Innholdsfortegnelse for Habitus #35 - Eccentric i Habitus

Eccentricity, seen through the Habitus lense, is a way to embrace design ingenuity, celebrate creativity and push ourselves to think outside that same old box. We look at clever solutions to genuine design problems, strictly avoiding design for design’s sake; there’s flair but there’s no superfluous waste. Perfectly befitting the Eccentric issue, Stephen Todd – who’s built a bit of a reputation for himself contributing essays on art, architecture, design and fashion to newspapers across the globe, has given our feature section a bit of a shake up. Within it, he pens his thoughts on an Australian design identity – and whether such a thing exists – as well as a few words on life so far for Don Cameron, a rare furniture importer, friend and curator of interiors for…

New to Hub Furniture is the SCALTRA LADDER LIGHT. As part of an exclusive collection from Italian welding house Mingardo, the range showcases limited edition, hand-wrought, metal-based pieces for the home. hubfurniture.com.au The BYRON STONE BATH range by Gareth Ashton for Abey is deceptively lightweight. Proving popular throughout the region for its silken finish, the tactile quality of the collection has redefined the pleasure of bathing. abey.com.au Named after the domed churches dotted throughout Italy, the DUOMO range of lights by Anaesthetic celebrates materiality hand-in-hand with craftsmanship. Available in a range of lighting options from pendant, wall sconce and table lamp (and more), the Duomo exudes subtle charm via a minimalist aesthetic and ‘Whiskey Brass’ tones. anaestheticdesign.com From the studio of Australia’s Tom Fereday comes the SP01 OUTDOOR COLLECTION –…

MELT is a beautifully distorted lighting globe designed to creates a mesmerizing melting hot glass effect. Designed by Tom Dixon, the lamp is translucent when on and mirror-finished when off, emitting an attractive hallucinogenic light. tomdixon.net The iconic modernist MARSHMALLOW SOFA from Herman Miller can make a playful or dramatic statement in any lobby, lounge, or living room. The whimsical design comprises 18 round, comfortable cushions that seem to float on the brushed tubular steel frame. hermanmiller.com The 1970s designed SESANN LOUNGE has been reissued by Stylecraft to complement today’s style of living. The Sesann is characterised by a relaxed, organic, informal shape, supported by tubular metal detail that wraps around the soft, upholstered seating. stylecraft.com.au The latest collection from Designer Rugs, MINDSCAPE by Gavin Harris, is a daring exploration…

Six days after Captain Arthur Phillip anchored the First Fleet at Botany Bay in January 1788, captain Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse arrived aboard the French supply ship, Astrolabe. Less than one week, and we might have been French. History is made of such accidents of fate, and one of the most significant in the Australian decorative arts is the arrival of Frenchman Lucien Henry on our fatal shores in 1879, at the height of Georgian stoicism. Henry, who had trained under Gothic Revival architect, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and at the Paris École des Beaux-Arts was a radical socialist and for his part in the anti-Napoleonic Paris Commune uprising of 1871 he was exiled to New Caledonia. Upon release, he washed up in Sydney where he obtained a position teaching…

Things you learn when visiting Beijing for the first time, in the middle of winter. Do not get out of a taxi in Tiananmen Square wearing a blue chapka, unless you wish the entire Red Army contingent to stare with scary precision your way. (Blue chapkas designate Russian military, not a good look in these parts.) If, when walking around the frozen lakes of the Forbidden City, you realize that in a metropolis of 11.5 million people you and your companion are suddenly eerily alone as the mercury drops to -18º celcius, run for cover. If your friend’s contact lenses freeze over, stumble for cover, leading him along rocky pathways, gingerly, by the hand. Said friend was Aric Chen, who had moved to Beijing from New York City only a…

