This page in the main bedroom, Bio-mbo bed and bedsidetable by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina; vintage Kilimrug from Cadrys; Untitled artwork (1993) by Susqya ElineWilliams from Johans Borman Fine Art. Opposite pagein another view of the main ensuite bathroom, solidmarble bath in Nero Marquina from Zen; Astra WalkerOlde English Signature freestanding bath mixer andOlde English vertical heated towel rail from Candana;vintage chandelier by Julius August Kalmar fromCastorina; wall in white mosaic tiles and black mosaictiles from Bisazza Tiles. Details, last pages.
10 0 V O G U E L I V I N GBy ABIGAIL STONE Photographed by THOMAS LOOF Styled by MICHAEL REYNOLDSPARADISE FOUND Interior designer KELLY BEHUN channels her artisticinstincts and blue-sky ener into a family’s South Florida home, where sheanimates a leafy idyll far from the SUNSHINE State’s flashy Miami Vice vibe.
10 4 V O G U E L I V I N Gt didn’t take long for Shutterstock founder Jon Oringer and his wife Talia torealise that the houses they were looking at in Miami Beach were not a fit fortheir family. “They didn’t match our vision or our lifestyle,” Talia shares. TheMiami Vice vibe that has dominated South Florida’s visuals since the cop drama’smid-1980s debut, with its emphasis on aggressive geometrics and glossy surfaces,was the antithesis of the welcoming oasis the couple envisioned.Their search finally uncovered a property overlooking Biscayne Bay.“We knew it needed a lot of work,” says Talia. “But the location and theincredible view made it worthwhile.” The couple tapped esteemed interiordesigner Kelly Behun, whom they’d worked with on their Bridgehampton home,to animate their dream. “We knew Kelly would conjure up somethingunmistakably ours: curated, artistic, unique, comfortable and livable,” says Jon.Behun, who is based in New York City and whose clients include Alicia Keysand Swizz Beatz, has a knack for creating interiors that manage to balanceAlice In Wonderland outlandishness with exquisite sophistication, resulting in spaces thatare at once wildly imaginative and utterly zen.BMA Architects’ Blaze Makoid initiated the home’s metamorphosis, downplaying theexterior’s angularity with thoughtful bronze and wood details, and installing a sculpturalstaircase that energises the interior. “We established a visual language that softens the home’shard-edged modernity and underlines the home’s fluidity,” Makoid notes. “That was thewarmth we were craving,” confirms Behun, who also worked with To Better Days Building.Against this compelling backdrop, Behun let her imagination run wild, expertly combiningpieces culled from her global network of artisans with vivid art and vintage items of impeccablepedigree. Each space has a catalyst, often lighting or art, that galvanises its superlative balanceof colour, pattern and scale. Contemporary materials — white oak, plush fabrics, muted metals— in voluptuous shapes serve to anchor the whimsy of these rooms in elegance and luxury.Witness the entryway, which pivots around a light fixture by Kostas Lambridis,a contemporary Greek artist. “He converses with the client to discover what’s meaningful tothem, weaving that narrative into a custom stained-glass design,” Behun marvels. It danglesabove the Mimi table by Lisbon-based Garcé & Dimofski, its colours echoed in the MartinoGamper Circus stools and the Space Available Studio woven chair that cluster around it.Another stained-glass fixture, by Maarten de Ceulaer, racks focus in the dining room,balancing a substantial table by Yabu Pushelberg. In the double-height library, a quartet ofBennet Schlesinger’s ceiling pendants, archival paper and bamboo interpretations of cumulusclouds, upend the formality of the large room’s clusters of upholstered seating. In the lounge,it’s the cut-paper collage of dancing women by New York–based artist Heidi Lanino that bringslevity to a collection of curvaceous pieces including chairs by Achille Salvagni and ChrisWolston. In the children’s playroom, a Nuage fixture by Wout Wessemius establishes anethereal dreamscape.Sometimes foliage is the kindling that ignites a room’s energy — take the enormous leavesof the Alocasia Calidora plant that knock on the window separating the second floor’s atriumfrom the main bedroom. Behun worked with landscape architect Raymond Jungles todevelop the home’s lush vegetation. “It’s such an integral part of the project’s success,” sheemphasises. Consider the immense American oil palm standing sentry beside the entryway.“It really took everything down to human size,” Jungles notes. Rejigging the home’s scale, itconfirms the sense of laidback ease and comfort that permeates these rooms despite theirexpansive square footage.The result is ravishing and rejuvenating, sublime and sensual. “Kelly has an amazing abilityto understand who you are and translate that into space,” Jon raves. “The goal was to buildsomething that was unmistakably ours and Kelly delivered.” kellybehun.comOpposite page in Jon’s office, Moleca armchairs by Sergio Rodrigues; coffee table by Faye Toogood; Cornaro sofa byCarlo Scarpa for Cassina, enquiries to Mobilia; pedestal tables by Chris Lehrecke; custom conference table byKelly Behun Studio; Tre 3 chairs by Angelo Mangiarotti for AgapeCasa; 1920s Ashanti Chief stool from Ghana;antique Oushak rug from Lavender Oriental Carpets; Houseplant table lamp (on pedestal table) by Ellen Pong;vintage Rhubarb leaf sculptural lamp by Bartolozzi & Maioli; Odyssey Constellation ceiling light from Hallworth.
