What if the secret to a happier home is being able to smell your neighbour’s burnt toast?
Recorded live at Metricon’s National Love of Design Summit, this bonus episode brings together four of Australia’s most exciting designers and makers: Ali Whelan of Breathe Architecture, Michael Leung of Balanced Earth Architects, Neil Hipwell of Futureflip, and interior designer James Treble, fresh off the plane from Milan Design Week. Expect a basement golf simulator that’s brought a whole street together, a skate bowl built for rainy days, and a very strong case for waving at your neighbours through the window.
Home Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Elle Lovelock sits down with Ali, Michael, Neil, and James and together, they get honest about what it really feels like to push boundaries with clients and councils, and why a beautiful home is about so much more than how it looks.
This episode is brought to you by Metricon.
Moments You’ll Hear:
- Why pushing boundaries can be frustrating, thrilling and deeply rewarding all at once
- How to know when to push a trend a client isn’t ready for, and when to hold back
- The “burnt toast” theory: why small moments of friction make a home feel alive
- The basement golf simulator that brought a whole street together
- A skate bowl built for rainy days, and designing homes people actually want to gather in
- Building community the old-fashioned way, through barn-raising and hempcrete
- Why Australian design is turning heads on the world stage at Milan Design Week
Thank you for listening ❤️ before you leave…
🗣️ Get in touch
What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram
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This bonus episode of The Edit was recorded live at Metricon’s National Love of Design Summit. A huge thank you to Metricon for welcoming Home Beautiful into a room so full of ideas. https://www.metricon.com.au
Read more about Metricon at Home Beautiful:
The new Australian home: Design trends shaping the way we live today
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is an our media podcast. It didn't matter about
the house, it was the community. And so they went
looking and visited all different suburbs and found a community
that they wanted to be part of. And she said,
I love the fact that now I can open my
window and I can smell the burnt toast next door,
(00:26):
or I can hear the mom down the street shouting
at her kids, and that makes her feel alive.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
She can go.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Outside and talk to the neighbors. And it is so
important when you're talking to clients. Is this something you
need to bring up with them or are they coming
to you saying we want to build community. Welcome to
the edit where we open the door on the homes,
habits and tiny decisions that make a house feel like
(00:53):
a home. Today's episode it's a little bit different and
a whole lot of fun. This year, Home Beautiful was
lucky enough to attend Metracon's National Love of Design Summit,
where we had our minds opened by some of Australia's
leading thinkers and makers in home and design. And because
we can never help ourselves, we hijacked the panel, I
(01:14):
hosted and recorded it as a live bonus episode of
the edit. No question was too big or too small.
From when to push a trend your client isn't quite
ready for to why being able to smell your neighbor's
burnt toast might just be the secret to a happier home.
So who was in the room with me? Alie Wheelan
(01:35):
principle and design lead at Melbourne's Breathe Architecture, the studio
behind the game changing Nightingale housing projects proving that sustainable
community first apartments are exactly where people want to live.
Michael Leong, architect and co founder of Byron Bays Balanced Earth,
Australia's Hemp Creek pioneers building naturally healthy homes the way
(01:58):
communities used to do together. Neil Hipwell, carpenter turned designer and
builder and the founder of Future Flip, the team behind
some of the most jaw dropping homes on the New
South Wales coast, including Solstice, this year's HIA Australian Custom
Built Home of the Year and James Treble interior designer,
(02:19):
color expert and familiar face from your Television with three
decades across building, real estate and design. Fresh off the
plane from Milan Design Week. This is part one of
two in this episode, what it really feels like to
push boundaries with clients, with councils, even with the banks,
and why a beautiful home is about so much more
(02:42):
than how it looks. There's a basement golf simulator that's
brought a whole street together, a skate bowl built for
rainy days, and a very strong case for waving at
your neighbors through the window. Part two where I hand
the microphone to the audience and we get into the
future of Australian homes and right here in your feed soon.
(03:02):
So settle in and let's join the panel. We're going
to have a chat and actually I've got a little confession.
We're also Home Beautiful to hijacking this panel, so we're
going to record it as a video podcast.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Or Home Beautiful Management.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
So thank you very much. Welcome to the panel, Welcome
to the edit. All right. So I am going to
kick off with a couple of questions, but to set
this up, feel free to answer all together, bounce off
each other. The first thing I want to ask is
each of you, in your own way pushes boundaries, some
(03:53):
of you outside of design as well.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
She's talking about you.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
But what I what I'm really interested to know is
how does that feel? Because it can be quite scary.
