AN OUTDOOR LIFE
Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
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LIVE LIFE OUTDOORS
We talk a lot about imperfection in design, in pattern or in texture. We celebrate imperfect stone patinas and timber f inishes. We look for the character that comes with vintage or pre-loved. We love broken sourdough breads and tarnished copper. It would do us all some good to celebrate imperfection a little more in our own lives as well.
Imperfection is our ally. It allows us to take pleasure in the ordinary details. Life is messy and it can be liberating to accept that truth. To find something sacred in the mundane. There is much to be thankful for and some days we need to remind ourselves to find beauty in things as they are, not as we think they should be. Whether it’s a good cup of tea or a small gathering. Will we look for opportunities to create the person we’d like to be or will we get caught up in the race? Will we make time to live simply with passion or will we fill our lives with noise and stuff? The change in seasons can be a good reminder to get outside and get back to basics. Take your shoes off. Let your hair run wild. Build a treehouse with the kids and eat icy poles all afternoon. Cook up dinner over the fire pit and eat ribs with your fingers. Walk barefoot. Plant something. Get your hands dirty. None of us is perfect. Maybe we don’t exercise enough or we watch too much TV. Sometimes we count our chickens before they hatch. We spend too much time indoors and we forget to be passionate and do the things that feed the soul. Every day try and do something outdoors that grounds you. Stop talking and start listening. Create your own experiences. Every day is an opportunity to start again. We are all born makers. So get outside. Use what you have. Do what you can. Choose imperfect. Say yes.
ARCHITECT: HECKER GUTHRIE STONE SPECIFIED: SEVILLE | 800 X 400 BRUSHED & CUSTOM CUT-TO-SIZE.
The brief for this Melbourne home was to create a modern extension for the back of the property while maintaining the federation style of the home front, architects Hecker Guthrie were charged with this task. As a starting point the federation elements of the home were further developed with new strapping details to the walls and ceilings, high skirtings, new ceiling roses and re-furbishing the ornate fireplaces. The new wide board timber flooring in a warm American oak and fitted joinery units to the study mirroring the wall strapping detail, all contributed to give the front old section of the house a new lease of life and retained the old-world charm but with a modern look.
The new back section of the house with its very modern shape and profile required a certain sensitivity to allow both spaces to work together. The flooring material transitioned from a timber floor board in the old section of the home to large Spanish Seville stone slabs. This stone was then customised to be incorporated into the kitchen island bench and table. Open-plan living was important to the client in this section to enable their smaller children to interact with the parents when in the living, dining or kitchen. Other modern finishes to the first floor include in the bathrooms white stone slabs on the walls and joinery, stone sculptured basin on stone trays and powder coated coloured tap ware.
Hecker Guthrie takes Seville inside and out
Inspiration images presented to the client came from modernist designers such as Ilse Crawford and John Pawson who work with classic design but in a purist contemporary manner, as well as Italian sculptured stone interiors and buildings to reflect the organic shape of the new part of the house. The seamless connection from the old front part of the house to the new modernist rear was integral to this project’s design aesthetic. The strapping to the walls and ceilings gives character to the old front part of the home. The Seville stone to the rear part of the house flooring with the island bench and table growing out of this gives a dramatic focal point to the double void above.
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Eco Outdoor hosted the first of our annual Architectural Lunch Series celebrating creativity with a selection of Sydney and Melbourne’s top architects and designers.
JOSH YELDHAM JOINS US FOR LUNCH
The lunch series was centered around ‘exploring the creative process’ and the guest speaker this year was Joshua Yeldham, a prominent and highly influential Australian artist. Josh works across painting, photography, drawing and sculpture and is the author of a truly beautiful and intimate journal called Surrender: A journal for my daughter. Joshua has been a finalist in the Archibald prize and has been selected five times for the Wynne Landscape prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. In 2014, Manly Gallery and Museum held a twenty-year survey of Yeldham’s work and another survey and residency is planned for Tweed River Art Gallery in 2017. Joshua has just returned from his first solo show in London to promote Surrender at the Sydney Writers Festival. This year Chris Watson from Luxembourg Bistro in Melbourne and Marty Boetz of Cooks Co-Op created a gutsy list of culinary delights, a creative feast all round. We’re passionate about life outdoors and Josh Yeldham was the perfect fit for us. Josh draws his inspiration from the outdoors and his notions of living amongst the natural environment and being open to the creativity it brings made for a heartfelt and creatively energising experience.
– Can you feel the breeze carrying seeds of creativity that’s yours to grow? Josh Yeldham SURRENDER. A journal for my daughter. Images by Martina Gemmola
The Tom Kundig Collection The Tom Kundig Collection is a steel accessory line focused on intimately scaled hardware components. Each piece celebrates the moments when people become kinetically involved with the buildings and spaces they inhabit. This collection is a low-tech approach to hardware that provides an unpretentious yet tactile encounter with the built environment – a wink and a nod to elements that might otherwise be overly stylized or precious. Kundig, 60, is co-founder of Olson Kundig Architects, a practice known for producing rugged, raw buildings, often in remote locations. In 2012 he launched the collection with 12th avenue iron and the range continues to grow each year.
More info: www.12thavenueiron.com/collections/olson-kundig-tom-kundig-collection
ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
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\ HARVEST \ Distillery Botanica gin is lovingly handcrafted in our picturesque garden just outside of Sydney, Australia. It’s here that we grow and handpick the botanicals that give our gin its distinctive character. / We reckon the fresher the botanicals the more fragrant the gin. And it’s that scent that we love most. It’s why we use ‘enfleurage’, a thousand-year-old technique, to extract the purest perfume from our hero botanical, Murraya, without the use of heat. This makes the delicate Murraya come alive, with cues of Jasmine, Honeysuckle and Orange Blossom. / It’s all about capturing our ingredients as purely as possible. Distilling the essence of our summer garden and delivering it perfectly to yours.