Born of Bauhaus ARCHITECT Norman Richards BUILDER Ross Sinclair Construction JOINERY Nambour Creative Kitchens Norman Richards (61) 409 558 729 normanrichards.com FURNITURE Couches and Kilim from South Africa. Bandhini Screen Black and Totem Orange and Navy cushions, and InArtisan Reindeer hide and Lucinda Rose Rodeo stool from Serengeti Noosaville. Bedding in Master by Sheridan with Kip & Co Sandlines throw and Society of Wanderers Sheepskin cushion. Bed from Snooze. Vintage stool and Toya large basket from Serengeti Noosaville. Basket under staircase from Serengeti Noosaville. Babanees plant stand by Green Cathedral Bespoke Furniture in large with white Modern Muse pot. Outdoors: Cane-line Curve Lounge chair, Wisteria Bamboo Director’s Chairs and throw from Serengeti Noosaville. Cushions by The Coastal Cushion Company. Fire pit from Bunnings. LIGHTING Dining pendant Coco by Cult Design.…

ADAM GIBSON OPENNESS IN THE RIGHT MEASURE #161 With over a decade of design and creative direction experience, Hobart-based photographer Adam Gibson became fascinated with the art of photography as an inquisitive teenager. In his work he enjoys finding moments of visual chance that illuminate the everyday. With his wife and two children his home plays host to a “steadily growing collection of lobster inspired paraphernalia”. ANASTASIA KARIOFYLLIDIS BORN OF BAUHAUS #114 Freelance photographer Anastasia Kariofyllidis lives with her husband in Buderim, Queensland, where she spends her time capturing interiors, architecture, gardens, food and lifestyle. Escaping the Melbourne cold, Anastasia moved to the Sunshine Coast several years ago and frequently finds solace through meditation and silent retreats. Lying on the outdoor cushions and near their home’s birdbath, she plays host…

Lights, mirrors, action! Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Showtime Collection, the KING KONG mirrors with etched gold and black design by Jaime Hayon for BD Barcelona will definitely give you something to beat your chest about. livingedge.com.au The ZUPELLO collection of pendant lights from Ross Didier recall memories of sweet Italian delicacies and pastries, with their unique sculptural shapes. The range features three designs, shaped into sculpted canapés. didier.com.au Inspired by Japanese Butoh, the NU PENDANT lighting pieces by Ilanel evoke the bold theatricality of the traditional dance. Stark, isolated movements that belie a deeper mind–body connection are here expressed as four interconnected limbs of light that mimic the bending of a human joint, and are fully adjustable to suit any environment. ilanel.com…

Studio Mumbai’s limited edition furniture for the Belgian company Manieri are exercises in architectural form. The Brick Studies series of benches and chairs uses precise, scaled down replicas of traditional clay bricks, dry-stacked according to heritage methods into evocative open-work arches that sit atop simple, almost gestureless rosewood benches. The Illumination Studies appropriate the traditional Tazia, models of monuments that are carried on men’s shoulders in processions during Muharram month in India, in remembrance of the martyred son of the prophet Mohammed. In the hands of Studio Mumbai’s craftsmen, the fine bamboo sticks are secured with silk thread, covered in gold leaf to reflect the light when a bulb is suspended within the structure. The Net Room is demarcated by a slung nastary silk net tinted with organic marigold dye,…

Sam, a registered nurse, purchased his inner-city Hobart terrace on a whim during a Christmas break in 1999. “I saw the house in a real estate window,” says Sam. “It seemed much better value than the tiny flats I was looking at in Sydney so I put in an offer the same day.” Sam returned to Hobart, his hometown, after six years of letting the house out, then lived in it for another six before approaching Dock4 Architect’s Richard Loney about demolishing and rebuilding the back of the house. Ample time in the unrenovated house made Sam very clear about priorities. “If someone asked me for [renovation] advice, I’d tell them not to rush into anything,” he says. “I wanted to fill the house with as much light as possible,…

