belle

Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards 2013 finalists revealed

May 6, 2013 By Jen Bishop 1 Comment

Greg Natale, Iain Halliday and Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie (jointly) are in the running for the top prize of designer of the year in the 2013 Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards. What a fantastic line-up of talent! It’s particularly exciting for Greg and Iain, who took the crowns in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

I love this colourful, feminine home by Greg Natale Design, a finalist in the residential category.

The prestigious awards, a collaboration between the magazine and the furniture brand, are now in their third year and this year received the largest number of entrants to date. The official announcement of the finalists, accompanied by a profile of their work, is revealed in Belle’s June/July issue, on sale today. This year, flamboyant American interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard was the international judge.

Another finalist in the residential category, by Justine Hughes-Jones Design

Belle Editor-in-chief Neale Whitaker described Australia’s interior design signature as world-class. ‘The exciting thing is that every year the confidence of Australian interior design grows. It has developed a profile that is truly international, directional and dynamic.” [Read more...]

Tagged With: belle, BKH, coco republic, greg natale, greg natale design, hamish guthrie, hecker guthrie, iain halliday, interior design awards, justine hugh jones, neale whitaker, paul hecker

Ralph Lauren Home launches at David Jones

March 26, 2013 By Jen Bishop Leave a Comment

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the VIP launch of Ralph Lauren Home at David Jones in Sydney.

At the launch with Alexandra Longstaff (right) of Home Design magazine

Ralph Lauren Home’s One Fifth collection, now available in the flagship Market Street store, is described as a feminine, elegant expression of glamorous deco style, with sleek black finishes tempered by warm golds, luxurious textures and soft edges. It’s very impressive and doesn’t disappoint. It’s very… well… Ralph Lauren!

Belle April/May 2013

March 9, 2013 By Jacqui Greig 2 Comments

At the risk of being hammered by interior aficionados, I have to admit this is the first time I have read Belle magazine. Gasp. But put down your pitchforks, because I’ve been converted. If their deliciously decadent front cover didn’t do it (which, let’s admit, it did), then the quality editorial inside would have tipped me over. Why, I hear you ask, is this the first time I’ve read Belle? It was the Vogue effect; I don’t buy Vogue because it’s too inaccessible (concepts and price tags). And I mistakenly believed I would feel the same way about Belle… I’ve never been so happy to be proved wrong! [Read more...]

Tagged With: belle, interiors, magazines, neale whitaker, steve cordony, the block

Last call for the Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards

March 8, 2013 By Jen Bishop Leave a Comment

Entries close on 15 March so make sure you get yours in ASAP!

Find all the details here.

Tagged With: belle, belle awards, coco republic, interior design awards

Belle the big winner in magazine readership figures

February 15, 2013 By Jen Bishop Leave a Comment

Belle’s readership jumped almost 22% last year according to the latest Roy Morgan readership results for the 12 months ending December 2012. It was far and away the best performer in the homes category, with a readership of 134,000. Congratulations to Neale Whitaker, Tanya Buchanan, Steve Cordony and the team.

Other magazines with increased readership included:

Home Beautiful: 19.9%
Real Living: 13.6%
Country Style: 12.5%
House & Garden: 5.8%
Luxury Home Design: 5.1% [Read more...]

Tagged With: belle, homes magazines, magazine, magazine readership, neale whitaker, roy morgan, steve cordony

7 Vignettes February winner Gabrielle Walsh

February 12, 2013 By Jen Bishop 1 Comment

Another month and thousands more gorgeous images in my 7 Vignettes Instagram challenge! This week, Belle’s Steve Cordony, the guest judge, picked Gabrielle Walsh as the winner. Here’s why…

The new kid on The Block Darren Palmer

February 12, 2013 By Jen Bishop Leave a Comment

Here at Interiors Addict I was delighted when Darren Palmer was made the third full-time judge on The Block. Possibly not as much as he was though. “SO EXCITED! It’s a brilliant competition that has featured some really great talent over the years. I love the Block and am so happy to be a part of it,” he told me.

Darren rose to fame as a runner up on reality TV show homeMADE and now here he is, a renowned interior designer and a judge on another show. He’s done good, eh? “The thing is I know renovations because I renovate, I know design because I’m a designer and I know the competition and understand its constraints and pressures because I’ve been in exactly that situation myself. Well not quite exactly as we did a complete house every 5 days. These guys get 6 weeks. The Block is pretty much a holiday…”

Careful, Darren! [Read more...]

