DESIGNERS YASMINE GHONIEM + KATY SVALBE

Travel informs the work of up-and-coming design duo Yasmine Ghoniem and Katy Svalbe as much as it does their life. They are sisters - half-sisters, in fact - who formed the firm Amber Road Design in April 2013, bringing with them skills and experience in the areas of interior design and landscape architecture, respectively. Their story is an interesting one, and begins with their parents. They have the same mother, but different fathers. Yasmine was born in Kuwait, and has lived there and in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Dubai, as well as America, where she attended university and worked in the interior design industry. On her return to Australia, she reconnected with Katy, who had been living and working in Madrid for six years. Just before heading to Europe for a month, they shared the rest of their story:

YASMINE GHONIEM, INTERIOR DESIGNER

Which five words best describe you? Animated, passionate, honest, driven, a dreamer.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? After graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design in the States I drove across the country in my very run down red station wagon and landed in Portland, Oregon. I worked with several architectural practices as an illustrator (despite having a BFA in Interior Design) for three years until I got itchy feet and decided I'd go travelling for a year. I did six months of volunteer work in Kenya and Vietnam and loved it, but ran out of money so was forced to make a decision as to where I wanted to plant my seeds. I was at a crossroads when I returned to Sydney in 2007. I had been globetrotting, uprooting and relocating for most of my life, so coming home was like visiting a new country in a way. I worked with a small design studio for 18 months initially and quickly realised I wanted to open my own practice. In 2008, I started working solo until my sister Katy moved back from Madrid in 2011. We worked together on an exciting brief for a project in Shanghai, which reignited our desire to collaborate. In April 2013 we launched Amber Road, finally combining both our disciplines; interior design and landscape architecture; a dream that had been in the making since we were kids.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Perseverance. Stick it out and the goods will come.

What’s your proudest career achievement? Keeping a small business afloat for two years. It's been one hell of a ride so far. It's hard work, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

What’s been your best decision? Taking the plunge into the unknown and working for myself, with Katy.

Who inspires you? Tim Jenison, a Texas-based inventor is my most recent source of inspiration. I just saw that movie Tim's Vermeer, and I gotta say he's one dedicated and focused man.

What are you passionate about? Music, community and more music.

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Frida Kahlo, for sure. Or David Bowie, for the living.

What dream do you still want to fulfil? If I told you, I'd have to kill you. Let's just say it has something to do with changing the way we live.

What are you reading? Tracks, Steve Jobs and Grace Coddington - I love bios, and about to start my mate’s book Here come the dogs by Omar Musa.

KATY SVALBE, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

Which five words best describe you? Curious, passionate, grateful, thought-full, on-a-mission.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? Post completing a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Western Australia, my career commenced working at a large interdisciplinary firm Hassell, Sydney, devising long-term visions for the hectares of parklands surrounding the Sydney Olympic Village at Homebush. Post Hassell, I became one of the founding team of Sydney's most respected landscape firms Aspect Studios, and helped build that once small company from the ground up.

Six years into professional life, itchy feet got the better of me and I spent a year globetrotting; visiting my family, which at that time was spread between Egypt, Europe and the States, absorbing landscape projects I had always wanted to visit, and working in London. It was during this trip that I went to visit my sister, who at the time was finishing off her studies in Savannah, Georgia. Whilst walking around the site, that was to become the focus of her final project, the seed of working together was planted - although it took another 10 years to take root!

Post my year of globetrotting, I returned to Sydney, and picked up where I left off at Aspect Studios, before getting a craving for some more significant life/work experience overseas, which took me to Madrid, Spain. Here I had the opportunity to do both some freelance work as well as work for one of Madrid's largest landscape practices. Projects ranged from designing public spaces and street furniture for a new city that was emerging on the outskirts of the city, just near Madrid airport, the design of the garden rooms associated with the Spanish Ambassdor's quarters in Canberra Australia - who would have dreamt! - to the design and construction of a garden installation in Bilbao, northern Spain.

Six years later, hungry to reunite with family and put my diverse life and professional experience to the test, I came back home to Sydney. At this moment the Amber Road journey commenced.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Trust your instincts, generally your first idea is the right one.

What’s your proudest career achievement? Starting a business with my sister.

What’s been your best decision? Returning home, putting down roots and embracing all this glorious city and country has to offer.

Who inspires you? Michael Reynolds - father of the Earthship movement.

What are you passionate about? Art, design, music, permaculture, all things landscape.

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Dead - Hundertwasser. Alive - Mike Patton.

What dream do you still want to fulfil?  Self sufficiency - amongst community.