WE CALL IT GARDEN GROWN GIN.
HUNT & GATHER “There’s always the new and the shiny but sometimes there’s something that has a quality that really appeals to us. It’s about seeing the beauty in something that isn’t perfect or symmetrical or absolutely f inished.” PERFECT IMPERFECT The Beauty of Accident, Age and Patina Sydney-based editor and interior-style maven Karen McCartney collaborates with Sharyn Cairns and Glen Proebstel in her latest book Perfect Imperfect. Provoking thought and reflection on the Japanese aesthetic idea of Wabi-Sabi, the book explores the art of appreciating beauty in the naturally imperfect, the incomplete. For every trend there’s a counter trend and whilst many covet the latest interior style or daily fad on Instagram; there’s a whole movement of others who are taking time to reconsider the opposite. McCartney explores this appreciation of age, patina and distinct ‘mended’ aesthetic and the way in which this kind of character offers a unique and genuine beauty that cannot be replicated en masse.
IN DETAIL
PERFECT IMPERFECT — The Beauty of Accident, Age & Patina, by Karen McCartney with Sharyn Cairns and Glen Proebstel, is published by Murdoch Books and available at Eco Outdoor RRP $59.99
NEW PRODUCT CATEGORY | LINEAR WALLINGTM Linear WallingTM was developed to create a contemporary aesthetic with an organic, textural feel. To develop a material that presented a striking modern architectural form without moving too far outside of the natural stone format. Our linear wallingTM was partly inspired by the Therme Vals Spa in Switzerland, an internationally-lauded project that utilized local stone slabs in a linear format for a complete sensory experience.
In this local project, the architects used a custom version of the Bluestone material expressed in elongated strips of stone with linear joints to create a unique façade with articulation. Monotone in colour and with layers of character, our Linear WallingTM – with its flat finish – can be utilised internally and externally and, by the very nature of its sourcing (block offcuts), is inherently sustainable.
Architect: arc seven 1
Stone Specified: Bluestone Linear WallingTM ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
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/ MADE BY HAND
/
WategoTM modular sofa from RRP $1299 per piece Jacqui Fink wall hanging shown behind.
[ IN CONVERSATION | JACQUI FINK ] People talk about following their dream but so few do so it’s energizing to meet someone like Jacqui Fink who has done just that. Initially trained as a lawyer, Jac didn’t realise her passion until a real period of soul searching which led her to rediscover the humble craft of knitting. No doubt you would have seen Jac’s work in the form of throws, blankets, home furnishings and wall hangings. We’ve fallen in love with Jac’s artisan creations, so much so our showrooms have several of her works on display. / What Inspired you to start a creative venture of this kind?
We live in a world surrounded by mass production. A digital age where you can design and print your own 3D product without leaving your living room. You can style your home to match that of a beautiful interior you saw on the glossy pages of a magazine at a third of the cost through cheap replicas and downloadable art. But something gets lost in translation when a product is machine-made on a mass scale without an appreciation of its materiality, uniqueness and life of the end user. The beauty of a one-of-a-kind piece can sometimes be forgotten. Imperfections are ironed out and the tactile quality is never quite the same. There has been a resurgence in the popularity of handmade for the last decade or so. The craftsman, artisan and maker are back in vogue as we appreciate unique, distinctively original products. Products that tell a story, evoke a feeling and create a connection with the maker are today, very desirable. Is it nostalgia? The desire to be unique? Or are we fighting the industrial revolution to create a life and style that is more authentic? We’re not sure you have to live one life without the other. Handmade and mass produced can live side by side; a relationship of juxtaposition, where humanistic meets machine. Mass produced can incorporate the handcraft knowledge without compromising on the tactility and character we’re all fond of. Made by hand with evidence of the fingers that crafted it, is as much about living an authentic life as it is ensuring a craft is not soon forgotten. Sarah Appleford
My mum taught me how to knit as a child, but I never committed to learning the language of knitting so my skills remained very basic. When I think about it, I don’t think I ever finished a single project! Then, as it is now, my focus was on the therapeutic quality of the exercise not the functionality. Similarly, it was always the journey that I found rewarding, not the outcome. Fast forward to the early years of my adulthood with a law degree under my belt, I found myself completely disillusioned with my chosen career. Life as a lawyer just did not suit. I left law to work in my husband’s high-end fashion retail business. I learnt many important lessons while walking the retail floor; many of them brutal, but importantly it was during this time that my passion for high grade merino wool was reignited. Three children then came along in fairly quick succession and it was my choice to stay at home to care for them on a full-time basis. I was totally unprepared for how difficult mothering can be and I felt like a failure. Post-natal depression took a hold of me and many residual anxieties from my experience with my first-born child became embedded in my everyday life, without me even realising it. By this time, I was 35 and realised I needed to dig myself out of the hole I had inadvertently dug for myself. At that age, I knew myself well enough to know that I needed to work creatively with my hands in some way. I was desperate to be successful in my own right and I wanted to show my children that, if they were ever at a loose end in their life, that they already possessed everything they needed to create something meaningful out of nothing. And so I began my search for a creative outlet in earnest. That same year (2006) my mum was diagnosed with a terminal lung disease. In the three years that followed Mum’s diagnosis we had some very big life affirming conversations. In one of them my mum said to me that her only regret was that she had never fulfilled her true potential. Those words were like a knife to my heart and I reacted viscerally to them. On the spot, I vowed never to have the need to say that to my children on my death bed. It was time to turn my ship around. I was done with not taking responsibility for my enjoyment and experience of life. The end came for my mum on Halloween in 2009. I could hear the onset of her decline over the phone on the Friday. By Sunday, I was on a plane travelling north to say my final goodbyes. As you can imagine, it was a deeply traumatic time for my family but in the very early hours of Monday morning my mum received a double lung transplant with only minutes to spare. And so she lives and six years on she’s still going great.
