Innehållsförteckning för Habitus #61 från Habitus

As Habitus Guest Editor, it’s really about community and how we all weave together to create a brilliant industry. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, what discipline you’re working in – the connectivity and support of one another really feeds into a great evolution of design. The theme of Vintage Modern gets a bit of a stretch to include projects and practices by colleagues I admire, and some that have randomly caught my attention. Checkmate by YSG is definitely a mate (p. 172), while Jakob Sprenger is someone I haven’t met, but I was taken by his Paris Aesop store (p. 164). Designers like Wonderwall have been around from Bathing Ape to Not A Hotel (p. 190), and Robert Simeoni is a Melbourne icon (p. 134). Conversely,…

Established in 1908 by Albert Dupuy, the Paris-born LA CORNUE range is now available in its Surry Hills boutique. Its Château collection is the very best, for those passionate about cooking, with each handcrafted range cooker individually numbered by its Parisian artisan. lacornue.com Set in the snow fields of Northern China, ATELIER TAO+C (a wonderful Shanghai-based practice that works across retail, residential, product design and commercial) has just completed a new bookstore for NAÏVE. “In this project, we opened up the south façade that faces towards a striking snow scenery and inserted a wooden steel framework to introduce lights and [bring] the surrounding landscape within the interior.” ateliertaoc.com Presented at Milan Design Week 2024, Design to Move by TECHNOGYM explores the connection between design and wellness, style and functionality. Beyond…

Switching easily between aluminium and timber, TALENTI’s expertise lies in its extraordinary designers. These include CARLO COLOMBO, whose Tressé collection use aluminium with refinement, and LUDOVICA SERAFINI + ROBERTO PALOMBA’s Venice range, which emphasises the qualities of accoya wood beautifully. talentispa.com Incredibly comfortable with deep pillowy seats, JASPER is a KING LIVING staple for all the right reasons, “The legendary design that Australia fell in love with [has been] reimagined in a relaxed new aesthetic,” states founder David King. kingliving.com.au Tartan is a cheeky checked style that dips in and out of vogue, with each era exploring this fabulous design in new ways. The latest tartan from FELTEX is a whole lot of fun, but also offers warmth and durability with its premium Axminster wool. feltex.com Motorised S-Fold Wave Curtains…

Winnings x Habitus House of the Year In mid 2024 our incredible jury gathered to deliberate the extraordinary shortlist and determine the Winnings x Habitus House of the Year. This calibre was exceptional, with 20 projects of excellence selected by the Habitus editorial team from across the Indo-Pacific. We congratulate the projects shortlisted and applaud the designers for their exceptional abilities as they continue to elevate architecture and design to the highest levels across the Indo-Pacific and globe. This year’s jury comprised some of the best design thinkers and industry leaders in their chosen profession. We thank you each for your commitment, time and generosity of spirit. To Winnings and Rogerseller, our gold and silver sponsors, a very special thank you for the continued support of the Winnings x Habitus…

Prioritising functional practicality, combined with an honest material aesthetic, is what drives Polly Harbison to create striking yet earthy minimalist buildings that ground their inhabitants in nature. The result is an overall sense of calm, modest refinement and understated luxury. In contrast to her creations, Harbison herself is lively and high energy. Her genuine passion and dedication are palpable. Reflecting on how her career in architecture began, Harbison acknowledges her early interest in jewellery making and design. Harbison states, “I did not take any art subjects at school. However, I realised I liked design – the problem-solving aspect, which still stands true now.” Upon graduation from Sydney University, Harbison’s first job was as a junior working for Angelo Candalepas, a tutor during her degree. Candalepas had started a firm focusing…

Nestled in the bucolic landscape of Romsey in the shire of Macedon, Victoria, Villa Rotunda is both at-home in its surrounds and the focal point of attention. The building was once a Victorianera country cottage and former schoolhouse, but after a splendid transformation by WOWOWA it has become an exemplary contemporary home with a difference. The inspiration for the design comes from the pavilion at Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy, Melbourne, that evokes memories of the time that the home was built in. The name takes its cue from Villa La Rotonda, a Renaissance villa outside Vicenza in northern Italy. WOWOWA’s Villa Rotunda plays with these geometries and takes the form to new heights. As part of the reimagining of the home, the inclusion of this circular feature as the…