What are you reading? Getting ready for 10 days in Berlin - Anna Funder's Stasiland.

images courtesy of amber road design and prue ruscoe

INTERIOR DESIGNER STEPHEN ALESCH

After designing film sets for the best part of a decade, Stephen Alesch and his partner in life and work, Robin Standefer, were given an opportunity too good to refuse. The actor and film director Ben Stiller admired their work on Duplex so much that he commissioned the pair to transform his Los Angeles residence, and triple its size. Two years later Stephen and Robin had well and truly retired from film work and were concentrating on the commissions that followed from a range of high-profile clients, including Kate Hudson and Gwyneth Paltrow. Since then their design business, Roman and Williams, which they established in 2002, has gone on to transform some of the leading hotels in New York and beyond. The Ace Hotel, The Standard, The Vicerory and the Highline Hotel are just some of the places that have been given Stephen and Robin's experiential treatment. 

Which five words best describe you? Crazy, silly, odd, spazzy and fussy.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? I applied for a job as a draftsman for a solo architect when I was 18. I became his right-hand man. I had no experience except for high school drafting and some construction experience. After 10 years of that, I went to work in the film industry as a set designer, then after 10 years of that started my own design firm with my wife Robin. 

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Behind every professional, formally educated "expert" is just a normal man or woman with a few tidbits of jargon and knowledgeability - that just about anyone with good common sense could do themselves. In fact, it’s relatively easy to do it even better. 

What’s your proudest career achievement? Designing and completing construction of our 30-storey Viceroy Hotel on 57th Street in New York City. 

What’s been your best decision? Never bothering to learn CAD and continuing to draft by hand. 

Who inspires you? Otto Wagner, Hendrik Berlage, HH Richardson, Frank Lloyd Wright, Bertram Goodhue... Dead dudes.

What are you passionate about? Architecture, drafting, plants, waves, suits, science, electricity, construction, mechanics.

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Frank Lloyd Wright.

What dream do you still want to fulfil? Design a university of non-design studies, a beautiful campus of simple buildings, workshops and housing. 

What are you reading? Ben Franklin's biography by H.W. Brands and The look of architecture by Witold Rybczynski.

images courtesy of roman and williams; portrait via scoutmag.com

INTERIOR DESIGNER TAMSIN JOHNSON

There is an international flavour to the work of Sydney-based interior designer Tamsin Johnson. Perhaps it relates to her time living and working in London. Or is informed by her regular travels overseas. Regardless, Tamsin has a flair for blending antique pieces with contemporary art, and fusing them with classic foundation materials. After studying interior design at the Inchbald School of Design in London, she worked for some firms there before returning to Sydney. Once back on home soil, Tamsin joined the design team at Meacham Nockles McQualter before deciding to go out on her own four years later. In March 2013 she launched Tamsin Johnson Interior Design and has been in high demand, designing Guillaume’s new restaurant in Paddington, Mr Tipplys pub in the CBD and a specialty coffee shop called Kingswood, among others. As well as working on residential interiors in Sydney she has recently returned from Los Angeles, where she is creating the interiors for a house and office. Notwithstanding all that, Tamsin has been key to the look of the showrooms for P Johnson Tailors, the business of her husband Patrick Johnson.

Which five words best describe you? Excited, ambitious, passionate, adventurous and positive.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? My first start was a change of career from fashion to interiors. My parents met me in Rome as I was living in London at the time at 21 years old. It was an amazing weekend with much discussion and they said to just go for it. I studied interior design at Inchbald in London and never looked back. I got lucky with incredible experience with some very special people with amazing taste and manners. Hopefully I can be that person to someone else one day. 

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? To always be nice to people. I've had a couple of horrific bosses along the way (mainly in London) and there is absolutely no benefit. It sounds corny but treat people how you'd like to be treated back... I once got abused by a French boss in London because the dressing on my salad smelt like coriander. 

What’s your proudest career achievement? Starting my own business, for sure. The bigger the challenge the bigger the triumph. It's been an intense journey but every minute has been exciting. 

I also have a few jobs overseas at the moment. To travel and work has always been a dream. To be able to work across the world is a pretty incredible thing. Especially sourcing from dealers over there, the selection is endless.

What’s been your best decision? To start my own business.

Who inspires you? My husband, my parents who have beautiful taste, architects, artists, friends, and anyone doing things differently. 

What are you passionate about? Art, food, travel, Italy, learning Italian (which I haven't started yet), sunshine.

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Jean Pigozzi was on my list but he actually ended up in my client meeting in LA last week. I have many though. Sean Penn?

What dream do you still want to fulfil? To climb Mount Kilamanjaro. I had booked this October but we had to cancel because of my work. Hopefully next year.

