What’s your style? Profile: Scandi Modern

23 May '13

In a new series, Verity Magdalino explores all your favourite decorating styles to help you find your perfect match. First up, the clean lines and pale beauty of Scandinavian style.   

You know your Jacobsen from your Wegner, have an aversion to clutter, and thrill at the sight of clean, sleek lines warmed up with the honesty of natural materials. You, my little design doyenne, may just be a master of Scandi Modern style.

How to know if you’re a Scandi-loving modernist:

You love anything blonde

Blonde wood furniture, light-washed floors, blonde hair, blonde beer… you’ve always been partial to a whiter shade of pale. Your dream interior is all about calming neutrals and making the most of natural light. When it comes to spotting the subtleties between varying shades of white, you are the master.

Bedroom by Pella Hedeby via Emmas Designblogg. Image – Kristoffer Johnsson.

You adore the scent of pine

It goes without saying that the Norsca fresh scent of spruce is totally your thing. If you could, you’d have every room in your house smelling like a Scandi sauna (in a nice way) every day of the week.

You know that looks aren’t everything

For you, style is not enough. Your home and everything in it has to be practical too. The Nordic ethos of ‘beautiful things that make your life better’ is your mantra. You have an appreciation of fine craftsmanship but you’re no elitist. You’re also on first name terms with the lady who serves the meatballs at Ikea.

A home in Gothenberg, Sweden, via My Scandinavian Home.

You’re passionate about nature

You love bringing a sense of the outdoors in. In an ideal world your home would be designed to make the most of the natural scenery outside with all your furniture facing your expansive windows and absolutely no curtains. And to ensure all that natural wonder stays wonderful, every corner of your living space would be environmentally friendly from the sustainable timber beams above your head to the geothermal heating beneath your feet.

Your favourite style doyenne is Ilse Crawford

If you could, you would have a little bit of Ilse’s magic in every room of your house. This is a lady who prides herself on creating the type of homely, welcoming spaces that bring people together, and are not just about looking good but feeling good too. Her understated style is the stuff your dreams are made of.

Image – Kaapo Kamu for Marimekko, via Desire to Inspire.

Your favourite colour is apple green

When you’re not marveling at the subtle plays of light on your whiter than white interior with its calm grey and blue soft furnishings, you’re rejoicing in the zesty zing of apple green. It’s bright. It’s fun. It hints of nature – and most importantly, it reminds you not to take yourself too seriously.

You live by the adage, less is more

You can’t stand clutter. But this doesn’t mean you want to live a Spartan existence. Yes your style is pared-back elegance but it has to have warmth too, which you effortlessly create by mixing natural materials and textures such as worn timber floorboards, a hand-hewn wooden stool here, a knitted wool throw there and the occasional leafy pot plant to satiate your need for green.

Retro modern classics on Temple & Webster. Image – Denise Braki. Styling – Adam Powell.

You know your design icons

The Scandis have their own fair share of design icons and you, my dear design obsessive, pride yourself on being able to spot the sleek edge of a mid-twentieth-century design classic at 20 paces. Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Alvar Aalto, Piet Hein, and the glorious joy of a Marimekko print… What you don’t know about Scandi designers just isn’t worth knowing.

All images are from our Scandi Modern Pinterest board. If you’re a Scandi lover, share a snap of your home on Instagram. Tag us @temple_webster and hashtag #twscandistyle. We’ll feature our favourites in coming weeks. 

Find your own Scandinavian style furniture, wall art & tableware today.

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Decorating a girl’s bedroom

22 May '13

Karen McCartney on her daughter Ava’s more-is-more approach to her bedroom shelf.

My daughter Ava takes the bowerbird approach to decorating and I have to say I have encouraged her in this pursuit.  She has a long shelf over her bed which is a jumble of photographs, objects and artworks – which we regularly discuss how to group and style. I know – I can’t help myself – and now neither can she!

There is the blue section with an industrial ‘A’, which my husband found on a roadside throw-out and powder-coated a brilliant aqua blue, stacked (empty) Tiffany boxes and a stamp which has been blown-up and framed. The colour helps pull it all together and lots of cute details from mini chairs to ceramics boxes fill any available gap.

Every girl should have at least a hint of pink and this more delicate section (remember we are still on the same shelf) includes a plywood tree for displaying jewelry and an elaborate ceramic cupcake that would make Marie Antoinette proud. Home-made paper flowers and an original book illustration by Kim Gamble from ‘The Hottest Boy Who Ever Lived’ – a present from Ava’s grandmother – jostle for space alongside the owl artwork, a birthday invitation designed by Tracy Lines.

