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Arent&Pyke

In/Out - Arent&Pyke: Belle Mirvac

It is not everyday you get a call to fully furnish, accessorise and style a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment in 2 weeks however, this is the very call we received from Belle Magazine little more than 2 weeks ago. Of course, we jumped at the chance. Arent&Pyke are proud to introduce the third and final installment in the Mirvac Belle Life Series, a collaboration between Belle Magazine & Mirvac at Harold Park in Glebe.

The brief, to design an apartment for a young family, was a great fit for us. We have always loved working with families to create homes that are unique, warm, inviting, and personal. Our own childhood bedrooms hold fond memories of exploration and we hope to inspire young imaginations with the rooms we create. This was a unique opportunity to showcase some of the ideas we believe are central to designing for families. Finding a balance between style and practicality, without compromising comfort or the individual needs of family members.

One of the key design elements in the apartment is the use of wallpapers, defining the bedrooms and setting the tone for each space. Designing for imaginary clients, we were feeling brave, and layered up the palettes with plenty of colour and texture. Despite the use of bold pattern, the bedrooms maintain a sense of calm that comes from the cohesive schemes.

The apartment was officially launched on Wednesday at an event with a nostalgic twist complete with popcorn, giant Jenga and a balloon artist. It was a real thrill to see how it was received, and interact with guests in the space. The children’s room was definitely a crowd favourite, and the large artworks by Ildico Kovacs and Julian Meagher were also showstoppers.

This venture would not have been possible without the generous support of our suppliers & collaborators. We are especially grateful to Artbank Australia for the incredible contribution of artwork which makes the apartment sing the song we hoped it would, as well as Porters Paints for the wallpaper in the master bedroom and Quercus & Co for the children’s bedroom paper. A full list of all the wonderful suppliers is below.

The apartment will be open for a few more weeks so please feel free to drop in and have a look for yourself.

Arent&Pyke’s Belle Mirvac Life Series Display Apartment
Harold Park
Corner Wigram Rd and Ross St, Glebe,
Monday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm

Arent&Pyke extend their endless thanks to the following contributors:
Bednest
Bemboka
Zuster
Porters Paints
Great Dane Furniture
Artbank
Spence & Lyda
Fred International
Incy Interiors
Lilly & Lolly
Quercus & Co.
Rachel Castle
Cult by Corporate Culture
Armadillo & Co.
BluDot
MCM House
Cosh Living
Koskela
Anibou
Artemide
International Floor Coverings
Garden Life
Mark Tuckey
Domo
ECC
The Family Love Tree
Linen & Moore
Atolyia
Custom cushions by Arent&Pyke

ARENT&PYKE: BELLE MIRVAC LIFE SERIES DISPLAY APARTMENT

posted on November 15, 2013

In/Out - Chat in a Chair: Miranda Skoczek
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On a rainy Melbourne day some months ago we were rather wonderfully welcomed into the home of Melbourne artist Miranda Skoczek and her young son. Dressed enviably fabulously in washed-out slouchy jeans, a loud metallic sweat, leopard print pumps, a swish of bright orange lippy and her signature tortoiseshell spectacles the woman truly embodies the warmth and creative genius that is her self, her work and her home. It is with great joy that we bring to you her Chat in a Chair today.

Chat in a Chair tells about the endless importance of collecting objects and enlightens the reason why it is so for each and every one of us. Chatting with people such as Miranda celebrates not only the extraordinary breadth of work of creatives in this country but their own stories, their homes and their most treasured chairs.

Miranda’s work of course, needs no introducing. Her beautiful paintings have gained her a legion of avid collectors, passionate supporters and lifelong friends. A symphony of much-loved historical and cultural influences inspire her layered, collaged and painted works, an extension of a whimsical and opulent imagination – in her own words “loaded with positivity”. You would undoubtedly recognise her trademark abstracted wolves, birds, zebras and owls colliding with a geometric kaleidoscope of pitch perfect palettes and “gestures towards fantasy”. Miranda is currently working on a new body of work for her show coming up in November at Edwina Corlette Gallery.

It is with great joy that we also launch, with Miranda Skoczek’s Chat in a Chair and video, our new INSTAGRAM COMPETITION to win a walnut Herman Miller Eames® LCW chair from Living Edge. Competition details are below.