DAVID FLACK Having founded his eponymous studio a decade ago, David quickly achieved acclaim for an iconoclastic approach to interiors marked by material, formal and spatial experimentation. A three-time Architectural Digest ‘AD100’ laureate, he grew up in rural Australia, the son of a builder. He credits this background for an approach which, despite its evident glamour, is anchored in honesty, integrity and clarity of vision. All qualities he imbues into a vibrant studio of architects, interior and product designers based in a former electroplating workshop in Melbourne’s inner-city Fitzroy district. TAMARAMA HOUSE # 144 GILLIAN SERISIER In her role as Editor of Habitus Magazine, Gillian brings a twenty-year oeuvre of design writing to the publication. Focusing on architecture, design, art and interior design, her breadth of knowledge is expansive and…

Occupying the wall opposite the communal dining space in Flack Studio is the incredible work of MECHELLE BOUNPRASEUTH. Navigating identity through cultural mores, her deliciously brilliant work disarms with charm before inviting reflection. Mechelle is represented by Chalk Horse gallery. chalkhorse.com.au Layered with meaning and misdirection, the work of NADIA HERNÁNDEZ is always a surprise. Cada pintor es buena noticia (que si vamos, que se van; no alzar el brazo arriba o detrás) / Every painter is good news (that if we go, they leave; do not raise your arm above or behind), 2023, oil on linen. stationgallery.com United in their queerness and lopsided humour, the latest sculptural works from POLLY BORLAND’S We Are Family, at SULLIVAN+STRUMPF, are a joy and almost impossible to resist giving a squeeze. Rocking one of…

Designed by HANS WEGNER in 1949, the inspiration for the FLAG HALYARD CHAIR came to him while lazing on the beach. Cosy and relaxed with a sheepskin resting in the sprawling frame, it remains one of the perfect chairs of any era. greatdanefurniture.com Repurposing through exceptional skill and craftsmanship, the sustainable Italian powerhouse PAOLA LENTI is always on point. The Sciara side table at DEDECE pushes recycled elements from previous productions to new heights with uniquely designed tiles made of lava stone and melted glass. dedece.com Revisiting their own design from the seventies, the KING 1977 SOFA epitomises this fabulous era with a low profile and relaxed curves. Modular by design, the sofa leverages modern technology for functionality and comfort while embracing midcentury design.  kingliving.com.au Designed by Michel Ducaroy in…

How does your practice shape the world around you? Our mission extends beyond conventional boundaries, aiming to champion and preserve traditional art values in contemporary contexts. Our projects serve as a testament to our endeavour to fuse modern furniture design with Korean cultural heritage, making it both sustainable and accessible while honouring traditional craft techniques. How do you work together? We each have our own specialties but share the entire design and making process. Eunji is more technical, handling machinery and 3D modelling, while I focus on 2D work such as the website and graphics. We share ideas and design everything together. Most of our work is done in-house, and we take on different parts of the process as it progresses. What is exciting about the intersection between art and…

“Our brains go off in all di ections because they’re so excited by the idea of creation.” Based in Paris and working across all areas within the design canon, Uchronia is fearless, extravagant, cool as f**k and hipper than hip. Established in 2020, Sebban’s model has been an ebullient bringing together of extraordinary people. Fostering a cacophonous tangle of talent who excel in what they do, the core team comprises the interior design talents of Aziliz Callegari, Jeanne Gaud, and Clémentine Bricard. And while the in-house team is eclectically dynamic, Uchronia is an experimental collective that draws on the design community, with teams formed to explore all possibilities. It is this research stage that continues to fuel Sebban’s fire for design. “Our brains go off in all directions because they’re…

With its curvaceous coastline, golden sands and sexy skin of glamorama surfer dudes and supermodels (apologies Bret Easton Ellis) — which when peeled back reveals a melange of millennials and millionaires — Tamarama is a fruity frisson on one of Australia’s most iconic outlooks. It was this that appealed to David Flack’s New York entrepreneur client, who had been residing in the area for some years after relocating to Australia for work. “He lived around the corner from this particular house in Tamarama and he would walk past and knock on the door and ask to buy it,” says Flack. “He did this a few times and eventually they sold it to him.” Then he went to Flack Studio, the Melbourne interiors and architectural practice renowned for its compelling clash…

