracotta?
I think so, yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:19):
Is it just like so?
Yeah, it's terracotta.
This is showing us thisbeautiful kind of worn pot, like
an old terracotta pot that'sgot layers of I don't know,
patina, what would it be?
Yeah, patina.
Speaker 2 (46:31):
Yes, it's just aged terracotta clay pot Clay yeah.
And they used in the book.
We did a house at Palm Beach.
The brief for the book was Ihad to get five houses you know
worldwide, but because I'mAustralian, we had to get at
least five houses from Australiathat had never been seen before
(46:54):
, like to be the best, andunpublished, which is very hard.
Speaker 3 (46:59):
Oh, that is hard, very hard, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (47:01):
And they sent a UK photographer from World of
Interiors.
Speaker 3 (47:05):
Oh exciting.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
I love World of Interiors and he does all de
gournay and um kit kemp's stufffor all her firm down which is
anyway.
He's quite well known.
He flew out in summer lastsummer of 24 and I've got this
palm beach house which isincredible and it had all these
wall niches with the mostincredible pots, all from Water
(47:26):
Tiger, which is a shop.
She's been around Kathy Bruceforever and she imports them.
I use these.
I mean all kinds.
They're all different, they'reall one-offs but they will
instantly add soul to your place.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
Agree.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
Yeah, and I think that was.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
I think I'm taking away.
Sorry, lauren, I'm just goingto take away from your version
of timeless is that it can standthe test of time or it has
stood the test of time, whetherthat's a material or a piece of
furniture.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
Yes, that's what makes it timeless.
Yes, I love.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
I don't think we've had that explanation before and
they're not as fresh today asthey have hundreds of years.
Speaker 2 (48:07):
All these, as fresh today as they have hundreds of
years, all these things.
Speaker 3 (48:12):
So, this could have been used in Pompeii, this
vessel.
Speaker 2 (48:16):
But somehow it looks, it freshens up an interior
immediately.
You put that into one of yourmodern interiors, you go into
instantly.
Speaker 1 (48:31):
It makes it look timeless and modern at the same
time.
Yeah, and I was thinking aboutthat Influencers house that you
said you visited.
It sounded like a reallyon-trend vanilla beige, nothing,
yeah, and add those kind ofpots in there and instantly it's
like, oh, hang on, something'sgoing on here of interest.
Yeah, it's so good kind of potsin there and instantly it's
like oh, hang on, something'sgoing on here of interest.
Speaker 2 (48:48):
Yeah, it's so good.
She added them with someincredibly spontaneous,
authentic natural flowerarrangement Fabulous, yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
Fabulous, nice moment .
You know.
You mentioned those that PalmBeach house, which is sublime,
that's sprinkled throughout thebook.
Palm Beach house, which issublime, that's sprinkled
throughout the book.
And you've got, you know,images from designers like Bunny
Williams, giorgio Armani, somany to name.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Yeah, giorgio Armani.
I think that his living roomhas never been published before,
that living room, which isreally exciting.
He never uses art, he only usesmirrors, which is a nice an
interesting take.
It is.
The captions are quiteinteresting.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
The captions are great.
I mean it's style and it'ssubstance.
It's an overused term, but Iguess because I've written a
couple of books as well and Iknow how hard it is to attain
those photographs.
How did you get those kind ofscoops?
Speaker 2 (49:52):
I worked with, I did a wish list of what.
So we had a brief of what wewanted to do with my publisher,
who's based in Palm Beach,florida and London.
I met them in New York insummer of 23.
And originally it was going tobe Mediterranean houses, because
(50:14):
they really go viral on myInstagram, and then we decided
it would be worldwide and itneeded to be worldwide, needed
to have an Australian element.
So I put together a wish listof the houses I wanted.
I think you said you liked theMadrid house, which I adore.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:34):
Converted cow shed Cow shed who knew I would have
liked to have more, but we'reonly allowed in this book to use
three photos from each house.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
Oh, right, that would have been harsh.