In/Out - Chat in a Chair: Miranda Skoczek

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Miranda’s favourite chair is nothing short of truly iconic. The Herman Miller Eames® LCW chair, a classic, collectable treasure of 20th century design was designed with technological valour and continuous to be produced with the legacy of love of husband & wife Charles and Ray Eames since 1946. It uses technology for molding plywood that they developed pre WW2 – an absolute revolution in its time. Now a design classic, the Herman Miller Eames® LCW was named by Time magazine as the Best Design of the 20th Century. Miranda’s own chair, like the lady herself is washed in a bold shot of colour. Hers is the Aniline Dyed Green which was produced by Hermann Miller in limited edition from 2009 – 2010.

In/Out - Chat in a Chair: Miranda Skoczek

The Herman Miller range is available in Australia through Living Edge – and thanks to Living Edge we have one to give away! To celebrate Miranda’s Chat in a Chair we are asking our readers and likers to get creative with the colour green. See green, be green, put your green eyes on and show us what you’ve got.

We are thrilled that Living Edge who carry the Herman Miller Eames® collection will generously be making the competition winner the proud owner of their very own Herman Miller Eames® LCW chair in walnut.

The competition will be judged by Miranda Skoczek, Living Edge and Arent&Pyke.

Tag your instagram photos with @arentpyke_inout @mirandaskoczek @livingedge and #chatinachair

THE RULES
1. You must follow @arentpyke_inout @mirandaskoczek @livingedge on Instagram
2. You must tag your entry with @arentpyke_inout @mirandaskoczek @livingedge
3. You must hashtag your entry with #chatinachair
4. Competition opens 6am AEDST on Wednesday 16th October 2013 and closes at midnight AEDST on Monday 21st October.
5. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 23rd October 2013 via In/Out design blog & Instagram. The judges’ decision is final.
6. Delivery of the chair is only available Australia wide.
7. Full T&C’s are available here

Miranda Skoczek ‘Historical Panorama’
Edwina Corlette Gallery
November 12 – 30
2/555 Brunswick Street New Farm, QLD 4005
Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 5pm or by appointment

Credits:
Photography by Ben Pyke
Videography by: Jill Schaeffer

CHAT IN A CHAIR: MIRANDA SKOCZEK

posted on October 16, 2013

Arent&Pyke have been shortlisted for the 2013 Sydney Design Awards for the New York Apartment and we are so thrilled by the honour. With that in mind we would be absolutely thrilled if our wonderful readers could take 5 and vote for us! This year the voting is based on a rating system. At the very top of our entry we ask that you very kindly click ‘Register to Rate’ and rate away. Let’s go 5 stars!

This brings us to one of the most eye-catching and recognisable elements of our New York apartment – the Utrecht chair upholstered in vivid red and orange wool felt. They have almost come to symbolise this project for us! We are long-time admirers of this design, and this was not the first (but not the last) time we had the chance to use them in a project.

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Designed nearly 80 years ago by Gerrit Rietveld, the Utrecht chair is still as cutting edge and unique as it was in 1935. Now manufactured by Cassina, there is just something about this chair: it is angular, geometric, masculine yet elegant, and somehow a bit gravity-defying. The lines of the Utrecht Chair are completely unlike any traditional armchair, and its stout form makes you think it is more substantial than it is. In fact, this chair has a remarkably small footprint at just 64x85cm.

It’s versatility comes from its broad range of uses – working just as well as a stand alone feature chair as it does when used in multiples. Usually upholstered in its trademark wool felt in bold colours with white contrast stitching, we do love it in cobalt blue. Most recently we have installed a pair in moody blues in the Randwick House (a sneak peak here)

Credits:
1 – 3. NYC Apartment by Arent & Pyke photography by Anson Smart
4. Living Etc magazine July 2011 via Urban Kaleidoscope
5. Dinder House by Ilse Crawford via NY Times
6. Homes & Gardens magazine August 2010 via Urban Kaleidoscope

THE UTRECHT CHAIR

posted on September 20, 2013

In/Out - Out/About: Sydney Indesign Wrap-up

Sydney Indesign is done and dusted for another year and what a great one it’s been! As Sydney Indesign Insiders we took to the streets, pounded the pavement and sipped many a champers over the 3-day event with our favourite showrooms and exhibitors in and around the five precincts of Sydney’s finest design locales.