Gunn Ridge House, a 1960s architectural gem in Melbourne, is givenreparative new life by KENNEDY NOLAN, whose deeply researched designREVIVES and expands the original intention for a new gallerist owner.N A T I V EP O E T R YBy ANNEMARIE KIELY Photographed by DEREK SWALWELL
This page in the living and dining areas of this Melbourne home,Le Mura sofa by Mario Bellini for Tacchini; Bonky stool by BlomleyCashman Design Office; La Barca dining table by Piero De Martini forCassina; Spoleto chairs from Knoll; Oushak rug from Loom Rugs;Designs of the Time Helki curtains from James Dunlop Textiles; floorin terrazzo tiles from Signorino; Larrakitj memorial pole by ManiniGumana and Nonggirrnga Marawili; artwork by Laura Jones. Oppositepage in the elevated outdoor area, original Graham Gunn façade withcharred shou sugi ban addition by Kennedy Nolan; metalwork in DuluxRed Terra; landscape design by Fiona Brockhoff. Details, last pages.
These pagesin the main courtyard, Tribu Tao table from CoshLiving; Balcony dining chairs by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullecfor Hay; Pelleossa stools from Miniforms; flywire screen inDulux Red Terra; courtyard floor in Pyrenees slate.
116 V O G U E L I V I N Gomeone wise once said that you can’t understand the view without the pointof view. It’s a homily neatly applying to old houses and the weight of context,past and present, that must be measured when altering and adding to historicstructure. Melbourne architect Rachel Nolan nods in knowing as she scrollsthrough image files of Merchant Builders’ Gunn Ridge House, a “gem”rebirthed through Kennedy Nolan’s diligent research and the residentowner’s determination to make change respectful but reflective of ‘now’.Designed by architect Graeme Gunn and built in 1967 for builder JohnRidge, one of the founding directors of the radical project housing companythat put good design within financial cooee of the masses, the house evincedthe era’s disaffection with the status quo and states the moment whenmodernism’s stark functionalism fell to more emotion and expressiveness.“It was a total package of landscape, interiors and Indigenous planting,at a time when design stopped at the back door,” says Nolan of the lowest ina hillside development of four bevelled brick-wall townhouses with bold skillion roofs, foundabutting parkland near a bend in Melbourne’s Yarra River. “The site was originally planned forfive,” a count curbed by the existence of a majestic River Red gum — “thought to predatesettlement” — and Merchant Builders’ position on environmental conservation.As Ridge’s own family home, it enjoyed more multi-level space than its uphill counterparts— a rumpus room adding below a living room, looking to a larger garden and pool. And itfeatured a heart-of-house kitchen with cabinetry by Nexus Designs founder Janne Faulkner,who nailed local persona and place in a wild naturalism of palette. She belonged to MerchantBuilders’ posse of progressives, a group of like sensitivities, including garden designer EllisStones, who privileged landscape some 30 years before it became a ‘thing’.Yes, Kennedy Nolan felt the weight of this fitness to purpose and context — “big emotionalcollateral” — but according to Nolan, their gallerist client “wasn’t the type to live inan altarpiece to an era”, even though she’d engaged with some of its most influentialaesthetic players. She wanted a sense of the present and a presence of family who, after a decadeof residency, could easily brief on the preferred aspects, seasonal rhythms and super-annoyingcollective driveway that obliged the uphill reverse into thick morning traffic.“The roof was leaking, the electricity kept short circuiting, we needed more room for ourfamily,” the gallerist later says in inventory of issues. “But what was working was the locationand outlook over a park and the Yarra River, the garden views and northern and westernsun-filled spaces, and the ‘feeling’ of the house — almost nostalgic — the sloping ceilings, thevolume of the existing rooms. We fell in love with the layout.”Given this in-situ research and the request to “push us hard if playing it too safe”, KennedyNolan got to work on such pragmatics as “getting out of the gates” with a two-car turntable atsite base, before imparting some poetry. >
This page in the sitting room, Valley sofa from Jardan; Utretch armchairby Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Cassina from Mobilia; Stone stool fromKartell; Astoria carpet from Tsar Carpets; bamboo blinds from Life byShades; sculpture (on plinth) by Tarryn Gill; sculpture (on sill) byEsme Timbery. Opposite page in the pantry, benchtop in stainless steel;sink mixer from Sussex Taps; Zip HydroTap; splashback in Moss andViolet laminates from Lamitak; sculpture by Tracy Sarroff.