What are you reading? Provenance. Based on the biggest art fraud of the 20th century. True story about two con men who sell fake art including Giocometto, Corbusier, Debuffet. I highly recommend it. 

images courtesy of tamsin johnson

INTERIOR DESIGNER JUSTINE HUGH-JONES

I first entered the world of Justine Hugh-Jones about four years ago. Her Sydney home was the location for a decorating feature I styled for Real Living magazine. It was one of those houses that had the whole crew looking around in admiration. I’ve never forgotten the kitchen or bathroom. The former for its custom-made island bench standing proud like a piece of furniture and the latter for Moroccan herringbone terracotta brick tiles. Since then I have interviewed Justine several times for various features on design and decorating. She always has something insightful and interesting to add. The spaces that she creates strike the perfect balance between style and functionality. They are beautiful timeless rooms that you want to live in - not just admire. The images above are from Justine's home in Sydney. The portrait was taken in a home she designed for a client.

Which five words best describe you? Real, calm, hedonistic, visual and perfectionist.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? I studied international business at university in France and London then started work for British Airways marketing the First Class brand which ignited a furious passion for traveling ,style and design. Three years living in the elegant city of Hamburg in Germany opened my eyes to Northern European design and culture. Here my career in interior design began as an intern with an interior designer decorating and painting old beautiful merchant houses. After further study in decorative arts and and interior design in London I moved to Sydney and 10 years ago started my own interior design business. I started with my first job for a friend of a friend, pretending I knew everything. And guess what? I'm still learning! 

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Always trust your first instinct on everything. 

What’s your proudest career achievement? Shortlisted for best residential house for Belle magazine interior design awards 2013. 

What’s been your best decision? Sounds predictable and, yes, corny but an easy answer. Marrying and having two boys with the man I love. 

Who inspires you? People who infect you with their amazing energy, talent, humour and warmth.

What are you passionate about? I start off being passionate about my design concepts and vision and that's undoubtedly one of the most exciting parts of my job. But then I have to focus that passion towards all the people I come into contact with during the course of each project. I feel it's about 50 per cent design and then honestly the rest is how you deal with people. It's such a psychological job that you have to love people to do well. Starting with the client and, of course, their family and friends, the architect, the builder and all their different trades, all your varying suppliers, your colleagues, the delivery companies, your Instagram followers... It’s such a people job and, I must admit, I'm as passionate about all of them as I am about design otherwise I couldn't do my job well. 

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? This is such an easy question for me. It just has to be my beautiful big sister Debra who died when she was only 22 and I was 17. What a lot we would have to catch up on. 

What dream do you still want to fulfil? A house abundantly full of beautiful artworks. 

What are you reading? Garden Life by Richard Unsworth.

images courtesy of justine hugh-jones; house shots nicky ryan; portrait nick scott

CHEF + RESTAURATEUR BILL GRANGER

There is a common thread that runs through Bill Granger’s career. The chef and restaurateur is a risk-taker. The first notable instance of it was over 20 years ago when he decided to move to Sydney after a week’s holiday. He had been studying interior design at RMIT in Melbourne, where he was born and raised, but changed courses and enrolled in art school at COFA instead. While Bill went on to make Sydney his permanent home, he wasn’t as committed to his course. “I’m too commercial,” he told Daily Imprint last week during the opening of his latest venture, Bills Bondi. “I love the idea of art school, but commerce got in the way. I’m a shopkeeper’s son.” The entrepreneurial spirit was alive in him, and thanks to a loan from his grandfather, he had funds to open his first cafe. (Each grandchild was given access to a loan when they had reached age 21 provided it was used to start an entrepreneurial venture.) Since opening his eponymous Darlinghurst cafe in 1993, Bill has gone on to open eateries in Japan and England. “The best decisions are always terrifying. The bad ones are often comfortable,” Bill says. “Risk is really important.” 

The interiors of Bill’s latest restaurant are by Sydney-based interior design team Meacham Nockles McQualter, and photographed by Anson Smart (interview here).

Which five words best describe you? Sunny, optimistic, energetic, loyal and risk-taker. Adventurous would be another one - and hungry - I love to eat.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? My first job in a restaurant was while I was at university, a cafe called La Passion du Fruit - that was when I was at uni for art school. After working there - I loved it - I decided to open my own restaurant. My grandfather had set up a thing where I could have access to money when I was 21 - it was a loan - it was enough to get something started. A great entrepreneurial spirit.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Good times never last and neither do the bad ones. To be consistent. To be focussed all of the time. Mistakes aren’t a problem. They are something you learn by. It’s okay to fail and make mistakes. Restaurants are really public successes or failures - when you are mixing up business with creative ideas it’s hard to get it right all of the time; it’s a struggle. But you’ve always got to know that without those good ideas there’s nothing. Without that creative there’s nothing. Creative is very undervalued.