In the days following my mum’s transplant, I found myself occupying a very heightened and surreal state. Quite frankly, I was on another plane completely. I don’t know how else to describe it. It was during this time that I had a vision which transformed my life and opened the door to a new life. I set about discovering what knitting meant to me, trusting my intuition implicitly. I began searching “off the grid” for months before I happened upon my first bag of merino wool roving – straight from a farmer’s gate in South Australia. It was an instant love affair and I knew that I had found my joy. I had my Dad make up a set of industrial sized needles and I set about teaching myself how to knit with roving on such a large scale. It wasn’t easy and I made a load of mistakes. Roving is a difficult material to knit with. In fact, roving is mostly used for felting or for spinning yarn. No one in their right mind knits with it because it is as delicate as fairy floss and prone to excessive pilling and breaking with use. But I was so determined to find a way to successfully use this delightful and beautiful material, that I was undeterred. My work continues to evolve and I am on a constant quest to increase my scale and challenge myself physically to see how big I can go. My lack of technical knowhow has been a blessing in disguise and my passion for merino wool underpins everything I create. My particular form of knitting is very conceptual. I don’t follow patterns. I make my own up as I go along through a process of trial and error. I don’t like to feel constrained in any aspect of my life and my creative practice is no different. I suspect that is why I have never committed to the language of knitting, which is actually very mathematical. / We love the raw and tactile nature that is so evident in your creations. This is not always the case in knitted pieces, so where do you get your inspiration from?
“My work is underpinned by three great passions: my love of sensory feedback, texture and natural fibres. The extreme scale acts as a dramatic sensory and aesthetic conduit to illustrate the beauty and soothing powers of natural fibres. “ The textures I create through self-taught processes are rich, luxurious and have the power to imbue both solace and joy to the observer. I work with super fine merino wool and so it is incredibly beautiful and luxurious to handle. The sensory feedback this provides is therapeutic, calming and satiating. The mark of the hand is at the core of what I do. Every piece made is unique and contains irregularities and imperfections which make them even more beautiful. So much love and energy goes into my creative expression. A machine can’t replicate that. Actually, Eco Outdoor are now in possession of some of my most favourite and meaningful pieces. Jen and I share a similar aesthetic and so it is exciting to have my work housed in the brilliant concept that is Eco Outdoor. The lamp shades and woolly mammoth I made for Jen take months and months of work leaving me little time to do anything else. Each piece requires a great deal of commitment and energy, and so the end, the piece becomes a marker of time. / You can see more of Jac’s amazing pieces online at her site Little Dandelion or hanging in one of our showrooms. A truly special artist with a lot of heart. www.littledandelion.com
Jacqui Fink custom lights @ Eco Outdoor Richmond ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
[ S T Y L I NG A N OU T D O O R PA RT Y ]
EASY OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING IS THE BEST KIND Outdoor styling is all about keeping it simple and low key. Easy entertaining is the best kind. For this outdoor party we used old timber palettes to create the bar and then crammed cutlery and fresh herbs in the front for guests to grab as they piled their plates with food. Seafood was served in ice tubs straight from the fish markets and animals cooked whole on the spit while guests watched. We made hundreds of candles out of old soup tins and odd glass jars which we scattered throughout the backyard and dressed old palette tables with luxurious linen offcuts and pots of poppies.
Start collecting now: / Old soup cans and jars / Leather and linen offcuts / Old-school op shop camping plates / Pots, buckets and crates for drinks and food / Milk crates and palettes for seating / tables
Consider spending on: / A stack of home-made candle wax to fill your jars and tins / A couple of garlands of outdoor bulbs / Something you can use as a fire pit / Bunches of fresh herbs for the tables so guests can add their own
The entrance was decorated with little tea lights in glass jars hanging from the carport ceiling, together with upside plants and assorted posies. We put a new spin on bunting by making it out of old leather offcuts which shriveled and weathered in the wind creating a strikingly imperfect bustle of rich leather and rope. Old washing machine tubs provided a couple of great fire pits, we used coffee sacks filled with old material for small person seating, whilst ‘borrowed’ milk crates with seat cushions made for the perfect adult perch. An old trailer backed into the yard made for a good sized ice bucket with plenty of drinks to keep the crowd going. If you’re planning an outdoor gathering start collecting now. You’ll be amazed what you can do with tins and cans, a few crates and some great fabrics. Rent a couple of garlands of outdoor bulbs to light up the space and have stacks of candles on hand for later on. Remember the best thing about entertaining outdoors is that you have a load of natural elements to work with. So keep the decorations low key, serve gutsy food for hungry guests on old-school camping plates and don’t forget about the music. Nature will do the rest.
Images by Sam McAdam-Cooper
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A Piece of Engineering Genius Architect: Shane Marsh Stone Specified: Baw BawTM Walling
It seems this Clayfield project was always meant to be. Architect Shane Marsh described the way in which the collaboration between builder Bruce Muggeridge and the property owner came about as something that ‘never happens’.
Shane said by pairing the other materials and tones back, they were able let the stone be, without having it dominate the space. He even tweaked some of the colours within the home to work better with the natural tones of the stone.
An engineering school friendship, a site and a few beers were coupled with a great design and a very trusting client. It simply sounds like one of those projects where everything fell into place right from the get go.
While the building is large on footprint, the entrance into the home is much more restrained. This offers the surprise of openness and scale as guests venture inside for the first time.
Over 4-5 months, Bruce worked collaboratively with the team to get the project off the ground and the result was everything they had hoped for and more. With the client being inspired by architects Isay Weinfield and Richard Neutra, this was never going to be a traditional, ordinary house. In fact, the pavilion on the rear of the building is a piece of engineering genius, says Shane. The desire was to play with depth and shadow with a limited palette of materials and colour, but a lot of space and light. This was so there would be no design detail or material that was trying to compete with another, particularly the Baw BawTM dry stone walling. Natural stone was one of the client’s loves and as such, it featured heavily in the front of the building.