Is it scary? Are you nervous when you push the
boundaries through your work? Is it thrilling? Ali, let's start
with you.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
I think it's probably more frustrating because a lot of
big change it takes political conversations or really frustrating conversations
that are totally outside the world of architecture to make
change in how we live. But then it's really rewarding.
You see when you see the impact that you can
have on people's lives. Get a lot of live feedback
(04:36):
from residents about what they like and what they don't.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Like, how do they deliver that were used Our office.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Used to be in the bottom of one of our
buildings in Brunswick. I know when you come box on
the window, you've got to take the good with the bad, right, Like,
we're open to feedback because we are challenging boundaries. We're
not always going to get it right, so we're really
receptive to that feedback. But it's also really nice to
hear about the positive impacts it can happen, you know,
Like I was talking about older single women being able
to reinento housing markets some of those women have just
(05:01):
totally changed their lives, and so that's really rewarding.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Absolutely, Michael, Ana, you were I was going to say,
alluding to maybe not so much alluding but the bureaucracy
and approvals and certifying. How do you feel knowing that
you are going to get pushed back by pushing a boundary?
How do you feel when you first answer the question?
(05:26):
I must say I felt. I feel inspired by what
we do? Yeah, everyone I talked to It kind of
sells itself.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
And I think the bureaucratic systems that we exist in
are just there to be pushed. If we're not pushing it,
and as a collective, if we're not pushing it, then
how we're going to implement the change that we also
badly want. So you have to be inspired, you have
to be enthusiastic, you have to be joyful about it.
I've worked in mainstream architecture, building big houses and luxurious
(05:56):
things all over the world, and it just doesn't flat
my boat anymore. You know, my soul searcher for something else,
and I enjoy what I do and I believe what
I'm doing absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Neil, how about you, because you would have had some
discussions with local councils. I'm sure, yep, how did they go?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Tell us?
Speaker 5 (06:16):
So for me, I started as a builder at Carpenter,
and then I saw most of the problems within the
industry were based on design not being innovative and not
adapting to what where we need to go. Because materials change,
they become less available, they become too expensive, trades become
(06:37):
obviously almost obsolete in some settings. So for me, I
was always innovating new ways to go. Okay, we can't
get a jeprocer, let's just do off on concrete. I
don't need to put any JEP rock in. It looks great.
I've eliminated some material out of the building. Yeah, So
that evolved into a lot of other things. For me,
(06:58):
different roadblocks were happening and have to sort of get
the right consultants on board and negotiate. But I think
as designers it's important to keep pushing the boundaries and
looking at ways to build, because if your houses are boring,
you're basically like my whole business has been built around
pushing those boundaries and making my houses look different to
(07:21):
the next and kind of starting trends and things like that,
and it ultimately means more profit, more work. So yeah,
it is a.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Good absolutely definitely. Now, James, I think you can push
the boundaries in it.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Don't make it smart innuendo.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I'm going to ask you about pushing boundaries with customers.
So you gave us a fantastic rundown on Milan twenty
twenty six, taking those trends and bringing them back to
really sell them into brands that you work with and
also homeowners, customers clients. How do you know when to
(08:05):
push a trend and how do you know when they're
just not ready?
Speaker 6 (08:11):
The word trend I'm actually a little bit allergic to
I watch it. I sort of talk about it as
a journey in the EBB and flow of finishes colors
as some little says, there's no such thing as a
new color. Every colour's been here forever, right, It's just
how we use it. I definitely agree with Neil. I
think it's actually our job as a designer, as a
creative to push boundaries. It's about how we do that,
(08:32):
otherwise we'll end up doing something repetitive. With design, it's
about getting the ideas. But I have to wear I
talk about two hats when I'm with clients, especially when
I'm with a builder or a developer, because they are
talking about money. So I started life as a real
estate agent and I look with the real estate eye,
does it hold value, does it suit the property? Will
it date well? Can I sell this to a maximum
amount of people? And then I put the design hat
(08:54):
on as well and say, with that in mind, how
does it fit this project, who's going to be living there?
What colors are? Is it visually interesting? And I think
that you can push the boundaries and suggest strongly colors
or textures or finishes in ways that could be edited later,
perhaps because fixed drawing or in flooring can be at
an expense, but furniture and artwork easily to still open
(09:18):
up the doors for the conversation and opportunity. So I
actually think it's our job to do that and just
read the rumor as to how crazy you can go.