Speaking of owls – they have become something of a theme with this handsome fellow bought from Temple & Webster as a Christmas present for Ava taking pride of place. There is another sale of Inaluxe artwork starting tomorrow and I think I might have to buy another to make up a pair. I am sure we can shift things around to accommodate just one more beautiful bird.

 Look out for our Inaluxe sale event tomorrow.

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David Clark’s Edit – Michael Bechara Design

21 May '13

In the fifth instalment of David Clark’s Edit, we profile Surry Hills-based interior designer Michael Bechara.

What attracted you to the world of interiors and design?

I grew up in a family of builders and developers so my path was paved to some degree. I took an interest in both the design and process involved and how strongly connected they are, eventually leading to my Design and Project Management practice.

Who are the people alive or dead that you think are/were truly inspirational?

Carlo Mollino, Jean Prouvé, Quentin Tarantino & Vivienne Westwood.

The softer forms created by the sheer curtains and decorative lighting take the hard edge off this Surry Hills bachelor pad.

How would you describe your signature style?

Interiors layering contemporary details and referencing modernist mid 20th century design.

Do you have a favourite residential project?

To give a project so much attention, any current projects have to be favourite. I have many favourites based on both design results and great client relations.

Art, lighting and classic furnishings added character and drama to this contemporary Double Bay apartment dining room.

What do you think works without fail?

A well-considered lighting schedule. For me, it’s the most important aspect of an interior.

What matters to you most in the work that you do?

The most important aspect would be that the design as a whole represents my clients through my interpretation. Taking a client’s brief and pushing the ideas to a level which excites them without going off on a tangent.

Michael Bechara custom designed the brass mailbox and furnishings to personalise an Art Deco foyer in Sydney’s CBD.

What is your design pet hate?

From a practical point of view, beds with vast quantities of scatter cushions.

What do you think works without fail?

Honest use of materials and simplicity.

A kitchen renovation in Coogee – the handmade tiles and bespoke detailing gave this new kitchen some old world charm.

What do you look for in the people you work with?

Those who have an attention to detail, treat every job/task as it if it were being implemented on their own home and those who are easy to work with and make detail look effortless.

What do you look for in the clients you work with?

That sense of trust and approval of ideas. Once established, it becomes a great experience for all involved.

A lounge / home theatre in a Sydney residence.

You have had much peer recognition over the years. Is there a key moment that matters most?


My first editorial was a key moment in that it gave me reassurance I was on a path which would appeal.

What would the future bring that would make your career complete?

The opportunity to expand from customised furnishings and lighting (site specific at the moment) to a range available in the retail market.

Images – Justin Alexander

To learn more, visit the Michael Bechara Design website. 

Click here to see all the designers we’ve profiled so far in David Clark’s Edit.

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Our (blue) clicks this week

20 May '13

If you’re not already suffering from the Monday blues, our indigo-hued finds this week may push you over the edge.

Like everyone else. we’re obsessing a little over the Ro Chair, launched in Milan by Spanish designer Jaime Hayon for Fritz Hansen. Start saving; it will be available from September 2013.

We loved the cement tiles from Sonya Marish’s Jatana Interiors, featured on The Design Files.

A great lover of blue in all its hues, stylist & house whisperer Megan Morton positively glowed in a lovely profile piece on Paula Joye’s Lifestyled blog.

We were excited to see the hand-painted timber tiles by our friends Bonnie and Neil in Trixie & Jonno’s bedroom on The Block Sky High.

Image credits (from top):  Fritz Hansen, Toby Scott, Paula Joye, Ninemsn.com.au

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Made by Hand – Maryla Surf Lifestyle

18 May '13

With Winter on its way, we’re taking one final trip to the beach this week with Jacqui Fink’s hand-made find, Maryla Surf Lifestyle.

Maryla Surf Lifestyle is the creative vision of Melbourne based artist/designer Maryla Johns. Maryla makes hand-crafted textiles and artworks for the home which are a fresh and contemporary take on the essential beauty, spirit and energy of coastal living.

‘Surf Swirl’ giclée art print.

With Melbourne’s Bells Beach as her inspirational mainstay, how Maryla manages to stay energised in that cold southern weather is beyond me. I need to send Maryla one of my woollies.

A selection of cotton & linen cushions evoking coastal views.

Nonetheless, Maryla’s creations are absolutely evocative of long summer days and I am totally drawn in by them. I want a couch full of Maryla’s cushions just to get myself through Winter.