Events-a-plenty kicked off on Thursday afternoon with a sneaky peak into the Yellowtrace & KE-ZU collaboration (including masked squares of Anna Spiro & Porters ‘floor paper’ and a life-size projection of a Milan interior) at the KE-ZU showroom. Then it was over to the Bludot‘s Frat Party and Corporate Culture‘s showroom relaunch with food served atop chairs atop tables atop Bolon flooring and champagne sipped from Waterford crystal. The showroom has absolutely blossomed with a bounty of beautiful product, art and an exceptionally beautiful paint scheme from Murobond‘s collaboration with Mr Jason Grant. We were particularly taken with Le Corbusier’s absolutely iconic Lampe de Marseille and took a much needed sit-down in Fritz Hansen’s new armchair, the Ro chair by Jaime Hayon.

We ventured to the 3000sqm Galleria at Sydney Technology Park at Eveleigh on Friday starting right in the middle (importantly) at the Veggie Patch Van to meander around through new collections from established brands such as Marimekko, Basil Bangs and Cibo sitting side by side with prototypes from Launch Pad. The old rail yard provided an inspired and truly unique architectural backdrop to the stands. It was atmospherically grand yet maintained a sense of intimacy for an afternoon wander. The skate ramp made entirely from Mafi Timber was pretty impressive stuff.

Hot chocolate was served at Spence & Lyda as the sun set and the evening festivities continued long into the night at Precision Flooring, Reece & Winnings.

Despite missing Saturday’s finest we kept up with all the action on Instagram with some of our many favourites Jardan, Yellowtrace, Zuster and Inlite.

In/Out - Out/About: Sydney Indesign Wrap-up

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A big thank you to Sydney Indesign for an excellent 3 days celebrating our amazing Australian design community. It was an absolute pleasure to be a Sydney Indesign Insider and we are looking forward to see how the event develops next year!

Credits: Photography by Dominique Brammah
Instagram images from Lightly, Mafi, Jardan, KE-ZU & Yellowtrace

OUT/ABOUT: SYDNEY INDESIGN WRAP-UP

posted on August 30, 2013

In/Out - Real Living: September 2013

It is a joy and a wonderful privilege for us to be featured in any press. We relish the opportunity to show ourselves and our work to clients old and new and to our peers. The magazines we read and who so very generously support us are a constant source of inspiration for us all as designers and as people. This year we have enjoyed our features in Vogue Living, Real Living, Madison, Belle and Instyle. It is a true honour to be featured in Real Living this September – the biggest issue ever!

In ‘Meet the Design Forces’ the always wonderful Karen McCartney has hand-selected a round up of Australia’s top creative talents and it is with all the pride in the world that we thank Karen for including us in her round up. Sarah-Jane flew to Melbourne to be included in this inspired collection of colleagues, contemporaries and collaborators of Arent&Pyke. This shoot is without the ‘Arent’ in person (Juliette is due to have twins very soon!) but certainly not without the ‘Arent’ in spirit.

Thanks go to Karen McCartney. And also to the Real Living team. The biggest and BEST issue yet.

REAL LIVING: SEPTEMBER 2013

posted on August 23, 2013

In/Out - Arent&Pyke: Vaucluse House

This beautiful home belongs to a family that we have been lucky enough to work with on more than one project. They are a gorgeous family, and it was such a lovely journey with them creating this home.

From the outset, the clients had a vivid image of the way they wanted to experience their new home. They were really keen to capture the mood of a recent holiday to the Greek Islands – a time and place where they were happy, relaxed and unhurried.

We believe the joy of a family home is ultimately the accumulation of experiences and memories, so we approached this project with a sense of how each space was going to be used & experienced. We want our decorative schemes to deliver comfort, freedom, intimacy, privacy as well as practicality. It was from this viewpoint that the material palette and furnishing schemes were developed.

Although the views outward to the harbour are completely irresistible, there is an inward focus – on the family being together and thoroughly enjoying their home. The vast spaces have been broken down into more intimate pockets where the clients could enjoy dining, living, relaxing, entertaining, and resting. The material and colour palette was devised to complement the client’s desire for a largely beachy yet sophisticated home, one that felt like you could be away on holiday. While the clients had an innate love of neutral – we encouraged them to embrace a bit of colour and pattern. Of course! We feel that overly neutral schemes tend to be more flat than restful.

As interior designers we want the aesthetics, the functionality and the experience of the space to be as natural as possible. Our process always involves the client as much as possible and this project was a process of appreciation and discovery for them.