After all the hard work that went into Habitus #34, the social issue, we couldn’t wait to get together, celebrate – and show it off! We teamed up with Fisher & Paykel and, in the spirit of the social theme, invited a few of our nearest and dearest friends (including a few well-connected readers) to their new Experience Centre in Sydney. The evening was spent flicking through advanced copies of the magazine and chatting to #teamHabitus, contributors, and a few of the faces featured through the magazine. With free flowing prosecco and catering by COOH café, it ended all too quickly. Habitus Living habitusliving.com Fisher & Paykel fisherpaykel.com…

The ALLURE collection of sumptuous metallic bricks from Austral Bricks promises to balance refinement with a bold sense of humour. In six colours brimming with character and sophistication, the range unites classic luxury with contemporary flair. australbricks.com.au The PROUST ARMCHAIR by Alessandro Mendini has been a popular mainstay of Postmodern design since its first iteration in 1978 for Magis. Combining the florid aesthetic of the Baroque with modernist pointilism across finishings on the upholstery and frame, the Proust armchair makes a courageous statement about reinterpreting history. cultdesign.com.au TOY’s fine sculptural form represents the next frontier in contemporary design. Bringing traditional techniques into conversation with modern technology, this latest offering from La Chance plays with blown glass and 3D printing to distort the refraction of light. livingedge.com.au Harry Bertoia is synonymous…

Brand new to Australia is the SENSA granite range, by Cosentino. What makes the new range special, aside from its aesthetic charm, is the revolutionary new Senguard NK treatment the finishes are subjected to, making them highly stain resistant; actually repelling liquids like water or oil, ensuring a great look for years to come. The Sensa range is all natural granite sourced from India and Brazil, availabel now in eight new finishes. sensabycosentino.com Inspired by the unique shapes that come about from volcanic eruptions, the asymmetric CALDERA basin range recalls the craters formed after the collapse of emptied magma chambers. This striking basin from Rogerseller is characterised by crisp peaks that dive into elegant depressions; a shape that lends itself perfectly to semi-inset installations. rogerseller.com.au Marrying a sense of minimalism…

Behind an industrial facçade in Waterloo, NSW sits Marion Borgelt’s studio. It is a vast, immaculate space, resembling something from Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey. A quick look around reveals an elemental suite of materials; eggshell, glass, marble, gold leaf and pinewood. Part science laboratory, part gallery, Marion’s studio reflects the work she makes. Though she trained as a painter, over her 40-year career, she has branched into working with many media, including temporal works and large outdoor sculpture. The lower floor of her studio looks like an industrial woodwork shop, with bottles of varnish, trays of tape and little spheres of sandpaper neatly arranged. Several oversized circular artworks lie on their backs awaiting completion. Upstairs, it is more manicured. Floor plates are arranged with circular installations on plinths and large…

The lives of this Bali-based family is a busy one. Man of the house, Widi Adnyana, is one of the founders and the principal architect of boutique design firm, Somia Design, while his wife Sulis – an experienced design consultant – also has a boutique consultancy of her own. Having lived, worked and met in Singapore before moving to Bali, Widi recalls “living in small apartments in Singapore, we had always dreamt of having a spacious home with a small working studio in Bali, where we could have a comfortable home garden atmosphere to start a family while being able to continue our professional practices not too far from home.” And that’s the dream, right? Being able to design a way of life for ourselves that perfectly satisfies our needs…

In journalism, a right angle is rarely either. In architecture, it’s practically law. Having pronounced it thusly, I can only apologise for the following hypocrisy. There is only one right angle for this article – and it is, squarely, that: the right angle. You see, right angles occupy a highly singular position in both the politics of taste and mathematics. Of mathematics, Euclid famously theorised the 90-degree angle as (basically) that which could never be any other angle. For him the right angle is foundational, virginal, existing alone so perfectly apart from all of its incalculable obtuse and acute counterparts. In short: it is neither here nor there; neither this nor that – it simply just ‘is’, always as such, revelling in its own peculiar eccentricity. Meanwhile the right angle…