Show And Tell: above, Johnson photographed at her father's store, Edward Clark Antiques in Paddington, Sydney, wears Lanvin dress from Belinda with Balenciaga shoes from Cosmopolitan Shoes. Night At The Museum: below, the interior designer in a Victoria Beckham dress from Belinda with Marni cuff and Balenciaga shoes from Cosmopolitan Shoes. |
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Your aesthetic, while traditional, is charged with a rich kind of sexiness. How do you strike a balance?
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You share a wonderful creative partnership with your husband Patrick – what makes it work?
CREATIVELY, ONE THEME YOU KEEP RETURNING TO IS …
Looking back, what ignited your love of good design?
How do you advise young families on good interior design? Is it possible to still live chicly with young children? Absolutely, without a doubt it is. I think you just need to let go. The most interesting spaces generally have families and look lived in. You have to roll with it and not be too precious. That said, it's also important to consider a few more practical storage solutions to avoid clutter. Boring but true.
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1). Comfort – no matter how glamorous a space, it must always feel good to be in. I grew up in a house full of antiques where my friends used to joke about the comfort levels. They called the Louis XV jacquard upholstered sofa in the TV room ‘the bench’, not in a good way, which I always think of when designing a living room. You’ve really done your job when someone wants to settle in. I’ve since found out an interior can be as comfortable as it is beautiful.
2). Timelessness – my ideal interior is one that will be as impressive and beautiful today as it will in decades to come.
3). Effortless – as a rule in both design and in life I think being natural is always so inspiring, when someone can just trust their own taste and throw something together without too much effort or force. The ultimate sophistication is not taking it too seriously.
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![]() “I think being natural is always so inspiring, when someone can just trust their own taste and throw something together without too much effort or force.” |
![]() Guess Who's Coming To Dinner: above, Johnson wears Alexander McQueen dress from Robby Ingham with Givenchy shoes from Cosmopolitan Shoes, pictured in the refined space inside Guillaume restaurant in Paddington, Sydney. My Blue Heaven: below, Guillaume's private dining room featuring wallpaper by Hermès, a magnificent Venetian crystal chandelier and hand-dyed linen furnishings. Johnson wears Stella McCartney dress from Robby Ingham with Christian Dior earrings. ON WORKING WITH CHEF GUILLAUME BRAHIMI TO CREATE AN ELEGANT YET COSY DINING EXPERIENCE IN AN HISTORIC BUILDING:
ON A PERSONAL NOTE, DO YOU HAVE PARTICULAR "CODES" FOR DRESSING THAT MIRROR YOUR TASTE IN INTERIORS? Both my interiors and my personal sense of style certainly inform one another. I think no outfit should be the same look all over – nor should any room. I like both my interiors and fashion to be natural, classic and sophisticated. The best interiors are those put together over time, just like a wardrobe.
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