The client was eager to get the design of the contemporary kitchen, dining and living area just right; sometimes tricky to do in such a simple, clean-lined space. Cleverly, Shane created a butler’s kitchen hidden behind the timber cabinetry of the ‘presentation’ kitchen to keep the minimalist look. With no TV in sight, the living and dining room takes advantage of the expansive space and the connection to the two gardens on either side of the building. Off the main living area are what the architect describes as ‘two wings’. The first wing, has been designed to be deliberately heavy, in order to make it feel low and non-dominating; almost utilitarian part of the house. It contains the garage, wine cellar, powder room and is the entrance to both the main house and the office, which is the second wing.
A stairway heads up to a separate office, purposely designed so that the client doesn’t have to travel to work. With meeting rooms, a kitchenette, ample light and impressive views to the city, the staff are provided with a great environment to work in. Privacy to the rest of the house, including the master bedroom, is created through the use of timber screens which link back into the material of the façade. Shane says all the basics of architecture were applied to the design of this house. “If you apply a certain set of rules, you end up with great architecture”. He regards this design as nothing over the top, yet on the surface it appears over the top. Shane believes in many ways architects dictate how people live their lives due to the design of the spaces. The simple nature of removing the TV changes the way you live. The project had a very different set of client requirements than many of the homes Shane is used to designing, which has had such a positive influence on the outcome. The palette of materials isn’t huge, the configuration is relatively simple, but it has resulted in big grandiose spaces conducive to modern living.
/ Project Profile /
Living here has brought sanity and serenity into our lives – Kate, owner
Finalist of several architectural awards, the renovation of Kate’s House is impressive. But it’s the collaboration between architect and client that may have proved its greatest success. We chat with architect Jade Vidal of Bower Architecture about the design intent for the home and the garden, as well as the experience of working with a client who has such a strong vision. ECO OUTDOOR: Kate appeared to have had a solid brief for her new home. What’s it like collaborating with a client who has such as strong vision? JADE VIDAL: It was very enjoyable and never a dull moment. The respect of both client and design team for the value of the design process was there from the start. Kate’s brief was for a timeless family house for living in; a canvas which allowed for her imprint of artwork, sculpture and furnishings. Our collaboration continually pushed this brief and ambition through the design process and construction. EO: What was the brief for the outdoor space of Kate’s House? JV: The initial brief was for a low maintenance garden, with a character to complement her artwork and sculpture. As the design progressed we drew upon our experience of built gallery spaces, where garden connections and framed outdoor views are integrated into the movement through the spaces, to create moments of peace, visual relief and surprise. EO: Following the initial design concepts Bower Architecture worked closely with landscape designer Pascale Drever of Cielo Design and the owner to develop these concepts further. We’re thrilled to see our Endicott™ Crazy Paving and Lagano™ Project Stone featured in such a timeless and sophisticated project. The choice of materials outside is really restrained and
sympathetic to the 1960s era. Can you tell us a little more about your approach to the materials palette? JV: Given the abundance of artwork, sculpture and “stuff” of everyday family life on display in the house, the material palette is deliberately restrained, while being warm and textured to prevent a cold or minimal feel. Natural raw materials such as blackbutt timber, bagged brickwork and granite combine with finer detailing in steel and brass. Bathrooms are treated as discovered and surprising gems of colour, balancing the neutral palette of living and bedroom spaces. EO: The landscape steps down from the dining platform. Was that simply because of the nature site, or a deliberate design decision? JV: It was a deliberate design decision. The initial house was cited above the surrounding garden and landscape, with little connection between the two. Our strategy to connect house and landscape was to raise a small area of landscape up to match the level of the existing house at the entry courtyard and lower the new section of the house to match the existing landscape level.
JV: Stitching together the new house to the retained section of the existing house without trying to replicate or compete with this original element was a challenge, requiring continual consideration and care. The surprise and peace of the entry courtyard is a space we’re all proud of, including the owners. In the words of the owner, “I still walk in everyday and smile. The house exudes calm and joy”. The seamless integration of new and old, the natural materials and colour palette, and the intent of designing a home for living are just a few of the aspects that stand out in Kate’s House. It’s also refreshing to see a home that has been designed to accommodate everyday living. Owner Kate says: “Living here has brought sanity and serenity into our lives. It’s the combination of natural light and zones – shared spaces to converge and areas we can separately retreat to in a completely natural way” says owner Kate, owner. “It’s an organic flow between interior spaces and between interior and the garden. Seamless. I never feel the need to run away from home as I often did in my last house.”
This results in varied connections over the journey as the house gently terraces down the site. EO: As architects, how important is integrating the landscape with the architecture? JV: Our practice aims to design spaces that appear revealed and meant to be, maximising opportunities presented by site and brief. We believe good architecture will always integrate built form with landscape, and as such the design of both benefits when developed together. EO: Were there any particular challenges or successes that stood out during the design process?
ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
Kate’s House for Everyday Living Architect: Bower Architecture Stone Specified: EndicottTM Crazy Paving LaganoTM Flooring
/ Project Profile /
Concrete House Architect: Matt Gibson Architecture & Design Landscape Design: E-GA Stone Specified: Baw BawTM Walling EndicottTM FilettiTM
Concrete House by Matt Gibson Architecture & Design is a brilliant example of a cohesive use of materials and space. Composed of two longitudinal zones located north and south of an east west spine, Concrete House utilises vertical connections and void spaces to balance out its robust palette of materials. A palette of concrete, wood and stone was briefed in by the client and sturdy as that may sound, when coupled with large glass windows, sleek steel and plenty of open space, the design possesses a great sense of lightness reminiscent of mid-century modernist architecture.
