creati ng
a home
with soul
Author Karen McCartney uncovers the
lessons from seven spaces filled with thepersonality and passion of their owners
WORDS KAREN MCCARTNEY PHOTOGRAPHY MICHAEL WEE & SHARYN CAIRNST
here is a skill some people have, no matter what the
style, for creating interior spaces that go beyond the
everyday. When we step into these spaces, they
communicate a feeling, or atmosphere, that is often
hard to put your finger on – they are personal, emotive,
not driven by trends, but somehow the confidence of
their expression makes them utterly timeless.
Through two books, Perfect Imperfect; the beauty of accident,
age and patina and The Alchemy of Things; interiors shaped by curious
minds, I have taken a deep dive into what makes these places
and their owners tick, how collecting and creative layering has
shaped their aesthetic, and what lessons the rest of us can take
from their inspirational homes.IT’S THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION The founders of New York design practice Roman & Williams, Robin Standefer and
Stephen Alesch, still find that their modest Montauk weekender (opposite) is one of the projects their clients reference the most. And it
is easy to see why this space resonates with its intensity of personal expression. “Primitive modernism is shorthand for us for modernism
stripped of its slickness, abstraction and distillation. It serves as a reminder to be articulate, concrete and raw,” they say of their work. With
the vast majority of the items in the home over 40 years old, they find pleasure in witnessing how pieces age and gain patina with use- in essence evolving as they do. The other core attribute of their approach is to de-emphasise the importance of finishing. “Nature is
never finished, and neither should our surroundings be – they should be in an ever-changing flux of addition and subtraction,” they say.
Take away: When decorating, don’t rush to the finish line – instead, relish the process.
44 / Inside Out