This page in the children’s living room, Hudson sofa from Jardanupholstered in Mombasa fabric from Pierre Frey; Oxo coffee table fromMark Tuckey; Tisca Swiss Saba carpet from Halcyon Lake;Cloud Rider linen curtains from Unique Fabrics; artwork (left) byJake Walker; artwork (right) by Nathan Hawkes. Opposite page in ahallway, CH22 armchair by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn;original shelving design by Jane Faulkner; Tisca Swiss Saba carpetfrom Halcyon Lake; sculpture by Gemma Smith; artwork (left) byLaura Jones; artwork (right) by Judith Wright.
12 0 V O G U E L I V I N G< They had studied the Merchant Builders’ oeuvre at university, “deemed daggy in the 1990s”,worked for architects who had worked for Gunn, “even gone one-on-one with the legend”getting to understand Merchant Builders’ mindset and how they crafted their ethos intohumanist constructs. “We noticed those pieces at the edge of the buildings was where themagic sat,” says Nolan of Gunn’s pergola courtyard typology, “that blurry spot betweenarchitecture and garden, but the house was decaying quickly”.“We proposed precise interventions alongside restoration of the original fabric including aneccentric black timber skillion form, a new children’s wing and a complex west-facing terraceincorporating planted zones,” Kennedy Nolan wrote in their submission to the jury of the2025 Royal Australian Institute of Architects’ National Awards, in which the Gunn RidgeHouse is shortlisted in the Residential Alterations and Additions category at the time ofwriting. “Our design also adds moments of craft and intensity, generous apertures; [it] clarifiescomplexity and proposes freshness using colour and materiality which represents thepersonalities and tastes of the current owners.”The gallerist’s “sass”, as Nolan sums up her client’s wildcard cool, expressive dress andcollection of edgy Australian art, is certainly writ large in one of two mezzanine studies, whichis regarded more as ‘a room of her own’ than a home office set with a desk that alwaysdemanded work. “Family life absorbs most personal space, but this room is a retreat,” the clientdeclares of her habitable jewel box. “Pink walls, carpet, intensely sloped ceiling and dichroicglass [in outer balustrade] throwing pink reflections into the room… it feels like me.”She remembers the mid-renovation lull to nightly sleep with imagined walk-throughs therefurbed rooms, auditing wall space for the hang of art. “We based the kitchen colour schemeon an Adam Pyett still life of a Kangaroo Paw,” she says of the tough Australian native, framedat the end of a revised island bench in a kitchen resurfaced in laminate and refloored in terrazzowhen original quarry tile could not be matched. “Pre-renovation, I’d pick blossom and gumleaves and think about how we could put the colours into the house — of course Adam hadalready done that in his painting.”Kennedy Nolan pushed the line of the kitchen out in a giant bay to get the best ofa garden deferentially replanted around Ellis Stones’ nuanced ‘nature’ by landscape designerFiona Brockhoff and met the client request for flywire — “always a challenge” — in slidingscreen partner to a grid-framed glass door painted torii gate red. It is arguably Kennedy Nolan’slipstick riposte to the “Max Factor foundation pink” of the client’s study, a ‘look at me’ slashrepeating in a sculpted outdoor fireplace that, from neighbouring parkland, flags the formerlycovert house as a wildly curious form.Would Graeme and Janne approve? “I hope that they would be delighted,” the gallerist saysof a collaborative homage to Faulkner’s mastery of colour and the keep of Gunn’s architecturalbones, onto which Kennedy Nolan grafted reparative new life. kennedynolan.com.au
This page in the living area with a view to the courtyard, floor interrazzo tiles from Signorino; bagged brickwork in custom Puttycolour. Opposite page in the main bedroom’s ensuite, cabinet in jarrah;vanity in Gardono Stone from Artedomus; Voda tapware from SussexTaps; sculptures by Judith Wright; wall light by Makiko Ryujin;wall colour in Dulux Banksia Leaf. Details, last pages.
