stylist jane frosh

Jane Frosh worked in events for 10 years before starting her own company, Show.Pony. From her base in the Blue Mountains, NSW she creates everything from weddings to shop-front windows. Jane also customises ram skulls, which can be bought through Lisa Madigan. Her country home, where she lives with her three children, and which has been featured in Country Style magazine, is available as a location.

Which five words best describe you? Interest + inspiration = Accomplish. (Then) move on.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? I began in the world of theatre working for a large-scale rock and roll/theatre promoter. After learning the ropes I then moved into event production working with a technical production company. After 10 or so years in events I recently started my own events company, show.pony, with my business partner, who also happens to be a designer. Our team produce bespoke events that indulge the appetite for something new and exciting. We treat events as you would an interior design shoot. We look to international trends for inspiration and focus on the world of interiors, design and fashion to bring something new to the Australian events industry. I have noticed over time that through designing and producing amazing, bespoke events, there was an undeniable and growing passion for the aesthetic side of the production. I relish the design and install of decor and the overall styling and consequently have been working more and more as stylist with an events company on the side, than as producer with aspirations of becoming a stylist!

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Of a project, an interior, an event: to trust my judgement. The instant you doubt your creativity and your design you lose your edge and consequently your impact.

What’s your proudest career achievement? I see every single project as an achievement. I put 100 per cent of my energy and passion into each and every job. I take my work super seriously, and feel honoured to have been chosen by each particular client to deliver their "baby", their project. I sleep, eat and live my work. I give it my all, deliver it in the best possible way and then move onto the next. So, I am proud of all of my work.

What’s been your best decision? To trust that I am a good stylist, that I do have a good eye, and that I can deliver good work and creative design in such a cut-throat industry.

Who inspires you? People who are passionate about their chosen path are incredibly inspiring. I just adore the work of the sass & bide girls. A glimpse of one of their style boards can send me into a creative spin for days! Glen Proebstel. What an amazing man and an incredibly clever stylist. He does the "best bed" in the industry. Lyn Gardener. She designs the perfect mash of sophistication and industrial cool. My business partner. His mind for design and his dedication to delivery is truly exceptional. My floral designer. She gets my way of thinking totally. I can email her with "I need something Midsummer's night dream-ish mixed with industrial concrete" and she nails it every single time!

What are you passionate about? Good design and delivering what I propose. Colour. Form. Space (both positive and negative). Learning. Experiencing. Being.

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Francis Bacon. The stuff that must of gone on in that man’s head!

What dream do you still want to fulfil? I would love to work as a stylist for Vogue Living... just putting it out there! I would also love to travel with my three children. They need to see places like Morocco and India whilst they are still young enough to accept and immerse themselves in different cultures.

What are you reading? The ever increasing pile of interior design magazines stacked on the desk in my studio and Sibella Court's Stylist's Guide to NYC (for the zillionth time) before I head to NY in August to spend some AMAZING time with design guru, Abigail Ahern.

images courtesy of jane frosh; tree house and house exterior courtesy of country style magazine and sharyn cairns

leah robins's surry hills apartment

There are some people who talk the talk. Then there are those who walk the walk. You've met Leah Robins previously - when I interviewed her here. She spoke about simplifying her life and de-cluttering. Well, her home - shot by Warnes & Walton - in the latest real living magazine shows just how she did that - going from a three-bedroom house to a one-bedroom apartment.

When I interviewed Leah she also said something that stuck:

"The house has so many qualities that we aim for when sourcing products for The Minimalist," Leah says. "It was built to last, using traditional techniques and transcends most fashion trends and styles. It is unique and one of a kind."

images courtesy of real living magazine; photography chris warnes/warnes & walton; styling natalie walton/warnes & walton

styling shoot: bathroom decor ideas

The bathroom is not only one of the most expensive rooms in your home to renovate and decorate, but also the one that (often) ends up most lacking. Functionality always seems to win over fun. Colours are boring. Ideas get left at the door. So when I was asked to create three bathrooms for the June issue of real living, I wanted to help people rethink how they might decorate the smallest room in the house.

