PROPERTY | MY HOME
COLOUR WARMS WINTER PRUE ROYLE IS SURROUNDED BY THE THINGS SHE LOVES WRITES POLLY SIMONS PICTURES: YIE SANDISON Clockwise from top: Hammock with cushions: ‘‘The hammock is from Bali and the cushions are by Kim Parker, she’s a designer and friend of mine in New York. The blanket is from a recent trip with a group to Morocco, but the funny thing is it’s (British brand) Zara Home. It’s a great example of what we teach because I can grab another cushion and take another rug and style it to create different look.’’ Coloured marbles: ‘‘They’re cat’s eyes, from a beautiful marble factory in Vietnam called Marble Mountain.’’ Birds: ‘‘The birds are all about freedom; the fact they’re on the outside and could fly away. The cat cushion is from one of my students. Isn’t it cute?’’
It’s freezing cold outside but Prue Royle’s Waverton home is a haven of colour and warmth. ‘‘Come in, come in,’’ she says, meeting us at the gate and ushering us into her bamboo-lined courtyard, past the delicate table and chairs she has nicknamed her ‘‘Bali pocket’’, and which are festooned with brightly-striped cushions in shades of pink, lime green and turquoise. ‘‘People in winter usually go for more sombre colours, and particularly for more texture, but I always go colour when it’s cold,’’ she says. ‘‘It brings such a lovely energy to the place.’’ As founder of North Sydney’s International School of
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Colour and Design and director of The Heartful Travellers, a boutique travel company specialising in art and design tours of places such as Morocco, New York and Bali, colour and its effect on people is something she has been passionate about for almost 30 years. ‘‘I think the psychology of colour is the most fascinating part of it all,’’ she says, offering us tea from a Moroccan silver teapot while Felix the Ragdoll cat sits at her feet. ‘‘Houses are places you where need to feel at home; where you can come and get a buzz and feel good or find serenity if that’s what you want,’’ she says.
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NORTHSIDE COURIER, Tuesday, June 14, 2011
From top centre: Moroccan tassels: ‘‘When I went to Morocco, there was a man making beautiful tassels in the middle of the medina. I bought about 20 for my staff at ISCD, and three years later when I went back with a group, he recognised me. I couldn’t believe it.’’ Musical bottle: ‘‘I found this in a funny old shop in Orange while my son was studying medicine there. It once had vodka in it, and if someone picks it up, she stops dancing. And of course, she’s a bit naughty; she’s only got a skirt on.’’ Decorative bottles: ‘‘These are Moroccan perfume bottles. When I took a group to see the man who made them, he was so excited he gave them to me.’’ Colourful frog: ‘‘This cute little guy comes from a tiny boutique near the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. I like things that are quirky.’’ Cup and saucer: ‘‘This little cup and saucer was done by my kids, so it’s precious to me.’’ Rocking horse: ‘‘I found him in an old antique shop. He was painted orange, black and white, so I stripped him back and gave him a coat of French polish. What’s beautiful is that I’ve got pictures of my own children and now my grandchildren on it.’’
Her own home, with its white-painted walls, artwork created by former ISCD students and objects picked up on trips overseas, definitely falls into the former category. ‘‘In our leisure courses we teach a concept of core, demand and reject colours, where your core colour is the colour you’re most comfortable with,’’ she says. ‘‘This pinky-red is my demand colour, the colour I always pull in when I need it. As a communicator, I give out a lot of energy and I find it really replenishes my energy levels.’’ The house almost hums with energy now, but eight years ago it was a very different story.
‘‘When I moved in it was horrible,’’ she says. ‘‘It had dirty grey carpet and the people living here declared they were hippies and happy with it how it was. There were dream catchers and wind chimes everywhere.’’ Yet the design of the house was perfect and its location meant it was flooded with light. ‘‘I thought I’d do a feature wall, but when I tried it, I ended up whiting it out,’’ she says. ‘‘Because of the angles of the walls, nothing is regular. In the end, the design features were so interesting, it didn’t need solid colours.’’ Details: iscd.edu.au or theheartfultravellers.com.
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