What’s your proudest career achievement? Getting into an article in the The New York Times. At the time I didn’t realise it, but when I look back - to be noted as a little business - it was really lovely. When you are doing things yourself, you tend to give yourself a hard time. It was lovely to be recognised. Only in retrospect, though - it was in about 1999, before the Olympics came to Sydney. The article was by an amazing writer called Johnny Apple, a political journalist who liked writing about food. That and cooking at Buckingham Palace was fun - it was so mad.

What’s been your best decision? To open in Japan. Everyone was telling me I was mad but I felt so creatively inspired to do something in Japan. It was fun. Doing what you are passionate about is really important. If you do it just to make money it never works. It has to come from passion and love and excitement.

Who inspires you? My wife Natalie, who is amazingly energetic and disciplined - she is a film producer. She is extraordinary as a person and work colleague. And I’m inspired constantly by art - such as Jeff Koons at the Whitney - design and fashion. I find other creative really inspiring. Christopher Bailey at Burberry - he’s creative and does the business side too. Any business that has creative too is exciting for me.

What are you passionate about? About people eating well. I love feeding people. It still excites me. I love giving kids who don’t like much and getting them to like food. Food is a great communicator. Recipes become part of people’s life and it’s a lovely way to touch people’s life. 

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Alice Waters, who is an American chef of fresh, healthy, seasonal food. I would love to meet Alice. She’s opening some things in London, which I’m very excited about. And, Sylvia Plath, strangely. As an angst-ridden teenager I had a moment when I thought, “You can get beaten by things or move on.”

What dream do you still want to fulfil? I would like to get back to art. I have started drawing again. I would like to have time to focus on creating artwork in a serious way. Not to show, but to have that time to create. When the kids are older.

What are you reading? Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, a really beautiful book. It’s about all of my favourite things - Italy, set in the Cinque Terre - a great, fun book.

images courtesy of bill granger and anson smart; interiors meacham nockles mcqualter

ARCHITECT BENJAMIN MITCHELL

It hasn’t taken Sydney-based architectural firm Those Architects long to start collecting awards. Even though Benjamin Mitchell and Simon Addinall joined forces in 2012 the duo have already won the 2014 Australian Interior Design Award for Workplace Design, as well as the 2014 Australian Timber Design Award for Commercial Interior Fitout. The same project, a collaboration with End of Work, has been shortlisted for an IDEA 2014 too (winners to be announced 21 November). But the brief wasn’t without its challenges. A heritage listing for the former Metcalfe Bond Store in The Rocks, Sydney, meant that the designers weren’t able to mechanically fix into or change any of the fabric of the building. The solution was to create a fitout that in some ways mirrored the way the technology company operates - via a “cloud”. Everything was designed to float within the space - to occupy for the medium-term and be able to relocate with minimum fuss. What started out as well-thought-out design with a strong focus on the client’s needs, is now gaining recognition within the broader design community. Ben shares a little more of the back story to Those Architects.

Which five words best describe you? Bad dancer but die trying.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? I actually started my career in the Royal Australian Navy serving aboard the guided missile frigate HMAS Melbourne. It set me up with some very valuable tools as I transitioned into my architecture studies at Sydney University. After studying for six years I established my own firm which recently became Those Architects when I amalgamated with my long-term friend and colleague Simon Addinall. Our studio-based practice is underpinned by collaboration and open dialogue in pursuit of quality design outcomes.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? I can think of three. Work hard, maintain your integrity and follow your instincts.

What’s your proudest career achievement? Receiving several major awards for the first project completed by the office is my proudest career achievement to date.

What’s been your best decision? To pursue a career in architecture against all the advice I was given.

Who inspires you? Many people. My partner Diana inspires me to be the best man I can be. My kids inspire me to enjoy every moment of this short life. My parents inspire me to live life by your own rules and my brother inspires me to take on a challenge when one presents itself. I’ve also got many talented friends who inspire me on a daily basis.

What are you passionate about? Life. Just so many reasons to get out of bed each day. In particular I’m passionate about rigorously pursuing my architecture career and making a meaningful contribution to the built environment both here in Australia and abroad.

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Sir David Attenborough. He has an acute awareness of the natural world and our place within it.

  

What dream do you still want to fulfil? I’d really like to be in a position one day to act as my own client.

What are you reading? Papillon by Henri Charrière. 

images courtesy of those architects; photography brett boardman