Living spaces are located to the north of the property with sleeping quarters and other utility areas housed in the southern wing of the house. The main living spaces are open and airy; the expansive living area opens out to a garden, pool and tennis court. Every space has been well considered and intentional references to texture, material and nature are present throughout. From the exterior, a lush green landscape by Eckersley Garden Architecture provides tonal and textural relief from the FilettiTM stone drive and the concrete focal point of the facade.
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A Secret Garden for this Modern Family Home Landscape Design: Secret Gardens Stone Specified: LichenTM
Striking modern architectural lines dominated this block with the assembly of this pre-fab contemporary home. Building materials were chosen for their dominance and the crisp lines intentionally slice through the Sydney seaside skyline. The brief to Secret Gardens was to create a family garden for this new home. Not just a traditional front and back yard but an all-encompassing outside space that would not only tie this crisp-new build seamlessly into the surrounding landscape but that would give the young family maximum use of their outside space. Secret gardens designed various zones for the outside space and while all tie together, there are distinct differences as you move from space to space, creating a journey as you experience the garden and move from the front of the property through to the back. As a Sydney beachside home, the front entrance has a strong native coastal influence. Striking kangaroo paw perfectly offset the colours in the LichenTM split stone wall that creates privacy for the front of the house. Once behind the wall there’s an expanse of lawn; a perfect space for kids to safely play. The side of the property is a meandering walkway. Staggered stone steppers planted out with lush ground coverings lead the way. Wide-leafed green planting along the border creates a sense of seclusion and privacy
and an outdoor shower cleverly concealed in the overhead timber structure is perfect for a post-beach shower. The back of the garden is again broken into zones, there’s the informal outdoor BBQ and dining area, the pool area and a raised outdoor casual lounging area. The idea behind the zones is to allow for multiple uses of space. Kids can play in the lounge area while adults entertain. And the pool is easily visible from either platform, making it not only aesthetically pleasing but functional as well. In the back of the garden the planting changes again to a contemporary, clean planting schedule. Structural plants perfectly complement the architecture of the home. This is a garden that takes you on a journey. Every step of the way the garden is connected to the house. And while you’re guided through different experiences as you walk through, at all times you feel connected to the property. Each zone leads seamlessly to the next, resulting in a perfectly united space, that ties in the house and the garden.
Once behind the wall there’s an expanse of lawn; a perfect space for kids to safely play.
ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
BarwonTM Easy Chair RRP $699
BarwonTM Foot Stool RRP $249
PROJECT: ECO RICHMOND BATHROOM FLOORING SPECIFIED: DOVER RANDOM LENGTH FLOORING WALLING SPECIFIED: ESPRESSO GLAZED TILE
Image by Martina Gemmola
– Project: ECO Richmond Kitchen – Flooring Specified: LaganoTM random length exfoliated finish – Walling Specified: Seafoam glazed tile – Lighting: Volker Haug
Image by Martina Gemmola
A LIGHT IDEA The kitchen is the centre of the house and in our case, the centre of the store. It’s where everyone hangs out, where presentations are done and where people sit down at the end of the day to unwind and spend time together. When it comes to design, lighting is everything. In Melbourne we worked with German-born designer Volker Haug to create a lighting design that was both striking but intimate. Volker created a rope chandelier for the entrance that drapes down in a casual-but-sophisticated tumble of woven rope and Edison bulbs. For the kitchen lighting with a low roof, Volker created almost a train map series of copper piping with enamel fixtures that present lights which can be turned up for presentations and dimmed for more intimate settings. Volker is renowned for his distinctive lighting products that present a nod to industrial design but are always reinterpreted with his playful and distinctive aesthetic. Copper along with brass, features heavily in many of his designs. Image by Martina Gemmola
BronteTM Table RRP $2799 BronteTM Bench RRP $1199
perfect patina
NOMA HEADS DOWNUNDER
Volker Haug “Often multiple tasks need to be performed within the same space. Therefore, having a variety of lights in the one room with different colour temperatures is essential when defining what different spaces are used for”.
A key highlight of Moroccan influence in modern design has been the resurgence of the glazed tile. Continuing in the tradition of artisans since the 14th century, these square tiles are made from clay, dipped in coloured enamel and hand cut with a beveled edge to obtain a very fine joint. Irregular in texture and colour, these tiles have a wonderfully unique translucent glaze. Traditionally laid without grout, these glazed tiles are modest in their muted colour palette and present a beautiful, organic format.
| Noma in Copenhagen is the four-time winner of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants award and Rene Redzepi is considered one of the most thoughtful and provocative chefs in the world. Last summer, he opened his doors to Sydney for the very first time. Australia Day marked the first service of Noma’s 10-week waterside residence at Barangaroo in Sydney. | Image by Martina Gemmola ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
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[ TO PA NG A B R OT H E R H O O D ]
you were wild once. d o n ’ t l e t t h e m ta m e y o u . [isadora duncan]
We treasure things that are made by time; materials which are natural, authentic and which offer a considered combination of comfort, design and imperfect beauty. A palette of raw, organic style materials, muted tones and rich patinas creates a distinct sense of beauty that feels like it has been with you forever. Drop into your nearest Eco showroom and check out our latest range of fabrics that bring this idea of considered design to life within the outdoor space.
Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
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OUTDOOR LINEN Introducing a new fabric story to outdoor design. Luxuriously soft and incredibly durable, our commercial-grade fabrics are designed specifically for outdoor living. Simple, considered design with a palette of colour that reflects the raw fabric in it’s most natural form. Introducing Linens, Slub Linens, Raw Linen, Broadcloth, Basics, Botanicals and Canvas.
