The Creative Type

SLOWDOWN!!! It's Friday! Tim Burton, Peter Saville, Malcolm McLaren and Jimi Goodwin all take time out in their day... to be quiet. I love how London based photographer Antony Crook. captures the super busy creative's sitting still collecting their thoughts.  Who knew Peter Saville had such great legs.... So take this as a hint you need to slowdown even during this busy period.  It might only be for five minutes but oh that fiver will be worth it. HAPPY WEEKEND!

BlooMen Marvellous

Who needs a garden when your home can feel like spring? Interiors stylist Martin Bourne's New York pad is a ravishing riot of colour and patterns.

My wonderful and super talented friend James Merrell photographed this gorgeous story for me.

all pictures by James Merrell

British interiors stylist Martin Bourne and his boyfriend Leilin Lopez, a fashion stylist, live in a raw, ex-industrial space in Dumbo, Brooklyn that's been transformed into an eclectic, playful and permanently spring-like home filled with colour and quirky finds."The vibe around here is gritty, rough and raw so walking off the street into our home is like walking into a whimsical serene fairytale," says Martin.

He's a man with an outlook as sunny as his home, full of enthusiasm for a host of colours, pattern and eras, which he throws together in a happy-go-lucky way to create an original space in a style he describes as "vintage romanticisim". "I am drawn to nostalgic pieces full of colour and texture reminding me of my childhood and places I've been," he says. There's a "happy accidents" feel about the space. "We buy things we like and then work out what to do with them. I have discovered that nice things should stay in the shop and you should only buy the things you react strongly to", says Martin.
With an overlapping passion for fashion interiors the couple's home has become one big moodboard, where they hang pictures, try out colours and use the space as a laboratory. Soft tones of blue, pink and green in the living area keep the space light and fresh. For the bedroom a shade of a warm brown has been applied to keep things calmer and simpler.
The sources of their look can be traced back to Martin's British heritage and Leilin's Guatemalan traditions. "I have a more historical, eccentric outlook while Leilin loves mid-century, colour and slightly more crazy things than I do," explains Martin. These days the couple get a buzz from the diverse people in New York. "It's a constant source of inspiration with what people are wearing or carrying," says Martin.
And at the end of the day, this is a space that proves home is where the heart is. "The fabric of this building doesn't mean anything to me. It's about the bits that I have collected inside. They represent my memories: fun times, hauling furniture up the stairs, people in my life and my travels. It doesn't matter where I am; these things follow me."

No Need to Wear a Watch

I wouldn't normally post an empty home but this one I have to show. I saw this Brooklyn apartment for sale in The New York Times the other day and was blown away by the spectacular architecture. So if you have a spare $8.5 million this could be yours. Actually someone has just corrected me and it is a WHOPPING $25 million. When you move in can you contact me so we can photograph you in your space. I'm serious!

Check The New York Times for the full story

Donna Karan's Urban Retreat

My shoulder is killing me and I so need a massage. Oh if only I could be Donna Karan for a day. Whenever I get a creak in my neck and there is lack of wellbeing in my life I can't help but think about when I visited Donna Karan's home. American fashion designer Donna Karan's New York apartment serves as both spa retreat and partypad - the ultimate style sanctuary in the city.

Sadly the day I was there she was in the air flying home from Europe. It was just me, the photographer Richard Powers and Donna's gorgeous chocolate labrador. Her chef came in for little while to prepare some meals and it seems she was no longer on a raw diet.

It's kind of weird to wander around a famous persons home without them being there but at the same time it gives such a clear insight into who they really are.  I walked away before interviewing her knowing she is spiritual, gentle and tactile.

Donna, queen of the New York fashion scene and global tastemaker has attracted a loyal clientele around the world thanks to her simple, well-cut and wearable clothes. The same elegant, understated approach infuses her New York 'bachelorette apartment,'

 set in an Art Deco block on the Upper West Side, enjoying incredible views over Central Park.

 When she wants to get away from it all, Donna heads for her boltholes in the Hamptons or the Turks and Caicos islands, but if she needs tranquillity when she's working in the city, this is her spiritual home.

Super-sophisticated and spacious, Donna's pad is a lesson in how to create a tranquil relaxation zone. Light-filled areas flow easily into one another and are decorated in a classic black and white palette, with emphasis on beautiful, quality materials like travertine and swamp teak.