We were thrilled that the Vaucluse House was featured in InsideOut magazine late last year. Read the full feature here.

Vaucluse house by Arent&Pyke

posted on August 5, 2013

Chat in a Chair, Arent&Pyke, interior design, Tropicalia chair, Patricia Urquiola, Hub, Moroso, colour, Lover,

In/Out - CHAT IN A CHAIR: DOMINIQUE BRAMMAH

Chat in a Chair is as much about the person as it is about the chair. The joy is in the story behind the chair, the treasured chairs of old and the lustful wishlists for the future. So often the story behind the chair tells us something really special. It tells us about sentimental moments and collected memories, of big life decisions and salvaged (or monumental) investments. Or it tells us about of the importance of collecting objects and enlightens why this is so for each and every one of us. Today we would like this Chat in a Chair to be as much an introduction as it is a chat.

This is our Senior Designer, Dominique Brammah. Now an accomplished interior designer or ‘lapsed architect’ (as she likes to call it), Dom made the jump to interiors to join us in early 2012. Immediately we knew she was meant to be a part of the Arent&Pyke family. She shares an aesthetic and an energy much like our own. She is a clever designer, a notable colour freak with a sharp eye and a whimsical mind. Most importantly, for the readers of In/Out, Dominique is the eyes and ears of our blog, bringing all these beautiful artists and creations to your attention.

Her favourite chair today is the embodiment of the girl herself – bold, colourful geometric details wrapped around a classic frame. The Tropicalia chair by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso, shows a tubular steel structure with complex geometrical shapes, embellished with a clever weft of intenstely coloured threads that alternates solids and voids. The Tropicalia chair is an interplay of pattern, colour & optical illusion executed with the meticulous attention to detail spiked with a sense of playfulness so loved by Dominique and so characteristic of Urquiola’s work. Dominique’s true wish is to own ‘The Cocoon’, a hanging version of the chair she sits in – gusty, bold and whimsical chairs – much like our Dom.

In/Out - CHAT IN A CHAIR: DOMINIQUE BRAMMAH

Favourite chair – and why? Draw it.
The Tropicalia chair by Patricia Urquiola is my pick. It really represents a professional lightbulb moment in life for me. I saw the hanging version of the Tropicalia in a house in Fire Island designed by LA & NYC based interior designer Alexandra Angle when I was working as a graduate architect. The image of the chair represents such a moment of realisation – I knew there and then I needed to ditch the black skivvy. I jumped and happily landed myself in the wonderful world of Arent&Pyke. It’s been a sparkling sequin of a colour-popping year of such happiness. But seriously, this chair represents the most profound sense of professional fulfilment for little old me. One day I’ll own it (the hanging version) and I’ll swing on it every day with hair in the wind and joy in the heart. For the moment i’ll nick this version from Hub Furniture if you please.

If your world were only one colour – what would it be?
Pink. Red. Orangey red. Pinky orange. Redy pink. I am trying to escape it’s grip but it is proving near impossible. I pity the chap who has to deal with it in his life forever. Diversify? With what? Maybe seriously bright blue?

Pants or skirt?
I don’t do pants. I do jeans. And I do occasionally do a skirt but I do prefer a dress. I’m not sure if it’s lazy but the standard outfit is dress and boots.

Dinner or dessert?
Dinner then dessert but I insist on sharing dessert. I don’t do one to myself because I get cranky if the other person’s dessert is better than mine. And it’s DESSERT everyone. Not DESERT (that is in Africa).

Matching – yes or no?
Matching sheets and pillowcases – yes. Matching fingers & toes – yes. Matching socks – never.

Marimekko or Mulberry?
Oh tough one. To upholster my sofa in – Marimekko makes my heart flutter and my eye goggles fly off my face with excitement. To drape over my arm – Mulberry. GIMME AN ALEXA in floppy brown leather. Not the weird tiny one. And not the giant one that I would fill with my whole world of crap. The perfectly brilliant middle sized beauty please sir.

Diary or digital?
Diary. Diary. Diary. If it’s not in there consider me absent. I am notoriously terrible at life administration. If I was rich I would have a man servant just to pay my bills on time for me. I would also have another one to drive me around in my bashed up Toyota Echo so I would never have to look for a park again.