And sometimes that conservative lady in Tweed is secretly just
waiting to go crazy, and she gets excited by that.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
So I think it's important absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I know in magazines, when we see a look coming through,
I'll be honest, sometimes we will hold off on publishing
for a good twelve months. Sometimes eighteen months, because we
know our audience isn't ready, and we might start playing
with it within the magazine and in the photo shoots,
but we certainly wouldn't put it on the cover because
it'll just freak them out. But we want to educate
(09:59):
and feed it through slowly. Think about when's the last
time you pushed boundaries in your own jobs. It's uncomfortable,
but it's exciting, and I think beyond today, it's something
to really keep in mind. That that idea of the
idea that will get you fired, but don't get fired.
How far could you push if your boss was willing
(10:22):
and accepting. Alie, I was thinking about what you were
saying with the social element of design, And recently I
interviewed Steph Attavia and for anyone who doesn't know, she
is an architect. She owns Japandia State and she was
(10:43):
also a contestant on the block and she won with
her husband, and she won't mind me sharing this, but
after the block she went through a really low period.
She felt really, really low, and it took quite a
while for her to come out of it. And what
she and her husband realized is they needed to sell
(11:06):
their house. They come off the high of winning the block,
and you'd think this is the best thing ever. But
they sold their house and wanted to buy somewhere new,
and she said, it didn't matter about the house, it
was the community. And so they went looking and visited
all different suburbs and found a community that they wanted
to be part of. And she said, I love the
(11:28):
fact that now I can open my window and I
can smell the burnt toast next door, or I can
hear the mom down the street shouting at her kids,
and that makes her feel alive. She can go outside
and talk to the neighbors. And it is so important
when you're talking to clients. Is this something you need
to bring up with them, or are they coming to
you saying we want to build community.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
I mean, I think we've looked at such frictionless living.
You know that there's no point of friction between the
superman and putting the food in your fridge. So there's
no moment where you sort of stop on that journey
and experience some friction finding your keys getting in your
front door. That mean there's a moment to pause. You know,
(12:12):
we're in such a rush to get from A to
B that I think, you know, we're almost introducing friction
into the process, making you get out of your car
before you're in the garage, making you take the stairs
instead of the lift, you know, making you walk up
to the or to catch the lift up to the
rooftop to do your laundry. Those moments of friction, they
are minor inconveniences which add a great deal of value
(12:36):
to people's lives. And I think that's kind of not
coherent with the most effortless, seamless way of living. But
it's also beautiful and connected in a lot of ways,
and so I think it's it's not necessarily something that
we educate people on so much as something that actually
people buy into and really care about, like people are
(12:57):
actively seeking out social connection. We had an Awards jury
come through. I believe it was nighting Out of the Commons,
the predecessor to nighting Gale One and the Commons looks
much like Nightingale in terms of aesthetic. It's pretty raw,
it's robust. This was a very different aesthetic to what
apartments were being delivered as then. It wasn't white, clean surfaces,
(13:19):
you know, pristine it was it had a bit of friction,
it had a bit of grit to it. It had
really beautiful materials that were natural living materials, and we
won the National Award for Housing that year. We were
up against some incredible projects and when we asked the
jury you know why that was the case, they said,
people seem to genuinely enjoy living here. You know, like
(13:41):
a beautiful home isn't just about aesthetics. It's about a
place that you know that is more than just what
it looks like.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Absolutely, your places in a way also designed for community,
I mean a different kind. You got your bucks parties
and your family weekends away. Was that in intentional?
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Yeah, I mean on Bunker and Banks and Bunker, Jering
Gong and Jimmy Doo, the properties that we airbnb, they
were definitely purpose built for people to enjoy themselves and
come together and for families to have eightyeth birthdays and
cater to all of those moments. But to be honest
on all of our projects, I guess it's at a
(14:23):
different scale at the moment where the I mean, we've
been fortunate enough to build some really high end, expensive
houses and one of the things the owner for the
house we just won the house of the year for
which was Solstice. He's like, I love playing golf. My
neighbors love playing golf. Let's still golf simulator. And he's
always like, every time I go there, he's down there
(14:44):
with his neighbors playing golf in.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
That is my husband's dream.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
And we we're building our house at the moment in Byron,
and you guys have had pretty good weather, but it
normally just gets pretty rainy here and they're other than
gone to the past taking the kids surfing. There's not
much to do in the rain. So we did a
really big basement with a skate bowl and like stuff
for the kids to do down in the basement and
bringing all the friends that live in the street. They
(15:12):
can come and hang out and have fun in the house,
and the neighbors can come and we can chat to
the neighbors when you know they're picking our kids up.