12 2 V O G U E L I V I N GBy LINDYL ZANBAKA Photographed by ANSON SMART Styled by JOSEPH GARDNERFlush with Italian MID-CENTURY furniture, a mirrored bar and carpetthe colour of olive oil, the renovated Sydney apartment of a CREATIVELYmagnetic couple suggests that sometimes, all that glitters is GOLDEN.
This pageEmma Gott and Cameron MacDonald in the living room of their Elizabeth Bay home; Mick Jagger (1975) print(left) by Andy Warhol; Untitled (mirror painting) 1-5 artwork (right) by Coen Young. Opposite page in the dining room,table and chairs by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti; C. Dresser teapot and 1970s Italian glass champagne bucket fromStudio Gardner; 1930s champagne bucket in the manner of Christofle from Tamsin Johnson Showroom; 1980s Italianhandblown glass vase; carpet in Olive Oil from JCS Flooring; Hope ceiling light from Luceplan; walls in stainless steelproduced by Ryser; custom curtains designed by Tamsin Johnson; triptych artwork by Matthew Allen from Fox JensenGallery. Previous page in the lounge room, 1970s Sesann sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina; chrome cantilever coffeetables, cast aluminium tray by David Marshall and 1970s glass capsule lamp, all from Tamsin Johnson Showroom; customTV unit and curtains designed by Tamsin Johnson; Bolt vase by Floris Wubben from Studio Alm; 1950s Swedish pewterbowl from Studio Gardner; carpet in Olive Oil from JCS Flooring; Stalactite table lamp by Toni Zuccheri from 506070;Jean Prouvé facade panel from Studio Gardner; Hope ceiling light from Luceplan.Details, last pages.
12 6 V O G U E L I V I N Glessed with the spotless optimism of a fresh beginning, first-time parents willrelive the dwelling places of their past so that they might recreate the best oftheir childhood for their own offspring.Indeed, just minutes into a conversation about their newly renovatedElizabethBay home,Emma Gott andCameronMacDonald are daydreamingabout the houses they grew up in while taking turns holding theirfour-month-old daughter Maisy and marvelling at her wide, wondering eyes.“I have such fond memories of my parents having house parties; I’d wake upand there’d be people in the living room and, you know, they’d be a little bitdrunk…” describes MacDonald of the late night mise-en-scène of his youth.He wonders out loud if maybe “they’ll be some of the memories Maisyhas here.” Gott says she “can already see Maisy sitting on one of the sofaswith a colouring-in book”.Maisy is clearly the gravitational centre of the couple’s universe. But whenthey purchased this waterfront property, it was just the two of them, already living happily inan Art Deco apartment in neighbouring Potts Point. They weren’t in the market for somewherenew, establishes Gott, who is a creative consultant and the founder of a fashionable PR agency,“but Cam is in property, and he’s always looking”.The amalgamated Elizabeth Bay apartment commands one floor of a building that rubsshoulders with some of Sydney’s most famous residences. The couple decided it would “be agood thing to buy”, though the apartment hadn’t been worked on since 1986. Gott shudders atthe thought. “It was so skanky.”At first, the plan was to “remove all the junk, clean it up and paint it”, but a trip to Milaninspired a series of events that changed everything. First, the couple came across a store withcarpet the colour of cold-pressed olive oil “which took us on a magic ride and set the tone forwhat the apartment would become”. (That hyperbolic green hue now sweeps through allopen-plan living, dining and entertaining areas and up the walls in an enclave off the centralseating area.) Then, three months later, Gott discovered she was pregnant.The home that Gott and MacDonald have magicked together did not begin witha Pinterest board of references, but somewhere in the recesses of their psyche. Alwaysvibrating at the edges of their imaginations, design is a shared creative outlet for the couple,who embody how great style happens when something a little bit risky subverts an otherwiseperfectly put-together look.At one point, there were plans to gut the apartment and make way for more bedrooms andbathrooms, which would have made perfect sense for a growing family, but Gott andMacDonald just couldn’t sacrifice their home’s best asset — a balcony overlooking the sky-blueharbour. Though the couple have engineered sybaritic revels inside, the view never fails torefocus one’s awareness to the quiet beauty of a summer day or the slow dive into evening.Some decisions appear to have been made in defiance of bourgeois good taste. There isa ceiling-to-floor mirrored service area (which sits behind an original bar newly installedwith speakers), and a stainless-steel dining area, where metal is fixed to the walls and to the willof a couple who are happy to push at the perimeters of mid-century design, for which theyshare a deep curiosity and appreciation.Upon entering the apartment, the couple’s mid-century affections manifest immediatelyin the form of a Safari sofa. First produced by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova, the