British boho - was all about using wallpaper in the bathroom. It's done often in the USA and UK but not so much in Australia. It was also important to use a pendant light rather than downlights or some other meek option. And ever since I saw Burley Katon Halliday use a tribal rug in a Bondi bathroom, I've wanted to do that too.

Retro brights - okay, so the yellow is strong. But it works with the overall design scheme. Black and white work wonderfully when contrasted with another colour. I also like using a non-traditional bathroom mirror.

Modern beachy - has to be my favourite of the three spaces. That chocolate brown on the wall was so calming to look at that it made me realise I might never want a white bathroom again. I also liked it combined with the tongue and groove panelling.

images courtesy of real living and maree homer

interior stylist graham moss

Graham Moss, an American who grew up in Australia, has always had an eye for detail. He spent his childhood creating murals on his bedroom wall and building makeshift furniture from his toy building blocks. After a career in the corporate world, Graham accidentally fell into interior styling. It turns out he was a natural. Since then Graham has started his own interior styling business in New York and has worked alongside interiors and lifestyle guru Martha Stewart. Also, his home in Harlem was recently featured in Vogue Living.

Which five words best describe you? Meticulous, empathetic, diverse, progressive, lateral.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? This career started completely by accident. I was working in corporate branding for many years, and used my own living environment as a means of creative expression. After my place was discovered by Vogue Living and various blogs, people just started asking me to help them with their own environments, to the degree that it somehow morphed into a full-time job.

The path that's presented itself has been one of creating residential interiors in the city of New York - the architectural envelope and the decoration of them. Each situation is totally different and I am constantly invigorated and challenged by the unique circumstances of every project.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? To always test limits - those of my clients as well as those of myself. It almost always pays off and makes for a better quality, more exciting and satisfying outcome.

What’s your proudest career achievement? One day out of the blue I was asked to co-host the Martha Stewart radio show - it was surreal, a true honour and a privilege to even be asked. Martha is a real inspiration in terms of her own life achievements. I love how she actually possesses true skill and talent. She is in charge of an empire and yet she still appears to get her hands dirty, literally and figuratively. I'm hoping one of my current projects is going to be a bit of a milestone. It's a beautiful apartment I am working on for a couple with eight children!

What’s been your best decision? To take risks - not just in my work, but in most aspects of life. As long as they're considered and 'educated' risks it's what puts you ahead of the pack I think (if they pay off, of course.)

Who inspires you? I love Kelly Wearstler and I love Jonathan Adler. Not just their style but also what they've achieved with their brands by being themselves and not straying from that. They also seem like fun, genuine people I'd like to know!

What are you passionate about? I'm passionate about keeping things real, keeping things in perspective, seeing things for what they are, staying as down to earth as possible.

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? I would love to meet some of modern history's true style icons. Especially the ones who've broken ground successfully, and the ones who've got strong personas with a touch of the eccentric genius about them like Andy Warhol, David LaChappelle, Katherine Hepburn, Picasso, Yves Saint Laurent.

What dream do you still want to fulfil? I still have not quite managed to find a healthy balance between work and relaxation - a few more holidays and a little less work would be a dream come true.

What are you reading? I just finished The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - amazing, uplifting, what a life lesson. I want to read it again! I’m about to embark on The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.

images courtesy of graham moss; portrait vogue living (via busy being fabulous)

store-bought storage styling shoot

The November issue of real living went on sale today so I thought I would share with you one of the features I styled: "Store-bought storage". It was not an easy brief, mainly because there are not a massive amount of products that are NEW, which is a requisite for the category. If I was able to make/create/revamp storage, that would have been fine. But the "shopping" section is all about products that you can BUY. After much searching and research I did end up tracking down some good products, though. These included the screenprinted boxes from Bonnie & Neil, as well as some beautiful wooden containers from Citta Design.

