What is your favourite meal to cook at home?
I am a fairly dreadful cook, so when I was given the Simple cookbook by Ottolenghi I fell in love with it. I often cook the Chicken Marbella with the pomegranate rice as it is not stressful and a great entertaining dinner.
Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi.
Where do you buy your clothes and what are your favourite clothing labels right now?
My favourites are Lee Matthews, Oroton and Bianca Spender.
Where is your favourite place to dine?
This is a tough one! There are so many great places in Sydney. I think maybe Nour in Surry Hills, or Sokyo Sydney. Both have continued to provide excellent food and service for many years.
Favourite cafe?
Two that are next to each other and very close to my home — PPK and Zebra. They are far from being design-oriented, but they are on the waterfront in Pyrmont, dog-friendly and are a huge part of the Pyrmont community, so are close to my heart for their neighbourhood feel.
What are you reading/listening to right now (book, podcast etc)?
Podcast — Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway on all things tech business and general politics of the USA. Reading — James Bradley’s Landfall, which is set in post-climate-apocalyptic Sydney.
What music are you listening to right now?
Lily Allen’s West End Girl. Isn’t everyone? I also have Jain, Feist, Rhye and Tame Impala on rotation at the moment.
Cover art for Lily Allen’s album West End Girl.
Favourite artwork in your home or favourite artist?
Probably the two Hiroshige woodblock prints as a part of the Ogura Imitation of the Hundred Poets series, or a large abstract work by Graham Kuo from Michelle Perry Fine Arts.
Do you have a favourite magazine/ online source?
We have nearly every shelter magazine in Australia on our meeting table monthly. Truly, there’s no favourite! I don’t tend to look at online magazines/websites. I like the feeling of paper. There is too much online onslaught of information for me to really resonate with something digital. I do look at Instagram for quick inspiration daily, but I have to limit the time otherwise I feel depleted from the Instagram rabbit hole.
What is your favourite homewares brand?
I love Ondene for its curated selections, Cultiver for bed throws, and Linen & Moore for good-quality, long-lasting towels.
Delcourt Textiles from Ondene, Mira Linen Throw – Ana by Cultiver, Raye Noir Classic Set from L&M Home
What is your favourite furniture piece at home?
A single chair designed and built by the late great Khai Liew, who gave it to me as a present. It is upholstered in kangaroo hide and was a prototype for a set of bespoke dining chairs that a client had ordered.
Other interior designers and architects who inspire you?
So many! I’ll never tire of the modernist architectural greats such as Carlo Scarpa and Tadao Ando, and Anouska Hempel was seminal in shaping my interior design education. Closer to home, the calibre of architects and interior designers in Australia right now is incredibly inspiring to be a part of — studios such as Decus, SJB, Luigi Rosselli, Kennedy Nolan, Fiona Lynch and others are raising the design bar in this country to an exceptional level.