Month: January 2021

Mark and Caroline Ottley moved into this quaint Edwardian home ten years ago after spying its newly renovated interiors in Houses magazine. They snapped it up immediately!

The principal bedrooms and bathroom are all contained to the front of the dwelling, which still retains its heritage character. Progressing through the house to the rear of the property, the modern extension reveals itself. Designed by architect Matt Gibson, the renovation consists of a breezy, open-plan pavilion with double-height ceilings, which opens up the previously modest proportions of the home.

This lofty living space is the heart of the home, and where Mark and Caroline spent most of their time.

‘It feels light and spacious at all times of the day and we love pushing back the glazed doors to open up the space to the garden,’ they say. ‘It feels like the outdoors indoors.’ A cantilevered deck stretches towards the garden

When we first came across the Scottish-born, Melbourne-based artist Bobby Clark around five years ago, her distinctive, meticulously precise geometric paintings were gathering a huge following. It was clear that this young artist was destined for big things.

Originally from a small town in Scotland called Greenock, Bobby studied fashion and textiles in the UK, before relocating to Australia with her partner, Steve Clark (aka Den Holm) ten years ago. The pair originally intended to come to Australia just for a working holiday – but they quickly fell in love with Melbourne’s creative scene, and decided to make Melbourne their permanent home.

After doing a range of different creative jobs – from painting and decorating, to wedding photography (!), Bobby landed a job with local design heroes Pop & Scott. At the time (around 2012), Pop & Scott had just started making their handpainted plant pots… and they

Julia Busuttil Nishimura is an author and cook. She turned her love of food into a career, slowly and thoughtfully over the course of many years. Julia doesn’t rush things. She’ll spend months perfecting a loaf of Shokupan (Japanese milk bread) before presenting it on Instagram. It was a different story when she met her husband Nori. They only dated for a few weeks before committing to each other. Because when you know, you know. 

Julia is warm and genuine and wears floaty gingham dresses. She embodies the light-hearted, approachable style of cooking that has become her brand. But that’s the thing about good brands, they’re usually just people who are good at being themselves. 

There are elements of Julia’s life that are not so breezy. It’s not all fragrant herbs and gingham and absurdly cute children. It is mostly those things, but like so many parents out there, Julia

This new home on the Bellarine Peninsula (about 80 minutes south-west of Melbourne) marks the second time Freehand Projects and the owners have worked together. 

Given this history, the architects had developed a good understanding of the client’s requirements, but this difficult site threw up its own set of challenges.

‘The site has some pretty spectacular views out over Lake Connewarre and beyond, but can be exposed to the elements, particularly strong westerlies from across the lake,’ says Michael Bell, architect at Freehand Projects. ‘A major consideration was resolving these conflicting environmental influences, while still maintaining a comfortable living space.’ 

When attempting to marry these two desires, Michael became inspired by a project he had long admired – Taliesin West (1937-1959) designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Scottsdale, Arizona.

‘We hit upon the idea of employing a similar roof form, which would not only reflect the slope of the site,

Though her permanent home is a four wheel drive on a dirt track, artist Emily Imeson has roots in northern NSW. Originally from Orange, Emily’s immersion in nature began at an early age.

‘My fondest memories are riding through the trees on horseback, where we would spend hours watching birds or goannas,’ she remembers. ‘Growing up in regional areas meant I spent a lot of time outside, it became a place of wonder, imagination, unknown, and solace.’ After studying art at university, completing internships and winning scholarships, she took to the road in 2018 – travelling around the country with her partner in pursuit of new natural experiences.

As a result of embedding herself in different environments, Emily’s landscapes are produced from a place of intense affinity with nature (a state called ‘biophilia’). Deep ochres bleed into burnt reds and splashes of purple, while bursts of greenery or animal life