Est Magazine Issue #26 - Spaces of Escape

ISSUE #26 2017

SPACES OF

ESCAPE

V O L U M E

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est ISSUE #26 2017

Editor’s Letter Embarking on a new renovation project this month my life is now life ruled by tight budgets and contracts – and less of the fun stuff like dream product selection. With a self-imposed ten week time frame to renovate, I have had to be organized from the get go. And as you can imagine, renovating with three teenage boys acting as tradesmen (of sorts!) does not come without its stressors - adding a publishing deadline to the house project mix adds another degree of difficulty.

Fortunately for me, however, est managing editor, Melia Rayner manages to create order and structure to all the insanity I throw her way.

So it’s with a big thanks to Melia that this latest edition has arrived in your inbox this month…

Sian MacPherson EDITOR AT LARGE

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Contents

14 ED’S PICKS

16 FASHION

18 HIGH NOON

Embracing a sense of play

Design-inspired style

A family’s coastal retreat

34 PARADISE FOUND

48 RARE MATERIALS

60 BELGIAN BEAUTY

Exploring a Tulum treehouse

Fiona Spence’s Avalon home

Modern elegance in Brussels

72 TRUE BLUE

84 STATEMENT SOFAS

87 TRAVEL

A revived Melbourne terrace

A collection to create impact

Discover the Atlas Mountains

est GLOBAL LIVING WITH AN AUSTRALIAN TWIST

EDITOR AT LARGE Sian MacPherson

MANAGING EDITOR Melia Rayner

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Georgie McKenzie

CLIENT PARTNERSHIPS Mandy Loftus-Hill

MANAGING DIRECTOR Miffy Coady

CONTRIBUTORS WORDS Annie Carroll, Georgina Hopkins, Yvette Caprioglio, Megan Rawson PHOTOGRAPHY Shannon McGrath, Prue Ruscoe, Georgina Hopkins, Brechenmacher & Baumann, James Geer, Serge Anton PRODUCTION David Harrison, Lucy Marczyk

ON THE COVER

PHOTOGRAPHY Shannon McGrath LOCATION Flinders, Victoria

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EDITORIAL editorial@estliving.com ADVERTISING advertising@estliving.com

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FACEBOOK @estemag PINTEREST @estemag INSTAGRAM @est_living

Oyster Perpetual ROLEX

Procida Dress KILOMETRE PARIS 99c Culver City’ 2016 GEORGE BYRNE

U336 Pendant Light ANIBOU

Beatrice Valenzuela Sandalia MY GENERAL STORE

editor’s picks

Trace Armchair TAIT

In the midst of a fast and furious renovation, I am finding myself drawn to fresh forms and colours perhaps as an aesthetic form of escape! Be it a classic design piece, an unexpected pattern or a new art discovery, a sense of play is defining my current covets.

BY Sian MacPherson

Leather Clutch VICTORIA BECKHAM

Camisole CAMI NYC

Midi Skirt JIL SANDER

Velvet Dress CHRISTOPHER KANE

Earrings LOREN STEWART

elegant brutalism Clean lines define the broad outlines of function and form in renowned designer Vincent van Duysen’s work.

The same principles apply to a minimalist, pared back aesthetic in velvet, leather and cotton pieces that have a fluid, tactile reassurance to form the backbone of a utilitarian yet finessed wardrobe. Étoile Fanzel Loafers ISABEL MARANT

From fresh shapes to reworked classics, a modern look that is a seamless mix of elegant brutalism and a chic, functional style always creates an enduring appeal.

BY Yvette Caprioglio

HIGH NOON A haven for adults and kids alike, this Flinders home by Clare Cousins Architects connects the home to its 1970s heritage as well as its coastal surrounds.

PHOTOGRAPHY Shannon McGrath | WORDS Melia Rayner

Searching for their perfect family home, Lucy and Tim O’Connor found it close to where they spent their own childhood weekends, in the heart of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

Home to Lucy and Tim and their children Lachie, Izzi and Fergus and beloved golden retrievers Mac and Mary, High Noon is a celebration of its 1970s heritage as well as a connection to the natural landscape. In fact, it was the 70s heritage of the original Baird Cuthbert Mitchell design that resonated with both the owners and architect Clare Cousins. “Clare loves the quirky 70s character of the home and wanted the extension to be sympathetic. The exterior of the extension is all black, but timber with a natural finish to contrast the old house. There is a clear paint line of where the old house ends and the new begins - we love this detail” says Lucy.