Tagged With: belle, darren palmer, homemade, interior design, interiors, neale whitaker, reno, renovation, shaynna blaze, the block

The Block All Stars starts tonight

February 4, 2013 By Jen Bishop 5 Comments

The much hyped The Block All Stars starts tonight at 7pm and, having visited the houses a couple of months ago, I’m really looking forward to watching. Friend of Interiors Addict Darren Palmer has also been announced as a new full-time judge, replacing John McGrath and joining Shaynna Blaze from Selling Houses Australia and Belle editor in chief Neale Whitaker. A great trio, don’t you think?

The new judging lineup includes Darren Palmer, who rose to fame as a star of reality TV himself

The Block spinoff, which has been filming in Sydney’s Bondi, features four couples from previous series who didn’t win (but maybe should have?). They are Amity and Phil, Josh and Jenna, Mark and Duncan (the ‘two fat tradies’) and, from the most recent series, Dan and Dani. It’s a little ironic that new judge Darren rose to fame as a star of reality TV show (homeMADE) himself, even though he didn’t win.

There’s been some drama, with The SMH reporting, at the end of November, that contestant Mark Bowyer had left the show after being rushed to hospital and feeling unwell. Apparently host Scott Cam and Mark’s wife Jenny, stepped in to assist his partner Duncan Miller, but it’s not clear if he eventually returned to filming.

I visited the block in November and was really impressed and excited by what I saw in the heritage houses, which at that point had had two rooms each renovated. I have no doubt they will all be worth a small fortune once they’re finished and I can’t wait to see how they turn out.

The Block All Stars houses in Sydney’s Bondi

This year they’ve also set up an online Block shop where you can buy products used in the show. Now there’s a simple but brilliant idea! Check it out here. [Read more...]

Tagged With: amity and phil, belle, bondi, dan and dani, darren palmer, john mcgrath, josh and jenna, neale whitaker, selling houses australia, shaynna blaze, the block, the block all stars, the block shop, two fat tradies

Interiors Addict mentioned in Abigail Ahern’s new book, along with many other Aussies!

February 1, 2013 By Jen Bishop 2 Comments

(Okay, okay, I know I’m not as Aussie. Quite.)

So so SO excited! Was already excited when my preview copy of Abigail Ahern’s new book Decorating with Style arrived in the mail today. But then someone pointed out that my blog is mentioned in the directory at the back (alongside blogs like The Selby, The Design Files and Design*Sponge). I couldn’t believe it! I am such a HUGE fan of Abigail’s work I am truly honoured and flattered TO THE MAX! I will of course write a proper review of this gorgeous looking book once I’ve had the chance to get over my shock and give it a good read!

Excuse my star struck goofiness… Thank you so much Abigail!

On closer inspection, there are a LOT of Aussies credited in the Little Black Book at the back of this book, which is fantastic, especially as Abigail is from the UK!

As well as Interiors Addict, Aussie blogs mentioned include The Design Files, Daily Imprint and Desire to Inspire. Then there’s Sibella Court’s books Nomad, Etcetera and The Stylist’s Guide to NYC and Shannon Fricke’s Sense of Style, Colour & Space. Under magazines you’ll find Vogue Living, Belle, Real Living and Inside Out. Also getting a mention in the directory are Murobond paints, Melbourne’s Comer & King, and Sydney stores Doug Up on Bourke, Ice et la, Koskela and The Society Inc.

Go Aussie! Abigail clearly has fantastic taste!

Tagged With: abigail ahern, belle, decorating with style, design sponge, doug up on bourke, ici et la, inside out, interior design, interiors, interiors blog, koskela, pure & general, real living, shannon fricke, sibella court, the design files, the selby, vogue living

7 Vignettes is back! With Belle’s Steve Cordony

January 31, 2013 By Jen Bishop 3 Comments

Rumour has it some of you are practising and prepping already! Such is the excitement for the second round of 7 Vignettes starting on Saturday on Instagram. I’m delighted to welcome Steve Cordony, Belle’s interior design editor and stylist extraordinaire as our new judge, and to thank Down That Little Lane for providing a $100 voucher for the winner. But you know it’s mostly just for fun. Any prize is just an added bonus!

Steve Cordony

Still not quite sure what a vignette is? Steve explains: “I like to think of a vignette as a small cluster of objects or things that have meaning or resonate an emotion or memory. Items collected from travels, objects found in the most obscure places or that one amazing piece you have been coveting for months.

“I style vignettes constantly to give inspiration for a trend or project I am working on, and I am constantly changing vignettes around in my home. Usually atop a stack of my favourite books on a shelf or my bedside or coffee table, then adding layers of objects and collectables to create a three dimensional mood board.” [Read more...]

Tagged With: 7 vignettes, belle, down that little lane, instagram, steve cordony, styling, stylist, vignette