Speaker 2 (50:46):
Very right, that would have been harsh, very,
very so not the Australianhouses, but the international.
And so I did my wish list and Iwas working with the
publisher's researcher, who'sbased in Dorset in England, who
helped on my first book, andshe's probably the best in the
(51:06):
world at doing this, and she'sgot connections to all the top
photographers in the world.
So photographers are all thetop photographers in the world.
Yeah, it's clear to see.
And even the guy, simon Brown,that came out I've been working
with photographers all my lifeHis colour, his saturation, the
way he, the straightness of thephotos I mean I just couldn't
(51:31):
believe it.
It was quite extraordinary.
So we had our first pass andthen we just look.
I was spoiled for choice.
I was getting up every day andthere'd be new photos being sent
to me of.
Imani's house in Milan.
I could really wait to get outof it.
It was getting up every day andthere'd be new photos being
sent to me of Imani's house inMilan.
I could really wait to get outof bed.
Speaker 1 (51:49):
It was a joy putting this book together.
Speaker 3 (51:53):
People say oh, books are so hard.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
I found it because I'm a journalist.
I've worked in magazines andnews, but I found it an absolute
joy.
I loved it and I think itprobably comes across in the
page.
Speaker 3 (52:04):
Oh, it totally does it, and I think it probably
comes across in the page.
Oh, it totally does.
It comes across in the book.
But even just I love that we'vegot to actually hear you talk
about it, because it's making mefeel even more attached to the
book.
Like your passion really isquite clear.
Yeah, and everyone went on.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
They say, oh my God, I can't wait to go home and read
it again.
Oh, that's so nice and so yeah.
So I work very closely withKaren, who is the researcher
indoors, so who is brilliant andhas just incredible ties to all
the best photographers and mostof them.
(52:40):
We tried they had to be recentworks or preferably, and then we
, funnily enough, when we wentto put them in the chapters the
chapters I came up with most ofthem could go in any chapter.
Speaker 3 (52:56):
Yeah, because they have, as you said.
That's what makes them amazing,is they touch all those points
right.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
Well, light could have gone into flow or ease or
all.
It was quite extraordinary.
My daughter helped me with thatand we were going.
It was like a Rubik's Cube.
I thought I'm going to that,and with the art director too,
who was based in New York andshe was look, the team was
fabulous, I felt so fortunate.
(53:22):
And they've done books withCabana and Cabana Magazine and,
oh gosh, everyone.
Yeah, they really like theRolls Royce of publishers, so I
was very fortunate, but they itwas just.
That was interesting to me thateach image could almost go in
(53:43):
any chapter.
So when you get it right, youreally get it right.
Do you have a favourite, afavourite house?
Yeah, look that Palm Beachhouse.
I've been into houses all overthe world.
I spent three months in America, upstate New York, in 2023.
I went into a lot of the mostincredible houses in the
(54:05):
Hamptons and I love the Hamptons.
I didn't see a house like thatour Palm Beach house.
I went into a lot of the mostincredible houses in the
Hamptons and I love the HamptonsI didn't see a house like that,
our public house.
It was extraordinary.
It was based on Borgo, one ofthe big villas in Puglia that
the owners had gone to, and thecraftsmanship it's over five
(54:28):
levels.
It's sited into a hill,overlooking pit water.
At the back, instead of a wall,they've got a three or
five-story courtyard with palmtrees that were brought in so
light fills in from there,that's three stories, then
five-story light.
Well, filled with those Italianbowls on the wall.
Speaker 3 (54:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
You know the lifts are just yeah that.
Speaker 3 (54:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:59):
That's down the bottom Stunning.
Speaker 2 (55:04):
Look, it's just the most extraordinary hearse.
And you know, if I was given ahouse I'd love that actually.
Yeah, but do you know what?
Speaker 1 (55:12):
Is that the same house?
Yes, let's have a look.