Visit the Maryla Surf Lifestyle to find your own piece of coastal cool.

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Change is as good as a holiday – just not as fun

17 May '13

Today on the blog, T&W stylist and boy from the bush, Adam Powell, shares a riches to rags to riches styling tale of when bad things happen to good people.

Even as an interior stylist working in the industry, I’m sure you feel the same as I do when flicking through homewares magazines: Who are these people? Why are their homes so perfect when mine is so… well loved? How come everything just seems to work so effortlessly?

It’s easy to think that nothing ever goes wrong in the hands of a top decorator. No piece out of place. No purchase mistakes in the heat of the moment. Every bold paint choice a tour de force of on-trend colour foresight. With so much perfection presented to us every day, it’s easy to get disheartened about improving your own humble abode.

So with that in mind, I thought I’d share with you something a little different – a story from our own professional lives of when something did go wrong, and what we did about it.

We shoot three or four lifestyle scenes a day, so time is always precious and never on our side. One scene can involve many hours of concepting, sourcing and shooting, requiring lots of planning so things go smoothly when the camera starts clicking.

My big shoot for the day was an old T&W favourite, Nomadic Marketplace Persian textiles, but this time I wanted to represent them in a different way. I wanted to show people that even in a contemporary home, by drawing on certain elements from traditional textiles you can work them into a modern setting.

The hero piece that provided this foothold into the possibility of modernity was a colourful patchwork rug with bright pops of saturated yellows and turquoise, which sent me off into creating a contemporary inner city apartment with a masculine edge.

After prepping, propping, composing, lighting, and final art checks, we had our beautiful scene all shot, done and dusted. Exactly what I had in my head. It was perfect. Only problem was – we’d been given the wrong rug.

My heart sank. Despair set in. We stared blankly at our substitute. It didn’t have the colour pops that gave birth to the rest of the room. It just… didn’t work. We scrambled for excuses. “Can we just have the rug just at the edge? Can we put a little note on the rug saying “please don’t look at this rug???” The whole room was based on this rug; without it we may as well scrap it and start again.

Our Head of Styling Jess Bellef popped her head in. “Ok, so let’s think on our feet. We have to shoot something, we have to shoot it now, and we have to use this rug – what can we do to make this work?”

The new rug was a much more traditional rug, with a much more muted, neutral palette. With only 30 mins of studio time left, I needed to change the scene quickly, and I didn’t have time to run about town sourcing other options. The key furniture and props had to stay, and I was at the mercy of whatever we had about the studio. But what to change?

Clearly I had to address colour. The new rug had an ivory and navy base with small muted pops of red, orange and green. My highly saturated yellows had to go, their departure radically changing the tone of the room. Our thirtysomething lower east side bachelor was now ageing gracefully into his forties. The floor lamp was going. The blues were staying.

I introduced some more classic, neutral pieces. His penchant for pop art had matured into dusty bronzed metallics, his classic bright teal chair transforming from a contemporary colour pop to an elegant estate. Hints of gold continued this sophisticated look, and by adding a few key vintage items gave the room history and character. Crisis averted people, we made it.

The lesson? You don’t have to change everything about your home to feel change. Sure, some of your favourite bits and bobs may have to take a spell, but you don’t need to think you have to throw the baby out with the bathwater to freshen up your look. You just need to understand the stories things in your home are telling, and make sure they’re all speaking the same language.

And most importantly, remember things don’t always go to plan, but if you think hard and stick at it, they always work out in the end.

Adam Powell told his story to T&W Creative Director Chris Deal. Follow Adam on Instagram @theboyfromthebush

Shop for Persian rugs, cushions & ottomans at our Nomadic Marketplace sale.

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Mr Jason Grant visits I Like Birds

16 May '13

Vintage homewares emporium I Like Birds has recently moved to a new space at 27 William Street Paddington (Sydney) to take advantage of a bigger space with a proper window (pictured above), all the better to display owner Tamara Turnbull’s unique wares. Stylist Mr Jason Grant recently paid a visit – here’s a taster of what he found.

Image – Simon Bernhardt.

We visited Tamara’s home last year and admired her style, which mixes old & new items with lots of greenery (influenced by her background as a florist) and neutral materials. The store works as a natural extension of this – it’s a very personal curated collection of quirky new items and Tamara’s market and vintage finds.

Image – Simon Bernhardt

T&W stylist Adam Powell often pops in to borrow props for T&W shoots, including rattan pendant light shades and beaded chandeliers, and you’ll often find Mr JG there too. If you can beat a path through the stylists, we thoroughly recommend a visit.