And I guess it's the total opposite in terms of
like getting out into the community, as you know, but
having that luxury of having a little bit more budget
to go and do some cool stuff like having a wellness.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
But it's inviting people in. Yeah, it's just inviting that
interaction and providing a space for it. Yeah, and providing
opportunity is you know that it's important. It's really important.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
Yeah, like where we're living now, where we literally just
have boxes everywhere, and you know, our friends are like,
should we come around for a barbecue? And let's just
go to your house. So it's kind of cool to
design houses that you really want people to come around.
There's comfortable and everyone likes being there, and there's places
to kind of gather and talk, can dance or whatever
(16:01):
whatever you're into.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I think in the world that we do, we try
and create community through the process of building. So you
saw in some of the photos. We'll do a shout
out on Instagram or Facebook and we'll get a huge
amount of volunteers come and it's like the old barn
raising processes where everyone comes together to build your house.
And within the business that we developed over the last
(16:24):
ten years, we would all go to each other's houses
and help with the hem cree and help with the construction.
And having children involved in that as well is an
inspiring process. But it makes the house feel like it's
part of you. You know, you've had a hand in
creating this, and it's a much more seamless kind of community.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
I feel absolutely from James.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
From a regulation point of view, I do not understand
why counsels want to put privacy screens on windows on
houses because they're worried about us looking from one window
to the next door neighbor for privacy when the reality
of this block, especially in new est states where they're
squeezing sometimes these lots are three fifty or four hundred
(17:05):
square meters. What am I going to see? And you know,
we grew up like John, I'm a twin. I mentioned
it before, but you know, we would lift up the
Venetian blinds anyone know who that what they are, and
put our head on the glass and wave to missus
Labres because we could see her next door on her clothesline,
and she would wave at us, and she.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Knew who were weare, and we knew who we were,
and that.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
Was like utterly exciting to a five year old, like
so exciting, and that was connectivity without us having barbacues
and friends together.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Seventeen hundred sill height where you can't see.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Correct at the top of correct.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
So instead of that, the window heights are raised to
make the head height the same, but the base coming
up and so these little highlight windows in bedrooms, like
and then you wonder why your thirteen year old daughter
has mental health because she doesn't get any vitamin D
Like it's it's really confronting, and that's a regulation from council.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Like what am I gonna?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Am?
Speaker 6 (17:53):
I gonna sit there with a chair and eat popcorn
and just stare at the neighbor's next door like ring.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
The police like it does. Agility of people doing that.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Who's living next to your fellows living next to you?
I probably would have a private same.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
You would not you've been knocking, not like coming over.
His neighbors comes because they want to go. Let's check
out what Neil and his wife have done on their
next house and the same.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
My barbecues are fantastic.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
It would be very interesting to look into your apartment.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Another type of community I think is quite interesting to
share is the Australian community at Milan Design Week, because
it's everybody goes over.
Speaker 6 (18:32):
It's increased. Yeah, yeah, there was a particular lady if
she's watching the podcast or know who she is, because
we saw a come up on instant and she goes,
I'm so exciting to be here at the Domo and
we're going it's the Dwellmore.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
It's like a cathedral, don't call it a domo.
Speaker 6 (18:48):
I think it's exciting for Australians to see what's happening.
I think it's changed where we have that little syndrome
of you know, remember when the TV week logos used
to be on, We've always had to have international stars come.
And now the international stars coming are Australian stars who
have done well overseas and they come back and that's
something that we need to celebrate. And you know, through
architecture here, you know you've got amazing architectural forms in
(19:12):
different in different spaces. We celebrate what is Australian and
we know we have good looking homes. We have a
community here, we have a political safety and a community
where mostly we can all be ourselves. And then to
relate the architecture that we create. And then we get
this melting pot where it doesn't the kids know they're
(19:34):
introduced to food smells from nextdoor that you mentioned, or
the culture from that family that that creates community. Doesn't
it like it's exciting. Otherwise it's a plate of mashed potato.
You know, you need mixtures to make the meal interesting,
to make our lives interesting.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
And back to what you're saying about Australians in Milana,
I think it's really interesting to note as well, it's
not just us going there to get ideas. Australia design
is really recognized worldwide. It's appreciated and it really it
carries weight. We clearly do some impressive work and it
(20:11):
is noticed and it is held up as world standard.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Yeah, and I think because of our natural environment that
we live in. I mean, look at bar and Bay.
All of our houses are quite naturally off grid. There
are naturally off grid septics. So in other countries through Europe,
where it's high density, you don't get that opportunity. And
I think people from outside looking in see the environments
they sit in and see that the nature. They're disconnected
(20:37):
from towns and in more beautiful settings, and they feel
inspired by that.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
And that feels like the perfect place to pause. This
was part one of our bonus episode from Metracon's Love
of Design Summit. Ali Wheeler, Michael Leong, Neil Hippel and
James Treble on pushing boundaries and on building homes that
build community. A huge thank you to our panel for
sharing so openly, and to Metricon for welcoming home beautiful
(21:09):
into a room so full of ideas. But wh're not done.