Canvas
[ kan-vuh s ] Canvas is a thick and sturdy fabric that is ideal for sling chairs and bean bags. Made from 50% recycled acrylic material from the Sunbrella mills in the USA, it is incredibly resilient and durable. A great option for almost any outdoor application. [ brawd-klawth, -kloth ] Broadcloth is lightweight and easy to handle but also very tough and fade resistant. It is an ideal fabric choice for outdoor cushions, upholstery or drapes. [ lin-uh n ] Our Linen range is the product of the flax plant that is grown, harvested and milled in Belgium. As part of the weaving process, the Linens are treated with a special outdoor treatment that is embedded in the fabric. This makes them ideal for outdoor applications while still holding true to their delicate and natural appearance. [ sluhb ] Our Slub Linen range from Belgium is woven on an older style loom, giving the fabric a unique ‘slubbiness’. Some may think this is an imperfection but we see it as being integral to the beauty of this cloth. As part of the weaving process the Slub Linens are treated with a special outdoor treatment, making them water repellent and fade resistant.
Broadcloth
Linen
Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
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Linen shown here is: Slub Linen | Falconer Raw Linen | Fieldstone
Slub Linen
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Belgian Linen Tote Bag RRP $169
[ CUT-TO-LENGTH ] Our luxurious collection of outdoor fabrics brings another layer of comfort, texture and style to any outdoor application and now we offer cut-to-length on our entire range. Our fabrics are designed specifically for the outdoors, so if you’re looking to change up an existing lounge or day bed, or breathe new life into your boat cushions, our fabrics can be purchased by the lineal metre. // ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
THAT THING THAT YOU DO, AFTER YOUR DAY JOB, IN YOUR FREE TIME, TOO EARLY IN THE MORNING, TOO LATE AT NIGHT. THAT THING YOU READ ABOUT, THINK ABOUT, WRITE ABOUT. THAT THING YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE ALL ALONE AND THERE’S NO ONE TO IMPRESS, NOTHING TO PROVE, NO MONEY TO BE MADE, SIMPLY A PASSION TO PURSUE. THAT’S IT.
THAT’S YOUR THING. THAT’S YOUR HEART, YOUR GUIDE. THAT’S THE THING YOU MUST DO
AND NEVER STOP. EVERYBODY NEEDS A THING LIKE THAT.
[ ZUMA C A ]
BLISS & MISCHIEF
Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
MaluaTM Lounge [Basics Fabric] RRP $4199
Is there anything more welcome than the arrival of daylight saving, signalling the approaching summer, beckoning us outdoors? We think not. Easily setting up an outdoor cinema in your garden is one magic way to fully exploit those longer summer evenings and school holiday sleep outs. It’s super simple to set up and means you’ll have the best seat in the house.
OUTDOOR CINEMA
What you’ll need: It doesn’t take much to create a home cinema setting in your backyard. All you need is a projector and a laptop or iPad, extension cord, nearby power-point, wireless speakers, a large, thick white sheet to use as a screen and, hey presto, you’ve got your own movie theatre right on your doorstep. Keep the gang comfy with loads of outdoor cushions – we made ours out of old coffee sacks filled with material, as well as a few blankets to cocoon yourself in later on. Now all you need is a ton of old-school movie treats. We think these Black Pantry marshmallows are just the trick.
BLACK PANTRY A private chef and caterer, Belinda Black is no stranger to cooking up delicious treats. When she was asked to make some marshmallows for a client, little did she know it would be the first of many. After tasting the marshmallows, she knew she was on to something and soon she was making them for friends, then friends of friends and the rest is history. “I started stocking the marshmallows at a little shop in Newport and at various markets,” says Belinda. Before too long, the business was taking up a fair chunk of her time so Belinda enlisted her twin sister, Jo, to help out. The two now run the business together. Belinda says the most challenging part about the business is the juggle. Both Belinda and Jo have established careers and young families to manage as well. Belinda said early on she’d have a baby in one arm and was cutting marshmallows with the other. But all the madness aside, the beauty of the brand really lies in the simplicity of the final product. Hand cut, delicious marshmallows; simple but decadently flavoured and beautifully packaged. Belinda thanks their Instagram following in helping them gain more momentum. They’ve now collaborated with Bassike, Sass and Bide, Alice McCall and Sheridan, to name a few. Although in some weeks Black Pantry make more than 8000 marshmallows, they’re still a small team, packed into a small shop in Narrabeen. On Mondays, the girls make the mallows and leave them to set. Tuesday, they cut and pack and Wednesday, the orders are packaged and shipped from the shop. There’s no doubt Black Pantry have transformed the humble mallow. The Cherry Ripe, Belinda’s favourite, is a blend of freeze-dried cherries, coconut marshmallow, dark chocolate and chewy shredded coconut.
Images by Sam McAdam-Cooper
OrdTM Lounge | Large Seat shown here in Nomad Fabric RRP $1749 per piece
Belinda says her favourite part about running Black Pantry is building a brand she can be proud of and being all self-funded, Belinda says the successes are all the more rewarding. One thing that is certain is that no one is making marshmallows quite like Black Pantry. We’re holding our breath for the new flavours that Belinda promises are just around the corner.