sofacomprises waves of leopard-print seating contained within a fibreglass shell. MacDonaldsays the effect is similar to a sunken living room; Gott marvels that the modular design is partof the Centre Pompidou’s permanent collection. It delineates the middle of the open-planliving space, which is sectioned into more sitting areas — a Cassina Maralunga sofa andarmchairs set in bouclé, an orchidaceous Sesann sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina,and on the balcony beyond, a Gae Aulenti Locus Solus outdoor table and chairs reissued byFrench fashion house Jacquemus.Much of the furniture originates from the late 1960s to early 1980s and is sourced by“an amazing dealer” in The Netherlands. “All pieces are original, they’ve just been reupholsteredor refurbished,” explains MacDonald, who tasked their trusted contact with acquiring theGiovanni Offredi dining table, and chairs which were then recovered in chocolate velvet.“I grew up with the exact same dining suite… I never thought she’d be able to find it!”To arrive at an interior style precision-pitched between eccentric and insouciant, soft andacerbic, the couple consulted with interior designer Tamsin Johnson. Items purchased fromJohnson’s Sydney showroom appeal to the couple’s appetite for things that you won’t discoveranywhere else, and Johnson also created custom stools for the bar. “I love bouncing ideas offher and she’s great to collaborate with, especially if we got stuck on something,” Gott praises.“And she’s very quick, it’s all gut instinct,” MacDonald notes.While the couple chose to purchase all new furniture and art for their new apartment, onepiece always moves with them: a 1975 Mick Jagger screen print by Andy Warhol, which Gotthopes will bring a little “Rolling Stones energy” to the home. A recently acquired >
This page in another living area, Maralunga sofa and armchairs by Vico Magistretti for Cassina; custom coffee table designedby Tamsin Johnson; Fragment stool by Jumandie Seys and Diablo planter by Willy Guhl from Studio Gardner. Art DecoItalian silver vanity case from Antiques-Art-Design; Val Saint Lambert vase (in bar area) by Guido Bon; carpet in Olive Oilfrom JCS Flooring; 1980s Italian chrome tile wall light (in bar area); Hope ceiling light from Luceplan.
These pagesin another view of the living, dining and bar areas, Safari sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova; custom barstools and curtains by Tamsin Johnson; pedestal table (background) from Studio Gardner; 1960s pod lounge chair by MarioSabot; 1970s alabaster globe lamp from Tamsin Johnson Showroom; Tricia floor lamp by Salvatore Gregorietti from 506070.
This page in another view of the living areas, 1970s silver and brass umbrella stand from Tamsin Johnson Showroom;Stalactite table lamp by Toni Zuccheri from 506070; artwork by Matthew Allen from Fox Jensen Gallery. Opposite page in themain bathroom, integrated bath with Rosso Levanto marble surround from Nefiko Marble; custom vanity in stainless-steelmosaics designed by Tamsin Johnson; Olde English tapware and towel racks from Astra Walker; cast aluminium and brassashtray with stand by David Marshall and 1950s Murano glass vanity mirror from Tamsin Johnson Showroom;vintage Lino Sabattini vase from Studio Gardner; 1970s Veca bi-colour glass and chrome wall sconces.
131 V O G U E L I V I N G< Coen Young Mirror painting faces the outer horizon, its silvery finish reminiscent of water,or perhaps an underdeveloped Polaroid photo. They met Young after buying it — turns out helives up the road. The collection also includes a Jean Prouvé façade panel, sourced by StudioGardner. As Gott tells it, Prouvé salvaged pressed aluminium panels from a demolishedbuilding, and this architectural origin naturally attunes his work to residential interiors.And then there’s Maisy’s room, where a print by Kitty Callaghan titled Maisy hangs ona wall papered in pale pink and blue stripes. Maisy probably won’t move in for another12 months, so for now it stores Gott’s shoe collection. Closet space has always been an issue,will always be an issue, she admits. “I would love to be that person with a small capsulewardrobe,” she sighs, “but we collect clothes”.The racks of vintage threads, the hard-to-find furniture — it all comes down to what shecalls their love of the hunt, “when you do the research, figure out how to hunt it down, and findsomething that you won’t see on someone else, or when you walk into someone else’s house\".And it would seem once an appetite for original pieces has been aroused, no acquisition canslake it. emmagottcreative.com
These pagesin the main bedroom, sideboard from Castorina; custom bed, bedside table, banquette, cabinet doors andcurtains all designed by Tamsin Johnson; Kazuki chairs by Kazuhide Takahama from 506070; 1970s metal vanity mirrorand 1980s Japanese Teramoto table lamp from Tamsin Johnson Showroom; carpet in Olive Oil from JCS Flooring;builder Ryser; Peter stuyvesants soft pack (2019) artwork by Dale Frank from Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. Details, last pages.