Tamara is still working on her website, but if you’re not in Sydney check out the I Like Birds Facebook page which is often updated with her new finds.

Images by Simon Bernhardt.

Visit Mr Jason Grant’s blog to see more from his visit to I Like Birds.

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David Clark’s Edit – Nexus Designs

15 May '13

In the fourth instalment of David Clark’s Edit, we profile Sonia Simpfendorfer, Creative Director of long-established Melbourne interior design practice Nexus Designs.

Sonia Simpfendorfer. Image – James Geer.

What attracted you to the world of design and interiors?

Brought up in house where my mother, an amateur painter, always presented us with colour-balanced plates of food, I spent my childhood designing outfits for my paper dolls and my high school years doodling houses and reading as much as I could about other people’s lives.

When I discovered the collision of history, art, architecture and design in the course description for a BA Interior Design there was no choice but to follow that path.  It’s the best career. Every day and every client is different and I’ve never stopped learning.

A Tribeca loft – dusky blue and purple upholstery, warm timbers and vibrant yellow tones inspired by the NSW Blue Mountains. Image – Jonny Valiant.

Who are the people alive or dead that you think are/were truly inspirational?

The first designers that inspired me as a student designer were the freedom and colour of Ettore Sottsass’ Memphis Group, and the late French designer Andrée Putman. I was knocked out by her black & white checkerboard bathrooms for Morgans Hotel NYC and her house for artist Julian Schnabel. I discovered Nexus Designs and Terence Conran at about the same time and was struck by how powerful simplicity could be.

My design team is a source of daily inspiration. They are so passionate about giving each client their own personal experience of the Nexus Designs philosophy.  Guiding and watching the evolution of each project really gives me a buzz.  I love it.  We take the fundamental need for shelter and turn it into something beautiful, personal and highly individual.

The same Tribeca loft, formerly a wrapping paper factory. Image – Jonny Valiant.

How would you describe your signature style?

Deceptively simple.

What matters to you most in the work that you do?

Great design makes life better for people and it matters much more than people realise.  It’s not just about making things look good – they have to work well too.

A family home with vibrant red accents. Image – Fraser Marsden.

Do you have a favourite residential project?

We just finished a NYC Tribeca loft where we used a palette of purple and yellow inspired by our expat client’s favourite picture of the NSW Blue Mountains. Their happiness has had us all feeling pretty good too.

What is your design pet hate?

Too much stuff.

What do you think works without fail?

Simplifying, organising, letting go of things you don’t really need.  If you take some time to get it right once and then you can just relax, enjoy it and get on with the really important things in life.

There are a few basic principles that apply to most projects: use a minimum number of finishes, use natural materials, maximize natural light, keep the planning simple and don’t be afraid of colour.

A simple but effective family kitchen. Image – Fraser Marsden.

You oversee a significant team of employees – what do you look for in the people you work with?

For our studio I deliberately choose designers who are not only very talented, but approachable and lovely to work with too.  A great attitude is as important as great talent.

What we do is incredibly personal and we build relationships with our clients that continue long after the project is complete.  They become part of our Nexus family.

You have had much peer recognition over the years. Is there a key moment that matters most?

Peer recognition is great because they are the only ones who truly know how hard you’ve had to work to make the end result look so easy! But a delighted client is the ultimate recognition. That’s who I do it for.

Being invited to give public talks is something I always try and find time for. I believe in the power of design to make daily life better and love to talk about it and let people in to the process and principles. It’s fun too.

A family beach house on Victoria’s Bellarine Pensinsula. Image – Earl Carter.

What would the future bring that would make your career complete?

The idea of a career being complete doesn’t really apply to this profession – I imagine that for as long as you have an open mind, enormous curiosity and the desire to keep making things better you just keep designing, and experience brings so much more depth to work.

That said, for the team and for the freedom of budget and creativity I’d love a few more rock-star/movie-star houses and we all enjoy boutique hotels too – so many more people get to actually sleep in our vision that way.

For me, the day I held my first copy of Living, published by Allen&Unwin which I co-authored was pretty amazing, and I think we’re ready to do another one (or three). We have so many great images and stories that we’d love to get into peoples hands, and I love it when a new client comes in with a heavily tagged copy of one of our books – it’s a great starting point for a discussion.

A children’s room in the Bellarine Pensinsula beach house. Image – Earl Carter.

To learn more, visit the Nexus Designs website, blog or follow them on Facebook or on twitter and Instagram @Nexus_Designs. 

See all the designers in David Clark’s Edit.

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