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Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
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MaluaTM Sofa RRP $4,199 [Basics fabric]
MaluaTM Lounge Chair RRP $2,199 [Basics fabric]
MaluaTM Ottoman RRP $1,099 [Basics fabric]
Butterfly chair in Saddle Leather Price on application www.hideyouseek.com
ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
MaluaTM Coffee Table RRP $799
// THE WAY WE LIVE OUTDOORS IS DIFFERENT. IT’S MESSY, UNHURRIED, SPONTANEOUS AND UNPREDICTABLE. IT’S FRIENDS DROPPING ROUND FOR A LAST-MINUTE BBQ OR THROWING A WOOD-FIRED PIZZA ON FOR THE LUNCH THAT SOMEHOW BECAME A DINNER. IT’S BRING A PLATE AND DON’T BE TOO FANCY; DRESS DOWN NOT UP AND MOSTLY, IT’S ABOUT KINSHIP WITH FRIENDS AND WITH FAMILY. //
Seat Cushion [Basics Fabric] RRP $69.00 Milk Crate | Found Object
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- THREE SAUCES Here are three fool-proof sauces to get you through the holidays. Whether it’s a roast or a crusty bread roll stuffed with leftover ham, you’ll find a use for these. SMOKEY BBQ You’ll need… 170g tin of tomato paste ¾ cup water 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons molasses 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon smoked paprika Salt and pepper to taste Method Heat all ingredients together in a small pot over medium heat and bring to a bubble. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary. Stir every few minutes. Once sauce has thickened slightly and seasonings have been adjusted to your taste, you’re done.
When it comes to designing for small spaces, it’s essential to get the planning right. Small gardens are increasingly popular, with a huge demand in apartment living and the desire for an urban lifestyle but the feeling of being outdoors can be easily recreated in humbler spaces.
Making Small Spaces Work By Adam Robinson
A clever approach is to incorporate as many elements as you can. This ensures an effective use of space and keeps unwanted items from ‘floating’ and becoming clunky. Built-in BBQs are a simple solution – they’re user-friendly and easy on the eye. A large bench space can be handy for placing food while you’re in the swing of entertaining and who would say no to a bit of extra storage underneath? Also consider built-in bench seating and breakfast bars. The secret to a more limited space is maintaining a tonal, harmonious colour palette. This yields a feeling of serenity, ease and sophistication. I lean towards neutral tones and use texture and pattern for that punch of personality. Colour is great in accessories that can be replaced as tastes alter with trends. Go big and bold when it comes to materials and furniture. One big, standout pot can be better than an assortment of many, which can create clutter. The same goes with furnishings. A good-sized dining table provides ample seating for all occasions and gives good use to the limited space.
SPICED PEACH You’ll need… 1 whole brown onion, finely diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove of minced garlic 1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated ginger 2 Birdseye chilies finely chopped (adjust according to heat preference) 170g tin of tomato paste ¾ cup water 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 large peaches, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar Method Add olive oil to pan and sauté onion over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies. Cook for a minute or so, stirring until fragrant. Add tomato paste, peaches, water and brown sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar. Once sauce has cooled slightly, puree in a blender or food processer. FRAGRANT TOMATO You’ll need… 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 large onions, finely diced 3 cloves minced garlic 2 teaspoon minced ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¾ teaspoon all spice 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds Pinch of salt 2 kg tomatoes roughly chopped ½ cup of soft brown sugar 3/4 cup red wine vinegar Method Add olive oil to pan and sauté onion over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and salt, stirring until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened. Let the sauce cool and then puree in a blender. / Top tips for storing sauces / Buy high quality seasonings/ingredients Sterilize seasonings (sauté in oil or bring them to the boil in water prior to making sauce) Cool your sauce as rapidly as possible Keep your sauce refrigerated Avoid adding new batches of your sauce to old batches and ensure if using the same container, it is sterilized Avoid aluminium or plastic containers. Stick to glass or stainless steel.
And remember, the smaller the space, the more important the planning.
/ Recipes adapted from / www.thefoodieandthefix.com/ 21-day-fix-barbecue-sauce-bonus-recipe/ www.magnoliadays.com/ 2015/habanero-peach-barbecue-sauce/ www.recipesfromapantry.com/ 2015/08/12/homemade-spiced-tomato-ketchup-recipe/
AvalonTM Sofa RRP $4499
ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
GENERAL QUARTERS CAP
USD45 www.generalquartersstore.com |
| FILSON DUFFLE
INDOEK WAVEWAM TEE PEE
USD295 www.indoek.com
USD395 www.filson.com
| YOCUM RIDGE TRAVEL KIT
USD75 www.willleathergoods.com |
BRASS TENSION KEY RING
USD12 www.alpinemodern.com
WE TRAVEL NOT TO ESCAPE LIFE, BUT FOR LIFE NOT TO ESCAPE US.
|
– Anonymous
| SNOW PEAK Ti DOUBLE H300 STACKING CUP TABLEWARE PLATE LARGE
Cup USD49.95 Plate USD11.95 www.snowpeak.com
#EVERYDAYADVENTURER
> Linens Napkins (pictured) + Teatowels: Napkins (Set of 2): $29.99 Teatowels: $24.99 Available at Eco Outdoor
Teakwood & Tobacco Candle P.F. Candle Co. $38.00 Available at Eco Outdoor
Available in Plantation, Tempest & Jack O Lantern
“ The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have.” Anna Quindlen
WHAT WE’RE READING
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Collective Quarterly $29.95
Coastal Table $28
Design Anthology $12.95
Haven $29.95
Available at Eco Outdoor
Available at Eco Outdoor
Available at Eco Outdoor
A collection of seasonally-inspired recipes, ideas for weekend projects and exploration as well as insightful narratives of amazing artisans from all over the world.
Asia’s new quarterly magazine profiling the best design across Asia.
Haven is about taking the journey and finding home. Created by a group of pioneers, question-askers and home-lovers, Haven is the story of place, of people, of communities—how we both navigate the open road and balance our innate longing for rest, for solace, and connection.
Available at Eco Outdoor Collective Quarterly is about discovery. When we travel, we’re trying to discover the essence of a region during a moment in time. But what happens when there are stories that demand to be told but don’t fit inside a specific print issue? Stories about uncommon people, places, and things from around the world? They’re told here.