13 4 V O G U E L I V I N GBy BETH WALSH Photographed by ANSON SMART Styled by JACK MILENKOVICQUARTZ MOVEMENT Featuring 21 types of stone, a family home in Sydney’seast designed by SMAC STUDIO possesses a gravitational pull that starts at itsentrance, where a chromatic staircase reenacts a famous ART INSTALLATION.
This page in the dining area of this Sydney eastern suburbs home, Alba table and Gio chairs byPaolo Castelli from Atmosfera Studio; glass platter from Tereza Green Collection; MunegaMurano glass table lamp by Gino Vistosi and vintage drinking glass from 506070; glass block walldesigned by Smac Studio and supplied by Obeco Glass Blocks; floor in timber from Tongue &Groove. Opposite page in the kitchen, benchtops and splashback in Fusion quartzite from AvenzaStone; joinery designed by Smac Studio and produced by Bondi Kitchens; joinery handles fromNoble Elements; custom rangehood; pot filler from Astra Walker; vintage teapot from TerezaGreen Collection; illuminations (2022-2025) artwork by Drew Holland from Nasha Gallery.Previous page in the kitchen with a view to the reading room, No. 4801 chair by Joe Colombo forKartell and vintage ceramic vessel from 506070; vintage burl timber serving tray from Secondi;Icone Luminose floor lamp by Paolo Castelli from Atmosfera Studio; ceiling in timber fromAustralian Timber Ceilings; Bleed artwork by Paul Snell from Studio Gallery. Details, last pages.
13 8 V O G U E L I V I N Gost interior designers would be nervous about proposing a house thatrequired 21 different kinds of stone to a client. Words like ‘clashing’ and‘busy’ come to mind. However, Shona McElroy, principal of Sydney’sSmac Studio, felt at ease about making such a pitch. “This is the seventhresidence I’ve done with this client,” she says. “He trusts me to pushboundaries and still deliver beautiful homes.”“We basically just told her to work her magic,” affirms the client,a property developer from Sydney’s eastern suburbs, “though we did tellher we wanted the house to reflect who we are: fun, loud and colourfulwithout being over the top.” The result of this creative freedom is a richlylayered, slightly masculine house — a distinct departure from the prettyand feminine spaces McElroy is perhaps better known for. “It’s gotattitude and shows our versatility,” she states.The home’s most dramatic feature is its entrance staircase. Inspired byan art installation called Thea Scotsman Steps by Martin Creed, McElroy used a different typeof stone for each of the 16 steps, creating a calibrated mosaic of light and dark tones. “The wallsand ceiling are subdued to keep the focus on the staircase,” she points out. Upon opening thefront door this chromatic cascade is the first thing the eye sees — as it’s the home’s firstimpression, McElroy wanted to convey a sense of luxury, but also fun. “Like a chic hotel.”Brave and experimental, it sets the tone for a house that carefully balances artistic materialitywith the practicalities of family life. “One of the main reasons we chose to work with Shona isher expertise with stonework,” shares the client. “She definitely delivered on that.”The entrance stairs lead to an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area flooded with naturallight. “This space has a visual complexity which showcases how our studio has matured over thelast few years,” McElroy says. “We incorporated different styles, materials and historicalreferences, from Art Deco patterns in the joinery and a window of ’70s glass blocks, tomid-century-style chairs from Atamosfera.” Strong rectilinear shapes are softened by organicmovement in the stone and timber grain, while wavy, playful cupboard handles ensure it neverfeels too serious.Entertaining large groups of family and friends is a priority for the client, and the 3.2-metrekitchen island creates a centrepiece for socialising. Cantilevered on three sides, guests cancomfortably pull up a stool and chat to the host while they cook. It’s a kitchen that’s suitablyopen and generous. “The client regularly has lots of people over for dinner, so we had toaccommodate that,” McElroy notes. “I’ve been to a party there and the whole space just camealive. Exactly what we designed it for.”While organic patterns are relatively easy to find in stone, the quartzite slab used in thekitchen was something McElroy hadn’t seen before. “There are gentle tones of purple, blue andgrey in it,” she says. “It just felt beautiful and soft. I also liked that it wasn’t too vivid —we were never going to do something like heavily contrasted Viola marble in here. I wanted thedesign to shine and not be overstimulated by the material.”Crowned by four modern Italian pendant lights and a dark timber ceiling, there are manyjuxtaposing elements in the large, lofty kitchen, but it comes together harmoniously. “It worksbecause the materials are detailed but not loud,” McElroy explains.