Awesome, amazing, diverse and fearless, there is an aesthetic at play that speaks to the well-travelled adventurer with an eye for delicious design. This is arguably Ghoniem’s hallmark: her ability to draw seemingly disparate elements together as a coherent and visually harmonious experience that is also totally wow. She is also something of a collector, and when a planned trip to Paris to buy for one client was cancelled, she packed her bag and went alone. “It was going to be such a lost opportunity if I didn’t go” she says. Taking up all her meetings and appointments, she worked her way through the aesthetes and arbiters of Paris sending pictures to clients. “I just took the chance, looking for anything good, but nothing in particular. I would come across…

Possibly the most iconic of VERNER PANTON’s extraordinary design catalogue is the FLOWERPOT VP9 of 1969. & TRADITION have loved up the bright colours and simple form with new portability and USB charging to take it anywhere, indoors or out. cultdesign.com.au FRAGMENT wall lights by MARLO LYDA pair aesthetics and sustainability from a place of deep compassion. “I’ve collected onyx out of love for over two years - it was always clear that onyx called for illumination,” says Marlo, of the meticulously crafted pieces that celebrate the unique shape of every recovered piece of stone. marlolyda.me The razzmatazz of ME AND YOU, aka VOLKER HAUG STUDIO and FLACK STUDIO, has come up with this gorgeous piece of whimsy. In aged brass and fibreglass, the Fleur pendant is part of the…

Channelling a passion for furniture and objects, Nicholas Mesiano, with a background in interior design, threw in a job that was giving him no satisfaction to enter the world of collecting 25 years ago. Three years later, Alistair Knight, having just finished an arts degree, joined him and the eponymous Nicholas & Alistair was born. When it comes to Italian vintage there really isn’t anyone better. This, however, doesn’t explain their expertise. They have in fact focused on the very, very unusual, with much of the work selected being bespoke objects, lights or furnishings by the superstars and unsung heroes of 20th century Italian design. Moreover, their pooled talents allow them to look at pieces through a very particular lens that is both interior and sculptural. As such, they are…

The renowned Victorian architect, author, critic, and public educator, Robin Boyd was at the forefront of the Australian modernist architecture movement of the 50s and 60s. Often outspoken and critical, his 1960 book The Australian Ugliness, spoke derisively of featurism, that is, ornament for the sake of ornament. Doing away with all extraneous details, his buildings conveyed a robust simplicity of line, strengthening architectural elements were allowed, but for the most part are absolutely minimal in design. That said, the inclusion of sculpturally formed furnishings such as Boyd’s own designs, (now beautifully reissued as the Boyd Collection (K5 Furniture) and showcased in the Australian Embassy, Washington DC by Bates Smart), as well as work by Mary and Grant Featherston, BFK butter fly chairs, Thonet and Bertoia set within his homes…

As a labour of love for the architects, Enclosure is a monumental visage of thoughtful and layered architecture. As a home for an inter-generational family, this residence offers not only exceptional facility but its design has been, and continues to be, a journey of discovery for both the architects and the client. Located in Himmatnagar in the state of Gujarat, India, Enclosure is a statement residence that dominates the landscape. The realisation of the home from concept to completion was a long time in the making – some nine years. The intervention of the pandemic halted work for two years. This challenge however, produced a silver lining as the design was reworked and evolved to become something more suited to the client’s changing needs. Principal architect and founder of Design…

Unexpectedly appearing on the streets of Hiroo, Tokyo, a towering concrete monolith immediately grabs the attention yet belies the intimate, warm atmosphere of the spaces within. Not a Hotel Hiroo is uniquely both not a residence and not a hotel, set in the heart of Tokyo in a luxury residential area within walking distance of Roppongi. Created in early 2020 by businessman Shinji Hamauzu, Not a Hotel is a Japanese hospitality group with multiple locations shared by multiple owners. Hamauzu had a vision to create an enterprising model: find distinct locations around Japan, commission world-renowned architects to design properties, and then once the capital was raised (by selling the plans to groups of owners) construction would begin. Now comprising over 20 luxury properties throughout Japan, with more to come, many…