While the bones of the original design are far from hidden, they have been recast in its modern iteration. The strawboard ceiling and cedar shiplap cladding were whitewashed to create a simple yet textured backdrop to living spaces, while the angular ceiling of the living room reaches further heights in the extension to define the dining area and bathe the spaces in natural light. Materials like natural blackbutt timber, concrete and painted timber joinery add further connection between the disparate spaces in the home and to its surrounding environment.

“We wanted the house and garden to flow and we considered this connection carefully during the design process with Clare” says Lucy. The attention to uniting interior and exterior spaces is further seen in details like the window nook that looks out to the sea view and the landscaping

by Emma Mantello. “It’s a joyful place to live” Lucy remarks. “We feel very lucky to be here.”

Spanish Chair GREAT DANE

Potter Light ANCHOR CERAMICS

Outdoor Shower ENGLISH TAPWARE

Sleigh Loop Dining Table MARK TUCKEY

Macon Oven LACANCHE

Palm Beach Exterior Paint PORTERS Nook Sofa JARDAN

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PARADISE FOUND Tulum Treehouse is a private retreat on the cusp of the Mexican jungle blending raw materials with elegant minimalism.

PHOTOGRAPHY Brechenmacher & Baumann Photography DESIGN CO-LAB Design Office & Annabell Kutucu WORDS Annie Carroll

Mexico-based architects Co-Lab Design Office are known for creating meaningful structures that speak to their surroundings. Their Tulum Treehouse project goes one step further, blending into its lush habitat with melodious ease. The private hotel, which accommodates up to 10 guests, is rendered primarily in polished white cement, emerging from a dense mangrove jungle like a tranquil mirage. But it’s the use of locally sourced Tzalam wood throughout the structure that achieves the property’s harmonious relationship with its environment.

Adjacent to a national park, the luxury retreat includes several large common areas for indoor/ outdoor entertaining as well as large wraparound balconies, allowing guests to soak in the surrounding abundant greenery. Co-Lab have spared no opportunity to encourage the outside to be drawn in, with light and air flowing through every room. The property’s use of pure and unaffected materials is both sensitive and primitive, with each structural corner purposefully softened to achieve a gentle contrast to the wild location.

Berlin-based interior designer Annabell Kutucu is responsible for curating the retreat’s refined approach to decoration. A neutral palette is punctuated by textiles and ceramics that add character and charm. By commissioning local artisans to produce bespoke furnishings, the treehouse is rich with distinctive pieces that pay homage to a community of craftsmen. Woven baskets crafted from Bejuco - a fibre that requires mature vines to be harvested by hand at the full moon - serve as interior highlights. Fallen trees from the often flood-ravaged region of Veracruz have been repurposed into refined furniture by local carpenters Jorge and Rita, highlighting again the seamless way the property absorbs and reflects its surrounds.

Tulum Treehouse is conscious of its surrounds whilst providing a serene and luxurious escape from the outside world. Proof that design, when thoughtful, can be ethical without compromising elegance.

Madison Cushion ABODE

Cache Floor Light GREAT DANE

Ceramics Plate FOGIA AT FRED

Title Bed MAST

Lime Wash PORTERS

GET THE LOOK

CH25 Chair HANS J. WEGNER AT CULT Hand Towel IN THE SAC

RARE MATERIALS In Sydney’s Northern Beaches, design luminary Fiona Spence eschews a modern overhaul in favour of uniting the heritage of this midcentury home with gently renewing features and furnishings.

PHOTOGRAPHY Prue Ruscoe | PRODUCTION David Harrison WORDS Melia Rayner

As the founder and director of beloved Sydney design showroom Spence & Lyda, Fiona Spence is a curator with a magpie’s eye for unearthing and showcasing global design finds. It should be no surprise then, that in turning her eye to this once-forgotten Avalon home, she has transformed it from its faded glory to a gently modern coastal retreat.

Originally built in 1950 by an ambitious architect and socialite turned antiques dealer, the home was a bold design statement. “It’s an extremely eccentric and fabulous piece of architecture that pulls from the roots of the Australian architecture movement at the time” says Fiona, who was drawn to its clifftop location, distinct stone elements and the design’s unique curation of spaces. Keeping the integrity of the original house was crucial to Spence, who brought on Casey Brown Architecture to bring the home into the 20th century as sympathetically as possible.

