Innholdsfortegnelse for June -July 2025 i Belle

OUR COVER At the Ralph Lauren palazzo during Milan Design Week 2025. Photography Miguel Flores-Vianna EDITORIAL Editor-in-chief Tanya Buchanan Creative director Lauren Camilleri Art director Shayne Burton Deputy editor Peter Griffiths Senior copy editor Deborah Grant Stylist, Homes Sophie Wilson Contributing editors Steve Cordony (Style director-at-large), Karen McCartney (Architecture), Kirstie Clements (Luxe Files), Judy Pascoe (Library), Carli Philips (Melbourne), Harry Roberts (Art), Jean Wright (Design) EDITORIAL OFFICE GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 1028 Tel (02) 9282 8456, email: belle@aremedia.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Tom Blachford, Angelita Bonetti, Joséphine Ciaudo, Claire Delmar, David Harrison, Stephanie Hope, Olga Lewis, Kate McGlone, Jack Milenkovic, Tim O’Connor, Eliza O’Hare, Chris Pearson, Prue Ruscoe, Toby Scott, Nathan Sloey, Anson Smart, Kristina Soljo, Pablo Veiga, Dave Wheeler, Genevieve Wild ADVERTISING Head of Commercial, Home & Lifestyle Commercial brand manager…

THE IDEAL HIGH-SUMMER TOUR of Europe would have to include an exclusive dining experience and one of the world’s most famous views. Cue the hilltop town of Taormina, the enviable location for Season Two of the wildly popular White Lotus series, reminding us all that dining on an Italian terrace, perhaps one trellised with flowering bougainvillea, is peak luxury. Roberto Toro is executive chef at Grand Hotel Timeo, a Belmond Hotel in Taormina, and a proud Sicilian native who grew up in a family of farmers. After graduating from a school of hotel management and catering, Roberto travelled the world to learn from other international cuisines and traditions, returning to his homeland and taking on the plum role at the sumptuous Grand Hotel in 2012. In 2018, Roberto opened Otto…

BROUGHT TO YOU BY FANULI 01 FLEXFORM GREAT EXPECTATIONS FANULI, THE EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR OF FLEXFORM IN AUSTRALIA, WAS FRONT AND CENTRE AT THE LAUNCH OF THE COMPANY’S LATEST RANGES IN THE BRERA FLAGSHIP STORE. AVAILABLE TO ORDER ARE THE ‘ARNOLD’ DINING TABLE, ‘LUCHINO’ CHAIRS AND ‘COCO’ RUG (OPPOSITE) AS WELL AS THE ‘GROUNDPIECE’ SECTIONAL SOFA, ‘FLY’ COFFEE TABLE, ‘BANGKOK’ OTTOMANS, ‘VIENNA’ SIDE TABLE AND VARIOUS ACCESSORIES. FANULI.COM.AU GARDEN SETTING In the vine-lined grounds of a former Franciscan convent partially renovated by Flexform, the brand showcased its latest collection of outdoor furniture by Antonio Citterio. Standouts were the ‘Calipso’ cord day beds and chairs,‘Vulcano’ outdoor sofa, ‘Tonga’ ottomans and ‘Dune’ rug, plus (over the page) the ‘Oasis’ outdoor sofa, ‘Tessa’ armchairs, ‘Fly’ table and ‘Dakota’ rug – all simpatico with the…

In my opinion, this issue offers the best of both worlds – all that is outstanding in Australian and Italian style. The two cultures have such synergy in their love of design, colour, food and alfresco – all in all, a passion for la dolce vita! I am lucky to have visited Milan for Salone del Mobile many times, and there really is nothing like the coincidental creative collision that occurs each year. That one week in Milan is a super-stylish juncture in the calendar. It is a week where design aficionados, whether architects, interior decorators, stylists, fashion designers or design executives, come together worldwide and the creative energy is palpable. We are lucky to know the drill and have a great team who contribute: thank you to our architecture…

WHERE IS YOUR OFFICE LOCATED? After being based in Mosman for several years, I had been looking for a space in the city and found this place while searching online. It’s a Victorian Italianate terrace from the 1890s on a heritage block in Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo. I wanted a space I could renovate to reflect the work we do. WHAT APPEALED TO YOU ABOUT THE BUILDING? It was formerly an art gallery, so was very stripped back, minimalist and clean. As the interior architecture was bare, it was the perfect canvas. We reintroduced traditional cornicing, skirting boards and hardware. With my love for heritage architecture, we focused on restoring period details while layering in contemporary furnishings and finishes, much like my approach to period homes. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SET-UP?…

1_PATCH UP The Fendi Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection featured multicoloured bags in patchwork leather squares, courtesy of Silvia Venturini Fendi, the artistic director of accessories and menswear. fendi.com 2_JEWEL TONES Named after singer Aretha Franklin, the 9ct multi-gem ‘Aretha’ necklace from Jan Logan is $9850 (made to order). janlogan.com 3_PARTY PALETTE Liven things up with Riedel ‘Laudon’ cut-crystal tumblers in Dark Green, Pink and Amber. There’s also Turquoise, Red, Dark Blue, Bronze and Gold. $120 each. riedel.com 4_CHECK MATE Designed and made in Tasmania, the Waverley Mills ‘Breezy’ wool throw is available in a colourway called Moss (green and yellow). $299. waverleymills.com 5_HOLDING COURT Alessandro Michele at Valentino continues to explore the pageantry of a medieval court with his lavish take on harlequin chic and patchwork couture. Fall 2025 RTW…