In Part two, I hand the microphone to the audience,
and no question is too big or too small? What
will Australian homes look like in ten or twenty years,
how do we get more young people into their first homes?
How much technology actually belongs in a house? And the
(21:31):
question so big it nearly stumped the entire panel. That's
coming soon right here in this feed. In the meantime,
our regular episodes of the Edit keep coming. More house tours,
home confessions, tiny upgrades and mystery draw reveals. Follow the
Edit wherever you're listening so you don't miss a thing.
(21:51):
See you inside the next one.
This is an our media podcast. It didn't matter about
the house, it was the community. And so they went
looking and visited all different suburbs and found a community
that they wanted to be part of. And she said,
I love the fact that now I can open my
window and I can smell the burnt toast next door,
(00:26):
or I can hear the mom down the street shouting
at her kids, and that makes her feel alive.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
She can go.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Outside and talk to the neighbors. And it is so
important when you're talking to clients. Is this something you
need to bring up with them or are they coming
to you saying we want to build community. Welcome to
the edit where we open the door on the homes,
habits and tiny decisions that make a house feel like
(00:53):
a home. Today's episode it's a little bit different and
a whole lot of fun. This year, Home Beautiful was
lucky enough to attend Metracon's National Love of Design Summit,
where we had our minds opened by some of Australia's
leading thinkers and makers in home and design. And because
we can never help ourselves, we hijacked the panel, I
(01:14):
hosted and recorded it as a live bonus episode of
the edit. No question was too big or too small.
From when to push a trend your client isn't quite
ready for to why being able to smell your neighbor's
burnt toast might just be the secret to a happier home.
So who was in the room with me? Alie Wheelan
(01:35):
principle and design lead at Melbourne's Breathe Architecture, the studio
behind the game changing Nightingale housing projects proving that sustainable
community first apartments are exactly where people want to live.
Michael Leong, architect and co founder of Byron Bays Balanced Earth,
Australia's Hemp Creek pioneers building naturally healthy homes the way
(01:58):
communities used to do together. Neil Hipwell, carpenter turned designer and
builder and the founder of Future Flip, the team behind
some of the most jaw dropping homes on the New
South Wales coast, including Solstice, this year's HIA Australian Custom
Built Home of the Year and James Treble interior designer,
(02:19):
color expert and familiar face from your Television with three
decades across building, real estate and design. Fresh off the
plane from Milan Design Week. This is part one of
two in this episode, what it really feels like to
push boundaries with clients, with councils, even with the banks,
and why a beautiful home is about so much more
(02:42):
than how it looks. There's a basement golf simulator that's
brought a whole street together, a skate bowl built for
rainy days, and a very strong case for waving at
your neighbors through the window. Part two where I hand
the microphone to the audience and we get into the
future of Australian homes and right here in your feed soon.
(03:02):
So settle in and let's join the panel. We're going
to have a chat and actually I've got a little confession.
We're also Home Beautiful to hijacking this panel, so we're
going to record it as a video podcast.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Or Home Beautiful Management.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
So thank you very much. Welcome to the panel, Welcome
to the edit. All right. So I am going to
kick off with a couple of questions, but to set
this up, feel free to answer all together, bounce off
each other. The first thing I want to ask is
each of you, in your own way pushes boundaries, some
(03:53):
of you outside of design as well.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
She's talking about you.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
But what I what I'm really interested to know is
how does that feel? Because it can be quite scary.
Is it scary? Are you nervous when you push the
boundaries through your work? Is it thrilling? Ali, let's start
with you.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
I think it's probably more frustrating because a lot of
big change it takes political conversations or really frustrating conversations
that are totally outside the world of architecture to make
change in how we live. But then it's really rewarding.
You see when you see the impact that you can
have on people's lives. Get a lot of live feedback
(04:36):
from residents about what they like and what they don't.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Like, how do they deliver that were used Our office.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Used to be in the bottom of one of our
buildings in Brunswick. I know when you come box on
the window, you've got to take the good with the bad, right, Like,
we're open to feedback because we are challenging boundaries. We're
not always going to get it right, so we're really
receptive to that feedback. But it's also really nice to
hear about the positive impacts it can happen, you know,
Like I was talking about older single women being able
to reinento housing markets some of those women have just
(05:01):
totally changed their lives, and so that's really rewarding.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Absolutely, Michael, Ana, you were I was going to say,
alluding to maybe not so much alluding but the bureaucracy
and approvals and certifying. How do you feel knowing that
you are going to get pushed back by pushing a boundary?