So it's by Studio Snoop.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (55:19):
Yeah, incredible.
Do you know?
Amanda Talbot she does all this.
Speaker 3 (55:23):
Yeah, she does all.
I know Amanda.
She's.
She does all this.
Yeah, I know Amanda.
Speaker 2 (55:26):
She did Mary Bale.
She's in London now, but shedid Totties Freds Berts, so it's
got that very internationallook that could be anywhere.
It could be in Spain, it couldbe in Italy, it could be in
Greece.
It's that very Mediterraneanlook which I seem to be drawn to
(55:49):
.
Um, it's and it's not designedlike a designer.
Um, I tend to go for a moreundesigned look that's put
together with collections ratherthan fabrics.
Um, but that was fantastic.
The house in darling point bylinda carey is incredible.
It's just.
It's when you walk in, yoursenses are just, your blood
(56:11):
pressure just goes up.
The same as the Queen StreetWillara House.
That's two storeys, seven metreatrium with timber beams from
the Sydney Fish Wars that weresalvaged, 27 sets of antique
European doors that were broughtin, and again you just breathe
out when you go into this place,you just oh that sounds like
(56:38):
heaven.
And then again there was thehouse in Bellevue Hill that
Chloe Matters did and allplaster I think it just sold for
$50 million or something or $55or something.
It was the attention to detailand the things that we can all
(56:58):
use from that house.
It had a lot of built-inbonquette.
I think they must have beenmade in cement, but they were
then plastered with just amattress.
Very Greek, that feeling.
Speaker 3 (57:11):
Yeah, yep, it was gorgeous, so fun.
What about in your own space,melissa?
Like what, do you have afavourite room in your own home?
No, this so look.
Speaker 2 (57:22):
I always think my places are undesigned.
This flat is three bedrooms inDouble Bay.
It was the cover story.
I was surprised it was on thecover.
I didn't even know until it'dbeen on sale for about two weeks
.
I never in a million yearsexpected it to be on the cover,
but they did it last month forthe May issue, I think.
(57:43):
And I've had it for 20 years.
I'd never given it to amagazine because I'd never
really thought it was decorated.
When the journalist came shesaid are you kidding?
This may not be decorated foryou, but it is decorated.
You know it's fabulous.
But I've applied all the aspectsthat I talk about in my book to
(58:03):
this and the reason I bought itwas it's's a douglas snelling.
He was a 1960s arctic superstar.
I'm not a modernist but I likethe elements.
It's got floor to ceilingwindows across the whole
northeastern um aspect, sothere's a lot.
The quality of light isbeautiful and it's just.
(58:25):
I like places that can bemulti-purpose.
This I've.
You know it's been a crash pad.
I lived in the country for 10years while I had this, but it
was a city crash pad.
It's been a guest apartment forfriends.
It's where I have my workstudio.
I had my grandson's christeninghere for 40 people.
It was like a a day club withyou know fabulous.
(58:50):
I filled it with cakes fromFlower and Stone and lovely
chicken sandwiches, and wefilled all the huge pots on the
balcony with ice and champagneand it was just so fabulous and
so it showed.
Speaker 3 (59:06):
I want to go to one of your soirees, and it just
shows what you and so it's.
I want to go to one of your,one of your soirees, and it just
shows what you can do with aspace.
Speaker 2 (59:13):
If you've got imagination, yes.
Speaker 1 (59:16):
Well, thank you so much.
Melissa.
To inspire Exactly For sharingall of those great tips in the
book.
It is just an absolute joy andit's been so fantastic to meet
you and to chat today.
Speaker 3 (59:28):
Thank you so much a very infectious passion for
having me I know, I'm soinspired me too, we'll have to
meet, I don't know where.
Speaker 2 (59:38):
We'll talk later, but I don't know where?
Yes, that'd be amazing and I'dlike to you to get I'll get you
copies of my living world bydesign too anyway, thank you
natural living by.
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