“The quartzite is understatedand elegant, the walnut feels nostalgic and warm, and the metal adds structure and shine.”Bathrooms and bedrooms are nestled on the level below the open-plan living area, withrichly patterned fusion quartzite on vanities and splashbacks. “It’s got a leathered finish,so it’s matte, not shiny,” McElroy says of the materiality. “The microcement finish on thewalls adds a tactile element.”On the lower pool level the mood changes, though quartzite continues to visually connectthe bathrooms. Crazy paving on the floors, pink microcement in the bathrooms and a greenkitchenette create a resort-feel with all the focus on the swimming pool outside. “This neededto be a happy space where the kids could hang out,” McElroy says. “It’s not precious; if a bunchof five-year-olds run through it with wet feet it’s not a big deal.”“From the day we moved in, it felt like home,” the client enthuses. “It truly reflects who weare — the colours, the stone, the layout, the furniture. I look around and can’t believe this isour house. It blows my mind.” And in praise of her latest project, McElroy attests: “This housefeels effortlessly cool, but behind the scenes we’ve given so much thought to every tiny detail.”smacstudio.com.auOpposite page in the living area, AMA sofa and Imperfect coffee table by Paolo Castelli from Atmosfera Studio;Utrecht chair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Cassina and Net side table by Moroso from Mobilia; Funki Stool(used as a side table) by Louise Roe from District Furniture; vintage ceramic plate and vintage floor lamp from506070; vintage vase from Fineworks Paddington; vintage teapot from Tereza Green Collection; rug from Hali;vintage Guzzini table lamp from Secondi; vintage Murano glass wall sconces from Bazaa; I Love You, You’re Perfect.Now Change! artwork by Rick Carlino from M Contemporary.
This page in the staircase, steps in (from top) silver travertine,Alpina stone, Emperor brown marble, Verde Alpi marble,Rosso Levanto marble, Golden Spider marble, Galactic marble,Modella marble, Honey Onyx stone, Cipollino marble,Fascino marble, Pesco Cristallo quartzite, Jurassic marble,New York marble, Striati stone; Little Things Are Often Big Thingsartwork by Daimon Downey from Saint Cloche Gallery.Opposite page in a bathroom, vanities, splashback and mirrorframe in Leathered Fusion quartzite from Avenza Stone; customhammered stainless-steel basin from Morocco; tapware fromAstra Walker; vintage rattan chair from Secondi; Clouds SettlingIX & X stoneware vessel (part of a pair) by Beth Gibbeson x SallyMcCredie from Saint Cloche Gallery; Spot Light wall light byRose Uniacke from Dunlin; floor in Carrara Bardiglio CrazyPave Marble Mosaic from Sydney Tile Gallery; Illuminations2022- 2025 artwork by Drew Holland from Nasha Gallery.
This page in the rumpus room, Pacific Green Cayenne sofa andvintage table lamp from Vampt Vintage Design; vintage G23Hoop chair by Piero Palange and Werther Toffoloni for Germaand vintage ceramic vessel from 506070; floor in La Rochelimestone from Eco Outdoor; Unknown Realms to Luring artwork byIndivi Sutton from Saint Cloche Gallery. Opposite page in a powderroom, vanity and splashback in Leathered Fusion quartzite fromAvenza Stone; tapware from Astra Walker; custom hammeredstainless-steel basin from Morocco; Murano glass-framed mirrorfrom Secondi; Cylindrical Faceted sculptural vase by Steve Leesfrom Craft Victoria; hand towel from Loom. Details, last pages.
14 6 V O G U E L I V I N GIMAGES COURTESY OF GORGO ARMANIBy JASON MOWENIn a tribute to the legendary fashion impresario, we delve into the late GIORGIOARMANI’S early life and the WORLD-BUILDING legacy he leaves behind.R E N A I S S A N C EM A N
This page Armani/Casa Logo lamp; Rosso (1968) artwork by Agostino Bonalumi from Robilant+Voena; Origataconsole by Nao Tamura for Porro; Putrella table centrepiece by Enzo Mari for Danese Milano; Archivio GianfrancoFrattini (this special edition in red was a wedding gift to Frattini by Enzo Mari), Boa vase by Pierre Charpin forVenini. Opposite page Giorgio Armani in his villa in Broni, Italy.