How do you feel when you first answer the question?
(05:26):
I must say I felt. I feel inspired by what
we do? Yeah, everyone I talked to It kind of
sells itself.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
And I think the bureaucratic systems that we exist in
are just there to be pushed. If we're not pushing it,
and as a collective, if we're not pushing it, then
how we're going to implement the change that we also
badly want. So you have to be inspired, you have
to be enthusiastic, you have to be joyful about it.
I've worked in mainstream architecture, building big houses and luxurious
(05:56):
things all over the world, and it just doesn't flat
my boat anymore. You know, my soul searcher for something else,
and I enjoy what I do and I believe what
I'm doing absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Neil, how about you, because you would have had some
discussions with local councils. I'm sure, yep, how did they go?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Tell us?
Speaker 5 (06:16):
So for me, I started as a builder at Carpenter,
and then I saw most of the problems within the
industry were based on design not being innovative and not
adapting to what where we need to go. Because materials change,
they become less available, they become too expensive, trades become
(06:37):
obviously almost obsolete in some settings. So for me, I
was always innovating new ways to go. Okay, we can't
get a jeprocer, let's just do off on concrete. I
don't need to put any JEP rock in. It looks great.
I've eliminated some material out of the building. Yeah, So
that evolved into a lot of other things. For me,
(06:58):
different roadblocks were happening and have to sort of get
the right consultants on board and negotiate. But I think
as designers it's important to keep pushing the boundaries and
looking at ways to build, because if your houses are boring,
you're basically like my whole business has been built around
pushing those boundaries and making my houses look different to
(07:21):
the next and kind of starting trends and things like that,
and it ultimately means more profit, more work. So yeah,
it is a.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Good absolutely definitely. Now, James, I think you can push
the boundaries in it.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Don't make it smart innuendo.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I'm going to ask you about pushing boundaries with customers.
So you gave us a fantastic rundown on Milan twenty
twenty six, taking those trends and bringing them back to
really sell them into brands that you work with and
also homeowners, customers clients. How do you know when to
(08:05):
push a trend and how do you know when they're
just not ready?
Speaker 6 (08:11):
The word trend I'm actually a little bit allergic to
I watch it. I sort of talk about it as
a journey in the EBB and flow of finishes colors
as some little says, there's no such thing as a
new color. Every colour's been here forever, right, It's just
how we use it. I definitely agree with Neil. I
think it's actually our job as a designer, as a
creative to push boundaries. It's about how we do that,
(08:32):
otherwise we'll end up doing something repetitive. With design, it's
about getting the ideas. But I have to wear I
talk about two hats when I'm with clients, especially when
I'm with a builder or a developer, because they are
talking about money. So I started life as a real
estate agent and I look with the real estate eye,
does it hold value, does it suit the property? Will
it date well? Can I sell this to a maximum
amount of people? And then I put the design hat
(08:54):
on as well and say, with that in mind, how
does it fit this project, who's going to be living there?
What colors are? Is it visually interesting? And I think
that you can push the boundaries and suggest strongly colors
or textures or finishes in ways that could be edited later,
perhaps because fixed drawing or in flooring can be at
an expense, but furniture and artwork easily to still open
(09:18):
up the doors for the conversation and opportunity. So I
actually think it's our job to do that and just
read the rumor as to how crazy you can go.
And sometimes that conservative lady in Tweed is secretly just
waiting to go crazy, and she gets excited by that.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
So I think it's important absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I know in magazines, when we see a look coming through,
I'll be honest, sometimes we will hold off on publishing
for a good twelve months. Sometimes eighteen months, because we
know our audience isn't ready, and we might start playing
with it within the magazine and in the photo shoots,
but we certainly wouldn't put it on the cover because
it'll just freak them out. But we want to educate
(09:59):
and feed it through slowly. Think about when's the last
time you pushed boundaries in your own jobs. It's uncomfortable,
but it's exciting, and I think beyond today, it's something
to really keep in mind. That that idea of the
idea that will get you fired, but don't get fired.
How far could you push if your boss was willing
(10:22):
and accepting. Alie, I was thinking about what you were
saying with the social element of design, And recently I
interviewed Steph Attavia and for anyone who doesn't know, she
is an architect. She owns Japandia State and she was
(10:43):
also a contestant on the block and she won with
her husband, and she won't mind me sharing this, but
after the block she went through a really low period.