I got to work with photographer Maree Homer, which was a real treat. She's not only incredibly kind and caring as a person, but she's highly experienced and so was a great teacher too.

images courtesy of real living and maree homer

"holiday at home" styling shoot

My last shoot for real living was supposed to have been a kids garden feature, which will feature in the JanFeb 11 issue (on sale 10 Jan). However, I was asked to squeeze one more in before the break. It was for a "Holiday at home" feature. Click on the images for a larger view size.

What a year it's been. As I've mentioned previously, this time last year I had only just styled my first shoot, and now I have a merry little collection under my belt. Even more thrilling was this week I saw one of my images in the latest Living Etc. It's the Young Explorer room from this shoot.

Who knows what next year will bring!

images real living (photography chris warnes; styling natalie walton)

outdoor table & chair combos styling shoot

I just did another styling shoot today so my head is still in that space and I thought it was fitting to share some more images from the November issue of real living, which went on sale this week. I styled this outdoor table and chair feature months ago but because of scheduling it's only running now.

The day before the shoot I wasn't feeling well, and the morning of the shoot I was almost bedridden with the flu. But I couldn't bring myself to cancel. Not when photographer Armelle Habib had flown up to Sydney from Melbourne for the occasion. Products had been called in, a plan had been sketched out and a location as well as removalists had been booked. How could I back out?!

I didn't. And I didn't take any medication for fear it would make me drowsy. I felt dreadful. Luckily I had some lovely and helpful assistants, not to mention Armelle and her assistant Lucy, who both chipped in lugging furniture indoors and out because did I mention that it rained for most of the day. Well, actually it showered. We would take the furniture out, it would rain, we would lug it under cover again. And repeated this several times. At the same time a cover shoot was underway in the living room of the house which looked onto the garden. "Natalie, can you just stay to the left," called out a voice from inside. It didn't matter that I needed to set up on the right. All in a day's shooting, I'm fast learning.

Thankfully sometimes some shots fall into place. I just plonked a whole stack of goodies on the "Modern Australian" tabletop and walked away. When I turned back to adjust I realised that everything was sitting nicely together; I didn't need tweak. A rare but sweet moment.

images courtesy of real living (photography armelle habib; styling natalie walton)

trade secrets from 3 style experts

A little while ago, when I ran an interview with Harper's Bazaar editor Edwina McCann, I mentioned what a great day I had shooting with photographer Mikkel Vang.

I got to meet three incredible people - Will Dangar from Robert Plumb, award-winning TV chef Sean Connolly and Edwina.

Their homes were the perfect mix of well considered and well lived-in, complete with young children running around.

The feature is in the latest issue of real living, which went on sale today.

images courtesy of real living and mikkel vang; styling natalie walton

freedom styling shoot

One of my first jobs as a freelance stylist was for Freedom - an advertorial, which is in the (current) April issue of real living magazine. Naturally, all the furniture and homewares were from Freedom. And the brief was to present items from within certain collections together. However, I was able to choose whichever pieces I wanted from those collections, plus design the layout of the rooms, select paint colours, add flowers and other smaller items, such as books, food, etc. The first look, "Farmhouse", is probably closest to my own personal style - mixing the kelim style rug with a soft linen sofa and wooden furniture items, with a little bit of industrial thrown in for good measure. The other looks are "Providore" - based on the idea of an inner-city deli meets re-imagined grocer's workspace. The last space is inner-city loft inspired, and priced for those who are just starting out with their first home.

images courtesy of freedom and real living

painterly stripes

This morning I mentioned decorating with paper as a great decorating tool. Using paint has to be one of my other favourite options. A little while back I was asked to come up with ideas for this brief: "Quick cures for boring walls". It was a styling shoot for the current onsale issue of real living magazine.

I always gravitate towards stripes in fashion, but didn't want to do the usual vertical (or horizontal stripes) in the rooms that have been done many times before - including at my last home. So I took inspiration from the vibrant Spring/Summer 2011 fashion collections to create anything but boring walls.

images courtesy of real living and prue ruscoe; styling natalie walton

easy weekend projects

March and April were busy months. I styled four of the decorating features in the June issue of real living - as well as wrote the rugs and carpet article. And I styled the 10-page decorating feature in House & Garden. All while pregnant.