Defined by a material palette of hand-built stone and earthy timber, it would be easy for the interior elements to be overshadowed by the structure itself but Spence has drawn on her years of experience (not to mention some standout Spence & Lyda pieces) to introduce furnishings that are practical and refined while sensitive to the surroundings. “It was about having a heritage of modernism but allowing it to come into the here and now” Fiona explains.

“I looked to add textures and pattern that would still allow the stone to be key.”

The home’s transformation isn’t over yet, with the larger renovation continuing over the coming months. For Spence, it all comes back to the history of the home and its distinct character that attracted her in the first place. “It’s a process of clarification, removing extraneous detractors and getting a cleaner, more organised place that allows for the modernity of life to creep in”.

GET THE LOOK

Nama 3 Pendant SPENCE & LYDA

Lab Light KARAKTER

Shaker Dining Chair NERI & HU

Thrown Cup in White JAM FACTORY

Sigmund #601 Throw MISSONI HOME Vase 2 and 3 KARAKTER

Travertine Coffee Table 10TEN

Frame Bed NERI & HU

Icons of Scandinavian Design Alvar Aalto Collection Alvar Aalto 1936

iittala.com.au facebook.com/iittala

BELGIAN BEAUTY The old world charm of this 19th century Brussels residence speaks the language of both past and present, where modern minimalism and classism come to play house.

PHOTOGRAPHY Serge Anton | WORDS Megan Rawson

“When I discover a work of art, I’m interested by its deeper levels of interpretation.” explains Architect Olivier Dwek. In this case, the work of art became the layered architecture of a rare three storey townhouse in Brussels. Designed in 1907, the residence revealed several historic periods that have been lovingly restored back to harmony.

Dwek’s attention to detail, restrained decoration and deep respect for the existing architecture meant the quiet authority of the G House family residence retained its classical elements.

Detailed fireplaces, wide archways and curved windows have all been honored.

The building’s restored French limestone façade hints at the enormous volume of what lies inside.

High ceilings and pitched roofs create rooms of monastic proportions, all linked by a central staircase. Extended upwards, its blackened wrought iron balustrade is an identical reproduction of the original staircase below it.

Under the staircase, French architect and designer Charlotte Perriand’s Ombra Tokyo chair creates a striking combination against the black iron. Dwek isn’t one to shy away from injecting contemporary into classic. In fact, the transition between 19th century and present day is assured by several other icons of modernist design.

With a largely tonal palette, the soft forms of the building contrast dramatically with the angular, contemporary forms of furniture, including Pierre Jeanneret’s High Court Down sofa from the late 1950s. With its solid teak frame and white foal skin upholstery, it sits in unison with Perriand’s daybed. Jeanneret and his cousin Le Corbusier’s desk chair is another coveted design and invariably all three designers have been caught up in a modernist revival, with their furniture now fetching thousands. Like other work from Olivier Dwek; history and nuanced modernism cohabit under one roof. It’s clear that Dwek is graced with creating a dialogue in aesthetic tensions, not to mention a beautiful knack for balancing the past with the present.

Pale Oak WOODCUT

Scope Pendant RAKUMBA

Desk Chair LE CORBUSIER & PIERRE JEANNERET

Ildhane Candlestick LIVING EDGE

524 Tabouret Berger Stool CASSINA

517 Ombra Tokyo Chair CASSINA

GET THE LOOK

Italian for style.

The new STILE collection from Gareth Ashton offers the complete look for your bathroom and encapsulates the definition of style across five high-end metallic finishes. Made in Italy, STILE is now available in Australia. Visit an Abey Australia Selection Gallery to immerse yourself in the collection.

TRUE BLUE Nexus Designs streamline a Victorian terrace to give a young family the chance to make the most of inner-city living.

PHOTOGRAPHY James Geer | PRODUCTION Lucy Marczyk WORDS Melia Rayner

In creating a home fit for inner-city family living, streamlining isn’t an aesthetic decision, it’s a non-negotiable: every millimetre is a valuable commodity. What surprised us about this Victorian terrace renovation from Nexus Designs is how it manages to streamline without sacrificing personality. In fact, it’s got charm aplomb, from the intense family of blue hues that play out across the home to the playful patterns and statement design furnishings the pop up to add character throughout.

The playful yet functional aesthetic of the home is no doubt a result of interior designer Lucy Marczyk, whose design approach tends to effortlessly unite colour, form and function to imbue each project with its own ambiance.