Image by Martina Gemmola
Explorer Sunglasses AETHER X L.A based Eyewear brand SALT USD600 www.aetherapparel.com
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“I’ve learned how to “invent experience”. With skateboarding I would often marvel how I was totally sweaty and eating crap down a flight of stairs while surrounded by people in suits going to work. Similar to when you just get out of the water after going for a surf and someone might just be sitting on a towel eating snacks reading a book. We are all “outside” but on a sliding scale of memorable-ness.” – Geoff McFetridge – An excerpt from The Outsiders available at Eco Outdoor
ISSUE 03 // LIVE IMPERFECT
[ IN CONVERSATION | RODNEY DUNN ] WO R D S B Y S A L LY W I L S O N All images in this story are by photographer Adam Gibson
What would it take for you to pack up a city life and move to rural Tasmania to start a farm and cooking school? Rodney Dunn knows the answer to that, because it’s just what he and his wife Severine did back in 2007. The following year the couple opened the doors to The Agrarian Kitchen and it’s been nonstop ever since. With a background as a chef and food writer, Rodney is expertly placed to welcome people into his kitchen and share his acquired knowledge about grassroots food production and cooking. We’re lucky to have his insights on everything from the perfect peach to hard work and patience this month, too!
If you were a plant, what would you be, and why?
Please tell us about about yourself and what you do.
A pear tree, very long lived, up to 200 years and at the end the wood makes beautiful furniture.
Food is my life: it’s my work and my hobby. I began my working life doing a chef apprenticeship in Griffith in the NSW Riverina, then moved to Sydney in 1997 to work at Tetsuya’s restaurant. A few years after completing my apprenticeship I began working freelance in food media, cooking for magazine photoshoots and on TV programs. In 2004, I went to work at Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine as a Food Editor and it was here that my interest in growing my own food developed.
What is one piece of wisdom (a saying, a philosophy for life, etc.) that you learnt from your dad/grandfather?
After being frustrated by the lack of growing options on our small Sydney balcony, we decided that a move to Tasmania would be required in order to pursue my dreams and thus the idea of a paddock-to-plate cooking school was born. In 2007, we moved to Tasmania and set about creating The Agrarian Kitchen in an 1887 built schoolhouse surrounded by five acres of land.
/ I am lucky enough to indulge my passion for food at the very beginning of the food chain, growing our own fruit and vegetables, milking our goats, raising animals for our own meat and keeping bees for honey and chickens for eggs. The most satisfying part of it all is sharing the process with other people attending classes, cooking together and educating guests about cooking and food production. I love being inspired and, in turn, inspiring others. What has been your most significant personal achievement?
After producing my two beautiful children I would have to say setting up and running the Agrarian Kitchen. We always joke that it’s our middle child, given the six-year gap between our son, Tristan and daughter, Chloe. Tristan was born in Sydney and we moved down to Tasmania to start the kitchen when he was just 4-months-old. What’s your worst habit?
Procrastination, I am always putting off important things to the last minute, when I probably should have tackled them sooner. What do you regard as man’s worst habit?
Selfishness, it can be very easy to view the world introspectively and not try to understand other people’s perspective. A little compassion goes a long way.
/ A little compassion goes a long way.
To work hard. My dad was never afraid of hard work and it is his work ethic that I’m thankful he passed onto me. What is one characteristic or trait that you inherited from your mum/grandmother?
My mum has a certain look that she would give me and my brothers when we were misbehaving when out, and we knew we were in trouble. Apparently, I give the same look to my kids. If you had to make a garden with 3 plants, what would they be and why have you chosen each of them?
Asparagus: A plant that once established keeps on giving, if looked after properly they have a 100-year life span and they produce food very early in spring when there is not much else. Raspberries: Raspberries grow like weeds in our climate and a sun-warmed raspberry is as good as fruit gets and the fruit freezes very well. Peach: A peach is my favourite fruit, the texture and sweet flesh of a perfect peach is something to behold.
/ A perfect peach should be so juicy you can’t eat it without it ending up all over your clothes. Name one thing you couldn’t live without.
Books, I adore books, I have around 800 cookbooks and there is a joke in our family that in the case of a fire I would be loading them into the car first. What would you be doing in an alternate life or career?
Something creative, I have immense respect for anybody who constantly works at honing a craft, whether it be working with wood, stone, metal or ceramics. I think it is very satisfying and innately human to create useful objects. What’s one lesson you’ve learnt from the plant kingdom?
Patience. Plants grow in their own time and should for some reason a crop not come to fruition then it is a whole year before the opportunity comes again to grow the vegetable again.
www.theplanthunter.com.au
— Rodney Dunn and his wife, Séverine Demanet, are founders of the Agrarian Kitchen cooking school in Tasmania.
OUTSIDERS: The New Outdoor Creativity RRP $95
WABI INSPIRATIONS RRP $90
SHELTER – HOW AUSTRALIANS LIVE RRP $59.99
With the fast paced digital age has come a yearning for a return to nature. A need to get away, disconnect and wind down. Outsiders: The New Outdoor Creativity shines the light on a new kind of lifestyle outdoors. Showcasing products and ideas, it’s an inspirational and useful guide to getting back outside. The imagery is also beautiful.
Interior designer Axel Vervoordt’s book, Wabi Inspirations explores the Wabi Sabi movement. Wabi Sabi is a Japanese world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection, and Vervoordt’s book offers breathtaking imagery and commentary, inviting us to explore the beauty in the imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
Shelter – How Australians Live is Kara Rosenlund’s first book and it’s a good one. Dedicated to the unintentional beauty of Australian living, its pages offer a look inside quintessential Australian homes – the rustic, rambling, well-lived-in kind. Kara truly captures the Australian way of life; casual and laid back and always in touch with the surrounding landscape..
MELBOURNE
Image by Sam McAdam-Cooper
SYDNEY BRISBANE ADELAIDE T. 1 3 0 0 1 3 1 4 1 3 E CO O U T D O O R .CO M . AU
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