When you want a forever home, the stakes are much higher, which is why the owners of this Melbourne property asked architecture and design firm Robson Rak to renovate their beloved two-storey California bungalow. The couple, who have two older teenagers, first inspected the five-bedroom house in 2017 and knew they were going to live there by the time they got to the living room. However, after five years of enjoying the considerable space, inside and out, the interior aesthetic wasn’t working for them. “Our plan was to update most of the fixtures and finishes but retain some of the house’s character,” they say. “We knew Robson Rak were the only ones who could bring our vision to reality.” Architect Kathryn Robson and interior designer Chris Rak have many…

Tasked with reinventing a grand but tired villa in Sydney's east, just steps from Centennial Park and a popular shopping precinct, Bianca Pohio and Chris Adams of Pohio Adams Architects peeled back the layers of multiple disparate renovations that had obscured much of the circa 1900 home’s character. “We detailed considered alterations and additions to expose the elegant bones while simultaneously transforming it into a contemporary dwelling with accessible features for mature clients,” says Bianca. The owners had previously owned a country property in NSW, and the villa’s central location in Sydney’s busy east had been a drawcard. They were also captivated by the old-world charm of the house, which reminded one of the owners of the English countryside where she grew up. The brief to the architects was to…

NEW SOUTH WALES PERSONAL DRAMA Tom Polo’s expressive, colour-soaked paintings (right) explore the embodied dynamics of conversation, gesture and emotional exchange, expressing the complexities of our inner worlds and the slippages between the self and others. Featuring a new large-scale, multi-panel painting, intimate works on paper and a site-specific billboard installation, ‘In a Part of Your Mind, I am You’ takes its cues from Italian theatre with spatial choreography that casts the viewer as a player in a vivid painterly chorus. June 28–August 24. ngununggula.com SYDNEY SKY MAPPING Working with hand-ground pink ochre on hessian, Matthew Harris depicts smatterings of stars inspired by night-sky constellations. ‘Dawn Running Slowly’ (above) appears alongside works by Francis Carmody and Amanda Williams. From June 7–July 12. thecommercialgallery.com SYDNEY FORCE FIELD For nearly 100 years,…

While browsing for furniture online comes with an open dress code and 24-7 timeframe, nothing beats seeing and touching the designs in their true form. So, with this in mind, Terri Winter of Top3 by Design is giving design enthusiasts a taste of ‘livable luxury’ with her ‘German Masters’ showcase event. Set within two penthouses at The Oasis Residences in South Melbourne, pieces from the likes of Freifrau, Janua, Rolf Benz and Bordbar sparkle against the contemporary backdrop. “More than just a showcase, the event is a celebration of the timeless craftsmanship and modern elegance that defines German design,” says Terri. A captive audience of 110 Australian architects, interior designers and lucky Belle readers were the first to see the meticulously styled spaces, which can currently be viewed by appointment.…

JUST A 25-MINUTE DRIVE from the tourist throng of Florence, the five-star COMO Castello Del Nero hotel is set in 300 serene hectares of rolling hills, working vineyards and olive farms. It has 50 rooms in total, housed in multiple buildings of a converted 12th-century castle, and all are exquisite works of rural luxe – ranging from suites to multi-level lofts and private villas. Each room is a cocoon of calm, with original ceilings and beams, frescos, whitewashed terracotta floors and walls painted a soft mushroom putty that accompanies the Tuscan light streaming through the enormous windows. In addition, COMO Hotels always gives special attention to lamps and pendants – a signature of long-time collaborator Paola Navone, the architect and interior designer who works with the group’s enigmatic owner, Christina…

The journey through this technicolour home on Sydney’s Lower North Shore is like an amble through an art gallery. The rooms are crafted canvases of colour, light and composition, which greet the eye at every turn, with the parting brushstrokes a picture window that frames the rear garden, turning the outlook into an ever-shifting masterpiece. “I saw the house like an art collection, with punches of surprise in colour and texture. Each room has a special moment, whether that’s a rug, wallpaper or ceiling,” says the home’s designer, Brett Mickan of Brett Mickan Interior Design. Drawn by water views and heritage elements, the owners bought the Federation bungalow in 2016. “We instantly fell in love with it, with its solid bones, northern aspect and generous garden. And I’ve always loved…

This page (clockwise from top left) Valentina De Santis and her family own and operate Passalacqua in Moltrasio and the opulent Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Tremezzina, both five-star offerings on the shores of Lake Como. // Passalacqua’s outdoor areas include various gardens and terraces for taking time over lunch or dinner, based on the tradition of villeggiatura, when families moved from the city to their country abodes. THE STORY OF GRAND HOTEL TREMEZZO IS LEGENDARY – HOW DID YOU AND YOUR FAMILY COME TO REIMAGINE PASSALACQUA? When my parents and I first walked through the wrought-iron gates of Passalacqua, the vision was clear almost immediately: that it could become something totally unique on Lake Como, a place that felt less like a hotel and more like a private villa on…