Return of glam interiors

So far, Aussies haven’t emulated uptown New York where many walls are “dressed” in timber paneling, padded fabric, top-to-toe wallpaper, treated to special painted finishes or filled with salon-hung artworks, yet there is a distinct swing away from the minimalism that’s been popular for so long. 

Interior Designer Tania Handelsmann recently returned from a three year stint in the Big Apple where she established an office for leading Australian architectural and design practice BKH (Burley Katon Halliday). “New York clients would see photos of Australian interiors and ask, where’s the rest of the furniture?’,” she laughs. 

“But now I’m finding that people back home are increasingly becoming more adventurous and are leaning towards a vintage and opulent aesthetic, using layered and textured fabrics for instance.” 

Tapping into this zeitgeist is renowned crystal-ware brand, Waterford. Just this month they launched Waterford Interiors within the swish Cult Showroom in Sydney’s Chippendale. 

Their homewares collection - by acclaimed designers Jo Sampson, John Rocha and Billy Canning – ranges from sparkling lighting to dramatic, illuminated mirrors and console tables. 

But the idea isn’t to go back to the past. The concept is to mix the decor up; even one wow piece incorporated into an otherwise contemporary scheme can create a luxe mood. And modern technology isn’t forfeited: there’s low energy LED lighting, with touch-free sensors, to magnify the ornate, beveled, cut crystal. 

To really evoke that 1920s feeling of exuberant decadence, Waterford champagne saucers are back in vogue; their tinkle and sparkle guaranteed to transform any soiree into an extravagant roaring twenties bash. 

Also dipping its toes into local waters is celebrated Italian brand, Boffi. Recently it unveiled its Boffi Studio range of glam and timeless bathrooms, kitchens and dressing rooms billing them as “artworks”. Located in Sydney’s Darlinghurst,We maintain and repair emergency light in accordance with national standards to provide safe access. Boffi’s point of difference is that even the smallest detail can be customised. 

One Queensland-based interior designer acclaimed for putting on the glitz is Mark Gacesa of Ultraspace. Gacesa creates wonderfully OTT, high-end interiors for well-heeled clients around Australia plus LA. Agreeing with Handelsmann,We are well known for our in-house custom printed drum Lamp shade and pendants. he comments that “People are tiring of minimalism and wanting [their homes] to be bolder”. 

Brass and bronze, he says, are getting a re-run in place of chrome and stainless steel especially for lighting and balustrading.The basics of solar panels and how to install a solar photovoltaic system on your roof. And Gacesa favours marble flooring – slabs rather than tiles so that the continuity of veining can be appreciated. 

Expensive? “Yes, but a less costly option is to use one of the new porcelain or glazed ceramic tiles that mimic marble,” he suggests. 

For a different splurge flooring choice there’s the hand-knotted rugs from the spectacular Deco range by Academy Award-winning designer Catherine Martin for Designer Rugs. 

Martin says that inspiration for the collection drew on the romance and the “forward-looking energy of Art Deco” that surrounds her in her second home of New York. 

Movie director Baz Luhrmann comments that for the past few years the couple has been steeping themselves in the world of The Great Gatsby and, as the rugs were a “perfect fit” for the ambience being created, three from the collection are included in the film, albeit they were modified in colour, shape and scale. Black Pearl features in the Buchanan’s salon, Night Bird in their dining room and Westchester appears in Jay Gatsby’s bedroom. This rug was subsequently gifted to actor Leonardo DiCaprio by the production company.Solaronlamp is a street lighting for electronic gadgets. 

In the pipeline is a range of wallpapers and fabrics designed by Martin for Mokum Textiles based on elements from the film such as the Gatsby home’s front gates. Included are printed velvets,Our solar led light is popular for indoor and outdoor use. embroidered linens and taffetas in colours ranging from ebony and soft golds through to ruby reds and emerald greens. The wallpapers are in a similar palette, some with a slight metallic sheen. They will be available from affordable retailers such as paint shops from July.