She felt really, really low, and it took quite a
while for her to come out of it. And what
she and her husband realized is they needed to sell
(11:06):
their house. They come off the high of winning the block,
and you'd think this is the best thing ever. But
they sold their house and wanted to buy somewhere new,
and she said, it didn't matter about the house, it
was the community. And so they went looking and visited
all different suburbs and found a community that they wanted
to be part of. And she said, I love the
(11:28):
fact that now I can open my window and I
can smell the burnt toast next door, or I can
hear the mom down the street shouting at her kids,
and that makes her feel alive. She can go outside
and talk to the neighbors. And it is so important
when you're talking to clients. Is this something you need
to bring up with them, or are they coming to
you saying we want to build community.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
I mean, I think we've looked at such frictionless living.
You know that there's no point of friction between the
superman and putting the food in your fridge. So there's
no moment where you sort of stop on that journey
and experience some friction finding your keys getting in your
front door. That mean there's a moment to pause. You know,
(12:12):
we're in such a rush to get from A to
B that I think, you know, we're almost introducing friction
into the process, making you get out of your car
before you're in the garage, making you take the stairs
instead of the lift, you know, making you walk up
to the or to catch the lift up to the
rooftop to do your laundry. Those moments of friction, they
are minor inconveniences which add a great deal of value
(12:36):
to people's lives. And I think that's kind of not
coherent with the most effortless, seamless way of living. But
it's also beautiful and connected in a lot of ways,
and so I think it's it's not necessarily something that
we educate people on so much as something that actually
people buy into and really care about, like people are
(12:57):
actively seeking out social connection. We had an Awards jury
come through. I believe it was nighting Out of the Commons,
the predecessor to nighting Gale One and the Commons looks
much like Nightingale in terms of aesthetic. It's pretty raw,
it's robust. This was a very different aesthetic to what
apartments were being delivered as then. It wasn't white, clean surfaces,
(13:19):
you know, pristine it was it had a bit of friction,
it had a bit of grit to it. It had
really beautiful materials that were natural living materials, and we
won the National Award for Housing that year. We were
up against some incredible projects and when we asked the
jury you know why that was the case, they said,
people seem to genuinely enjoy living here. You know, like
(13:41):
a beautiful home isn't just about aesthetics. It's about a
place that you know that is more than just what
it looks like.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Absolutely, your places in a way also designed for community,
I mean a different kind. You got your bucks parties
and your family weekends away. Was that in intentional?
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Yeah, I mean on Bunker and Banks and Bunker, Jering
Gong and Jimmy Doo, the properties that we airbnb, they
were definitely purpose built for people to enjoy themselves and
come together and for families to have eightyeth birthdays and
cater to all of those moments. But to be honest
on all of our projects, I guess it's at a
(14:23):
different scale at the moment where the I mean, we've
been fortunate enough to build some really high end, expensive
houses and one of the things the owner for the
house we just won the house of the year for
which was Solstice. He's like, I love playing golf. My
neighbors love playing golf. Let's still golf simulator. And he's
always like, every time I go there, he's down there
(14:44):
with his neighbors playing golf in.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
That is my husband's dream.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
And we we're building our house at the moment in Byron,
and you guys have had pretty good weather, but it
normally just gets pretty rainy here and they're other than
gone to the past taking the kids surfing. There's not
much to do in the rain. So we did a
really big basement with a skate bowl and like stuff
for the kids to do down in the basement and
bringing all the friends that live in the street. They
(15:12):
can come and hang out and have fun in the house,
and the neighbors can come and we can chat to
the neighbors when you know they're picking our kids up.
And I guess it's the total opposite in terms of
like getting out into the community, as you know, but
having that luxury of having a little bit more budget
to go and do some cool stuff like having a wellness.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
But it's inviting people in. Yeah, it's just inviting that
interaction and providing a space for it. Yeah, and providing
opportunity is you know that it's important. It's really important.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
Yeah, like where we're living now, where we literally just
have boxes everywhere, and you know, our friends are like,
should we come around for a barbecue? And let's just
go to your house. So it's kind of cool to
design houses that you really want people to come around.
There's comfortable and everyone likes being there, and there's places
to kind of gather and talk, can dance or whatever
(16:01):
whatever you're into.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I think in the world that we do, we try
and create community through the process of building. So you
saw in some of the photos. We'll do a shout
out on Instagram or Facebook and we'll get a huge
amount of volunteers come and it's like the old barn
raising processes where everyone comes together to build your house.
And within the business that we developed over the last
(16:24):
ten years, we would all go to each other's houses
and help with the hem cree and help with the construction.