Everything from the sofas to the candles has been designed to meet Donna's exacting requirements (think simple yet chic). And the building also links inside and outside in an imaginative way: along the glass external walls, architects Bonetti Kozerski (who design Donna's global boutiques) have created a stone bench which appears to cut through the glass, providing a seat and display surface in each room and on the terrace. ' What we love about this home is that it makes you feel instantly relaxed,' enthuses architect Enrico Bonetti. 'People react well to a space that is well proportioned and has a constant flow to it'.

Donna's chosen to have only one bedroom, but the lounge areas transform into comfy sleeping zones when her children and grandchildren descend. 'It makes for the ultimate sleepover party,' she laughs. While the apartment is frequently given over to post fashion show parties and intimate dinners where guests included Tibet's Dali Lama - it is primarily devoted to Donna's passion for physical and spiritual wellbeing.

In fact, one whole wing has been transformed into her very own spa - somewhere for her to practise yoga and meditate, as well as indulge in treatments and a daily massage before bed. 'It's my sanctuary, the calm to my chaos,' she says.

Donna also loves to be surrounded by her beloved art and books as well as momentoes of her late husband, Stephen Weiss, who died in 2002. 'My home celebrates my family and friends, art and culture, and it holds the memories that are a part of who I am'.

Donna's thoughts on creating a tranquil home

Space

'Space means freedom and flexibility. My apartment is all about flow and openness, with one room leading into another and the inside blurring into the outdoors'. 

Texture

'To me, texture is a way to add an almost sculptural dimension to a room, whether with a tactile fabric - like cashmere or linen - or via a wall or floor surface - like bamboo or limestone'. 

Balance

'I'm a Libran, so I'm always looking to find balance within opposites - black and white, calm and chaos, dram and serenity'. 

Spirituality

'My late husband's presence is felt throughout this space, as he has always shared my passion for creating environments that cultivate learning and enlightenment'. 

Family

'Family is everything to me, and every element in my home is designed with them in mind'. 

Daily Ritual

'I practise yoga every morning and then take my steam bath, where I get some of my best design ideas. Before I go to bed, I always try to have a massage to help me unwind and relax'. 

Comfort

'I live for comfort. There are cushions everywhere!' 

Will Mimimalism Make Us Happier Than Ornaments?

While I write these very words I’m currently surrounded by boxes and no storage. I have just downsized apartments. Adjusting has been hard because my partner and I love to collect and curate our finds around the home. My obsessions are magazines and animal ornaments and his is urban toys and records. Falling, tripping, swiveling around and disguising our much loved objects that have no home in our new flat is driving me crazy. I keep sourcing online clever storage solutions but I rent which limits my options. It's time to consider to let go of the clutter!

I can’t help in times like this to think about a home I visited last year that is polar to mine. I was lucky enough to visit a New York family who were what I like to call ‘Shiny Happy People’ Their metallic finishes and space-age design are proof that you can make a minimal home into a cool energetic environment.

When I spent the day with them I felt this empty space inspiring, stimulating and I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.  For Lisa and Jonny they have created a simple scheme to create good vibes, love and a relaxed home for the whole family – kids included.  Yep they have three who feel as free as their parents in this space. 

What they wanted was a home that ‘brings out the child within’. I couldn't help to let my guard down while I hanged out in this uplifting space. I felt full of optimism and creativity. 'Creativity is central to our lives and we wanted our living space to reflect this', explains Lisa. ‘We want the vibration to feel very high here. What I mean by vibration is a feeling, a sense of joy. My kids are free here to develop their passions'. 

It's not just the lack of stuff that makes this space feel a source of spiritual illumination producing all things bright and happy. It's the clever and well thought-out choice of surfaces, textures and colours. With Jonny’s talents as a painter, sculptor and industrial designer, and Lisa’s former experience as a textile colourist, the couple joined creative forces to put together a crisp white palette of glitzy tints and luxurious clean looks. ‘The white surfaces and soft metallic tones are light but also energising’, says Lisa.

What I loved most about this family is they arrived to their new apartment in a cab and a couple of suitcases. No removalist, boxes or stress. Could you do this? Could you get rid of all your memories bar a few clothes and start fresh? I found when talking to them it to be liberating, brave and refreshing. But doing it myself is crazy, not rational, such a waste... Or is it?

Richard Powers photographed the space for me and has brilliantly captured the flow of this minimalist and very happy home. Check out the whole story in Australian Inside Out magazine.