14 8 V O G U E L I V I N Gs the sirens wailed in Piacenza in 1944, a young Giorgio Armani huddled in anair-raid shelter with his family, the ground trembling around them as the Alliesdropped their bombs. Outside, resources had long been scarce and rationing wasthe norm. Not exactly the ingredients of a happy childhood, although decadeslater, this wartime experience would inform his design philosophy.“When you have little, you learn to remove everything unnecessary,” Armanirecalled in his 2023 autobiography Per Amore (based on a 2015 illustrated bookpublished by Rizzoli). The depravation of his early years shaped his approach to fashion,favouring clean lines and order over chaos, with a deep respect for precision, sensitive torestraint. Even before the war the family’s circumstances were modest. His mother, Maria,went without to make clothes for her three children, impressing young Giorgio with herability to transform ordinary textiles into garments of simple beauty.Creativity and elegance out of adversity; meticulous attention to detail: whenGiorgio Armani died on September 4 at the age of 91, the world lost one of its titans ofdesign. His €2.3 billion empire straddled fashion, furniture, sport and hotels. Mostimpressive he was the sole shareholder.He launched his eponymous label in 1975, a quiet revolution that challenged the waymen dressed in stiff jackets, stitched, padded and interlined to reshape the torso.His unconstructed blazer threw traditional tailoring on its head — and when a buffedRichard Gere donned Giorgio Armani in the 1980 cult film American Gigolo, the brandwent global, marking the beginning of a decades-long collaboration with Hollywood, onand off the screen.What Armani did for men he also did for women. “I’ve always been interested inblurring the lines where gender-specific design is concerned,” he said. Groundbreakingcollections stemmed from the same deconstructed blazer, launching his signaturepower-dressing aesthetic. The timing was perfect, with the emergence of cashed-upworking women navigating the business world of men.None of this happened until Armani was in his 40s. He studied medicine out of schoolbut left before completing his degree. Next was a stint dressing windows at La Rinascente,learning firsthand how presentation informs perception. He began designing menswearfor Nino Cerruti in 1961 and was soon freelancing for various Italian brands.Fate dealt its hand in 1966 when Armani met Sergio Galeotti, his partner-to-be inbusiness and love. Galeotti felt the designer was wasting his time working for others and,famously, convinced him to sell his Volkswagen to raise funds to launch Giorgio ArmaniS.p.A. It was an immediate success. Italian boutiques were quick to place orders, as wasBarneys New York in 1976, with Saks, Harrods and Harvey Nichols following suit.Capturing the streetwear Zeitgeist, he launched Emporio Armani and Armani Jeans in1981, got the cover of Time magazine in 1982 and opened the first Giorgio Armaniboutique in Milan in 1983.Tragedy struck two years later when Galeotti died of AIDS-related illness. Everyonethought the company would fold — Galeotti was the business-minded Pierre Bergé tocreative Armani’s Yves Saint Laurent — but the disciplined designer assumed allmanagement duties, emerging stronger than ever as chairman and CEO.Armani’s relationship with Milan was symbiotic: as his empire grew, the city flourished,becoming a major player on the international fashion stage. In 1984, he boughta 2000-square-metre apartment in Palazzo Orsini, a grand 17th-century pile in the centrostorico. There were other residences — a penthouse overlooking New York’s Central Park,a villa in St. Tropez and a jaw-dropping series of dammusi (traditional stone houses) on theisland of Pantelleria — but Milan was home. “I’m truly convinced that your home is areflection of yourself, of your personality; it tells the story of who you are,” he said earlierthis year. “My favourite home is Milan, where my favourite room is a study on the thirdfloor. I spend most of my time there. It’s a haven within a haven, for both work andreflection. I have a desk and a small armchair with an animal-print design, both designedby Jean-Michel Frank, which I absolutely love.”As the streamlined silhouettes of the 1930s inspired Armani’s early runway collections,Frank’s clean lines and sophisticated material palette informed his foray into the world ofinteriorswith the 2000 launch of Armani/Casa. Alongside Art Deco,Japanese minimalismand the natural world have been leitmotifs. The first piece was the iconic Logo Lamp,designed in 1982 when Armani needed lighting for his office. Other beauties include theCamilla Desk and the curvaceous Borromini chaise longue.Giorgio Armani spent his final months choreographing a 50-year anniversary, set totake place in the courtyard of the Pinacoteca di Brera. He died three weeks before, but theshow, a presentation of his spring/summer 2026 collection, went ahead. It was a greatfarewell to a great man and there in the front row was Richard Gere, the Armani-cladgigolo who rocketed them both to stardom. armani.comAMAGES COURTESY OF GORGO ARMAN (PORTRAT, TEATRO SALONE, DESK), ROGER HUTCHINGS (BACKSTAGE) LUCA DE SANTIS (PANTELLERA) AND ROSANNA ARMAN (VENCE).