And having children involved in that as well is an
inspiring process. But it makes the house feel like it's
part of you. You know, you've had a hand in
creating this, and it's a much more seamless kind of community.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
I feel absolutely from James.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
From a regulation point of view, I do not understand
why counsels want to put privacy screens on windows on
houses because they're worried about us looking from one window
to the next door neighbor for privacy when the reality
of this block, especially in new est states where they're
squeezing sometimes these lots are three fifty or four hundred
(17:05):
square meters. What am I going to see? And you know,
we grew up like John, I'm a twin. I mentioned
it before, but you know, we would lift up the
Venetian blinds anyone know who that what they are, and
put our head on the glass and wave to missus
Labres because we could see her next door on her clothesline,
and she would wave at us, and she.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Knew who were weare, and we knew who we were,
and that.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
Was like utterly exciting to a five year old, like
so exciting, and that was connectivity without us having barbacues
and friends together.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Seventeen hundred sill height where you can't see.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Correct at the top of correct.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
So instead of that, the window heights are raised to
make the head height the same, but the base coming
up and so these little highlight windows in bedrooms, like
and then you wonder why your thirteen year old daughter
has mental health because she doesn't get any vitamin D
Like it's it's really confronting, and that's a regulation from council.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Like what am I gonna?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Am?
Speaker 6 (17:53):
I gonna sit there with a chair and eat popcorn
and just stare at the neighbor's next door like ring.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
The police like it does. Agility of people doing that.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Who's living next to your fellows living next to you?
I probably would have a private same.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
You would not you've been knocking, not like coming over.
His neighbors comes because they want to go. Let's check
out what Neil and his wife have done on their
next house and the same.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
My barbecues are fantastic.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
It would be very interesting to look into your apartment.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Another type of community I think is quite interesting to
share is the Australian community at Milan Design Week, because
it's everybody goes over.
Speaker 6 (18:32):
It's increased. Yeah, yeah, there was a particular lady if
she's watching the podcast or know who she is, because
we saw a come up on instant and she goes,
I'm so exciting to be here at the Domo and
we're going it's the Dwellmore.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
It's like a cathedral, don't call it a domo.
Speaker 6 (18:48):
I think it's exciting for Australians to see what's happening.
I think it's changed where we have that little syndrome
of you know, remember when the TV week logos used
to be on, We've always had to have international stars come.
And now the international stars coming are Australian stars who
have done well overseas and they come back and that's
something that we need to celebrate. And you know, through
architecture here, you know you've got amazing architectural forms in
(19:12):
different in different spaces. We celebrate what is Australian and
we know we have good looking homes. We have a
community here, we have a political safety and a community
where mostly we can all be ourselves. And then to
relate the architecture that we create. And then we get
this melting pot where it doesn't the kids know they're
(19:34):
introduced to food smells from nextdoor that you mentioned, or
the culture from that family that that creates community. Doesn't
it like it's exciting. Otherwise it's a plate of mashed potato.
You know, you need mixtures to make the meal interesting,
to make our lives interesting.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
And back to what you're saying about Australians in Milana,
I think it's really interesting to note as well, it's
not just us going there to get ideas. Australia design
is really recognized worldwide. It's appreciated and it really it
carries weight. We clearly do some impressive work and it
(20:11):
is noticed and it is held up as world standard.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Yeah, and I think because of our natural environment that
we live in. I mean, look at bar and Bay.
All of our houses are quite naturally off grid. There
are naturally off grid septics. So in other countries through Europe,
where it's high density, you don't get that opportunity. And
I think people from outside looking in see the environments
they sit in and see that the nature. They're disconnected
(20:37):
from towns and in more beautiful settings, and they feel
inspired by that.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
And that feels like the perfect place to pause. This
was part one of our bonus episode from Metracon's Love
of Design Summit. Ali Wheeler, Michael Leong, Neil Hippel and
James Treble on pushing boundaries and on building homes that
build community. A huge thank you to our panel for
sharing so openly, and to Metricon for welcoming home beautiful
(21:09):
into a room so full of ideas. But wh're not done.
In Part two, I hand the microphone to the audience,
and no question is too big or too small? What
will Australian homes look like in ten or twenty years,
how do we get more young people into their first homes?
How much technology actually belongs in a house? And the
(21:31):
question so big it nearly stumped the entire panel. That's
coming soon right here in this feed. In the meantime,
our regular episodes of the Edit keep coming. More house tours,
home confessions, tiny upgrades and mystery draw reveals. Follow the
Edit wherever you're listening so you don't miss a thing.
(21:51):
See you inside the next one.
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