This is a conceptual rather than a superficial transformation, where clean lines, vast spaces and a definitively modern identity breathe new life into what could have simply been a modern upgrade to a classic structure.

Collaborating architect Pleysier Perkins have driven the modernisation of the home with a minimal touch, referencing the original black and white tiles of the terrace with a sleek monochrome and timber palette. The layout has been restructured to both open up communal spaces and create private areas to withdraw, like the ‘invite-only’ library space tucked away in the heart of the home. Meanwhile, the dining and living hub can act as a space to work, play and entertain with ease.

Streamlining for space and practicality has guided much of the furniture selection. A round, swivelling Maxalto sofa in a lush burnt-orange velvet makes for a irresistible place to curl up in the library, while a Vitra folding desk provides space to get work done amongst family life.

While less is certainly more in this home, every feature has been designed to drive modern family living.

KV15 Tap VOLA

Aarne Dof Tumblers IITTALA

Tuftytime Sofa B&B ITALIA

Neolith Calacatta CDK

Hillside Storage System ARFLEX

Frank Table SPACE

Luminator EUROLUCE

GET THE LOOK

the est edit: statement sofas More than perhaps any other item in the home, a good sofa has the ability to elevate a space from simply pleasing to powerful. So what should you look for when hunting for that elusive ‘perfect’ sofa? Of course we believe comfort and function comes first, but striking form or materiality can be just the elevating element needed. Here’s some of our favourite statement sofas, from the classics to recent discoveries.

Husk Mogensen Sofa 2213 Sofa by Borge B&B ITALIA Great Dane

Kett Avoca Sofa COSH LIVING

Mangas Space Modules GAN

Zaza Sofa KING LIVING

Marenco Sofa ARFLEX

2213 Sofa by Borge Mogensen GREAT DANE

Togo Settee LIGNE ROSET

Meet the experts.

From concept to conclusion, we’ll guide the way.

Let us help bring your ideas to life www.rogerseller.com.au/appointment

By Rogerseller Catalano Effegibi Falper Fantini Lema Valcucine

Follow @rogerseller

TRAVEL Gigi Hopkins takes us to the spectacular Kasbah Bab Ourika, tucked away in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

WORDS Gigi Hopkins

It only took one visit to Morocco for former barrister Stephen Skinner to fall in love with the country. That was 1998, and over a decade later he opened his second local hospitality venue (after Riad Edward in Marrakesh) with the stunning Kasbah Bab Ourika.

Stephen’s brief for designer Romain MichelMeniere at the time was to create a simple, Berber-style oasis, but the retreat extends well beyond that. Stylish but also eco-friendly, the Kasbah is made from rammed earth – a traditional Berber building technique – and has admirable eco-credentials and sustainability practices.

Thick walls provide environmentally sound insulation so air-conditioning is unnecessary, hot water (and underfloor heating) supply is heated by solar panels, water is recycled, and there is also a program in place to generate its own electricity and to assist the local community with projects funded by the hotel for the benefit of local Berber schools and villages.

Sourcing most of the furnishings locally, MichelMeniere paired natural earthy tones with Berber textiles, bringing in the Moroccan influence beautifully and subtly. We particularly love the hand-made leather chairs (made by local craftsmen), rugs and lanterns. Many of the rooms have private terraces, while a large herb and veggie garden, large terrace and infinity pool (complete with sweeping views of the valley) provide plenty of communal space to enjoy.

We fell in love with the completely mesmerising 360 degrees views of the Atlas Mountains and the Ourika Valley, the endless sunshine, the changing colours throughout the day, the lush and shady terraces and hidden alcoves. Just like Stephen Skinner, one visit to Kasbah Bab Ourika has us eagerly awaiting a return to Morocco soon.

eat The in-house restaurant serves locally sourced food, as well as seasonal finds from their very own (and very impressive) herb and vegetable garden. Traditional Berber recipes, with a more modern twist. Meals can be served in the garden or in the beautiful colonnaded indoor restaurant - be sure to try the local wine too. For breakfast, enjoy eggs anyway (try their Berber omelette), fruit salad, yoghurt, granola, and fresh bread.

The coffee is good as well.

do Lounge by the lovely secluded pool.

Hang out in the garden – find a shady spot under the trees – read, relax, play cards, nap.

Explore nearby Berber villages, and be sure to visit the local Monday Berber market at nearby Trine Ourika.

Hike, trek, ski or ride in the nearby mountains.