The feature above was for the "real ideas" section of real living - projects that you can do over a weekend. These included creating a statement door frame, a privacy screen made from Japanese coloured tape, a guerilla knitting inspired bench, a studded table top and a coatrack made from PVC pipes.

Stylists rarely, if ever, work alone - certainly not on large studio production shoots. And this one was no exception. I had a team of very willing and creative helpers who were busy hot glue-gunning, taping and working with wool. Thanks guys!

images courtesy of real living and chris warnes

INTERIOR STYLIST IMOGENE ROACHE

Working in a large publishing house where there are multiple "homes" titles, catering to different sectors of the market, you get to meet a range of stylists. However, these encounters tend to be fleeting as "in-house" stylists are often out on shoots, on the sourcing trail, or riding the goods lift trying to track down couriers. During my time at Bauer Media (formerly ACP), I came across the always stylish Imogene Roache. She was sweet and kind, and never seemed flustered. Imogene always gave the impression that she was happy to be there, doing what she was doing. And while she's still quite young, Imogene has plenty of experience under her belt, thanks to her time on staff at House & Garden magazine. Now, working as a freelancer, she is working for a range of publications, and advertising clients, as well as pursuing personal projects, as displayed in the imagery above.

Which five words best describe you? Calm, loyal, independent, ambitious and in-love.

How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? I discovered what a "stylist" was just before leaving high school, and instantly became obsessed. Without wasting any time, as soon as I graduated year 12 I landed a fashion assistant role at YEN magazine assisting stylist Imogene Barron. A year later I realised my real passion was interiors, and got straight into assisting some of the best interior stylists out there. A few months later, all my hard work paid off and I was given the role of junior stylist at House & Garden magazine. Soon after I moved up to stylist and had taken on House & Garden's food shoots, as well as interior pages. After four years passed I knew I had the experience and skills to take my career further, and as of this year I have been freelance styling in the big wide world.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Trust your instinct, be grateful, and always stay inspired.

What’s your proudest career achievement? Being only 24 I feel way too young to answer this just yet. But I guess I am most proud of the progress I've made in my career path so far. All of the unreachable goals I gave myself at the beginning of my career I have achieved, and I'm proud of that.

What’s been your best decision? Jumping straight into my career at an early age. When I have an idea or goal in my head I have to do it asap - so the best thing I ever did was jump into the unknown and to see where it would take me.

Who inspires you? My unbelievably creative friends, stylists - local and overseas, my partner for his endless knowledge and ease at being happy, and my mum in every way.

What are you passionate about? Organising, learning, creating good work, beautifully made objects, delicious food and, more recently, gardening. 

Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Japanese flower artist Azuma Makoto.

What dream do you still want to fulfil? I have thousands! But the one dream I get more excited about every day is eventually buying a house and filling it with everything I love.

What are you reading? Elle Decoration, Gather Journal, and taking notes from Down to Earth: a guide to simple living by Rhonda Hetzel. 

images courtesy of imogene roache

Day in the life: Sibella Court

A little while ago I was asked to contribute to TradHome, a collaboration between the online magazine Lonny and the long-standing print interiors magazine Traditional Home. I really wanted to focus on Australian design and creatives who were making inroads or known to the USA market, and people who I hadn't featured previously on my design*sponge guest blog a while back. At the core of Daily Imprint is the idea to showcase people who are passionate, creative and courageous all the while creating beautiful work that has integrity (just like them).

But sometimes these can just sound like words. And to live such a life is not always an easy path. Whenever I meet someone who inspires me I always want to know more: exactly how they found their way, and how they juggle their day-to-day responsibilities to make stuff happen. After all, any achievement is built on a million smaller foundation blocks. Daily Imprint deals (I hope) with the latter. So I thought it would be interesting to focus on the former - the day to day - for TradHome.

The first person featured in the magazine is stylist Sibella Court, known to many of you. I interviewed her for Daily Imprint here. And now you can read about her daily life for TradHome here.

Enjoy

images courtesy of sibella court and chris court