Hair up or hair down – literally and figuratively?
Hair down wash day one. Hair up with dry shampoo the next day. Hair down for grunge. Hair up for priss. Figuratively speaking – I’m a half up half down. I think i’m a feather in the breeze but then I realise I’m actually more conservo than I think.

Music – male or female vocalist?
Female generally. I have naturally daggy DAGGY taste in music. I rely on friend Jo who I rather brilliantly named ‘The Gig Guide’ to keep me savvy. That said, when I hear a warm honey golden syrupy man-voice I go to mush and listen to it constantly – I am currently doing this with the song on the Pure Blond ad, a re-do of Steve Winwood’s ‘Higher Love’ by James Vincent McMorrow. LISTEN TO IT. THEN LISTEN TO IT AGAIN. Damn ads stealing my cool. Same thing happened with the Schweppes ad with The Cinematic Orchestra and the Sony ad in San Francisco (with all the coloured balls rolling down the hill) with Jose Gonzalez. I did know the Cello Song by Nick Drake on the Vittoria coffee ad before I saw it on the tele (still got it).

In/Out - Chat in a Chair: Dominique Brammah

Credits:
Photography by Luisa Brimble

CHAT IN A CHAIR: DOMINIQUE BRAMMAH

posted on July 31, 2013

In/Out - BITOSSI

In 1921 Guido Bitossi formalised the Bitossi family’s artisan ceramic-making history by transforming their local craft into a structured and productive organisation, Bitossi Ceramiche following the long traditions of ceramic production in Florence since 1500.   With over 7000 original pieces produced from the 1950s onwards, the original pieces have become highly coveted by collectors, particularly those of the iconic Rimini Blu collection. The new pieces are still produced in Florence using the same tools from the 1950s, each piece carrying the hand and the eye of the masterful ceramicist who gave it form. Over the decades the Bitossi artisans have collaborated with numerous designers such as Ettore Sottsass, Arik Levy, Piero Fornasetti and Mario Ferrarini.

What Bitossi stands for says a lovely thing about traditional craft and family tradition sitting hand-in-hand with contemporary design – it’s incredibly timeless stuff. These pieces sit just well in a stark contemporary home as they do in an eclectic artist’s studio – such is the appeal and uniqueness of their style. With a single piece of Bitossi, there is little need for much other ornamentation.

Credits: Bitossi

BITOSSI

posted on July 22, 2013

Artbank is a fantastic government supported initiative which was set up in 1980 to promote the works of visual artists through a leasing program. With a supportive and developmental role in the commissioning, collecting and promotion of over 3000 artists, Artbank now have over 10,000 Indigenous and non-Indigeous artworks in their collection. Recently, Juliette was asked to participate in a new series of video talks called ‘Artbank 20/20 Talks‘ where notable Australian identities are asked to discuss an artwork of their choice from Artbank’s extensive collection. It’s a chit chat about art from some of our best and Juliette has joined fellow speakers Claudia Karvan, Del Kathryn Barton and Nell Schofield to talk about Takadanobaba by Clare Healy & Sean Cordeiro, a photographic work of assembled objects from the found contents of Clare & Sean’s residency studio in Japan.

Credits: Video by Artbank

Artbank 20/20 Talks: Juliette Arent

posted on June 28, 2013

chat in chair, le corbusier, tom ferguson, arent&pyke, interior design, thonet, colour, pattern

In/Out - Chat in a Chair: Juliette Arent

This week we put the ‘Arent’ half of Arent&Pyke in a chair for a chat (you can see the ‘Pyke’ here)! Co-director Juliette is pregnant with twins, soon to become a mumma for the very first time. This chair takes Juliette back to a another very special time when when she gave it to her husband Matthew, as a gift for their first anniversary.

Matthew is a designer of a different kind – as co-director of creative agency Squad Ink. And, he is also a twin. Matthew was at the time becoming acquainted with all things interior design and he said he loved the classic Bentwood No.B9 Le Corbusier chair. Keen to nurture Matthew’s burgeoning interest in interiors, Juliette felt this chair was a fine gift indeed. It is now a much loved piece, and takes pride of place in the recently refurbished Squad Ink studio designed (of course!), by Arent&Pyke alongside the Mondrian Blue No.18 Thonet chairs that surround the meeting table. What a lovely daily reminder of their love…..ahhhhhh.

In/Out - Chat in a Chair: Juliette Arent