After having got about from Paris to Cameroon, Lisa and Julien chose to establish their nest in this 1940s beautiful building in Pau. They needed that space to let their imagination and the boundless energy of their five children go...
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On those summer days in Sydney when mornings are filled with hot and humid air, interior designer Gillian Khaw welcomes us to her home with the front door wide open. Upon entering the apartment, you’re surrounded by a mix of vintage objects and a collection of art, and the sound of children playing in the background. Having dealt with antique furniture in the past, Khaw co-founded Handelsmann + Khaw, a design studio which focuses on combining timeless pieces with a modern twist. As co-host of the TV show I own Australia’s Best Home, she lends her expertise to a broad public audience. No wonder her home in Sydney’s chic neighborhood of Bellevue Hill is as meticulously designed as you would expect.
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Gillian, you are one half of design studio Handelsmann + Khaw. How would you describe your home décor style?
My own home style is just an accumulation of items I like with no particular thought put towards how they go together. I’m lucky the apartment has nice bones, so everything appears quite simpatico. To be honest, my own projects always seem to be the last priority! Style for our clients is a different matter; With Handelsmann + Khaw, we like elegant, timeless and uncontrived spaces.
Your kids Toby and Eve are 7 and 5 years old. How has your approach to decorating a home changed ever since they were born?
Since they came along, I don’t think my approach has changed, that is to say, ‘dumbed down.’ I am aware of making our apartment an interesting, stimulating place for them but not necessarily filled with children’s decor. Just more art. I don’t think you have to make your home as colorful and plastic as a child care center. Children can be stimulated by design as much as adults.
Working from home can sometimes be quite difficult. How do you strike a balance between work and life?
I have a home office, but I do go to our firm’s office five days a week. When the children were young, working from home made it possible to keep professionally active and be present for the children. But five years on and I’ve realized that I’m too easily distracted by the comforts of home to be productive here. I try and do as much as I can in the office and save the rest for when they are in bed.
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It is an African Senufo bird given to me for my birthday by my husband. I first saw one in a picture of Yves Saint Laurent's Paris apartment.
You’re also a co-host of the TV show “I own Australia’s Best Home“. What makes a house for you a home? And what are you looking for when judging other peoples’ homes?
A home has warmth, personality, things that are found, memories, even unfinished projects. It is a snapshot of someone’s chaotic life, not a picture of perfection. It is very easy today, bombarded by media and marketing, to build and furnish a perfect house which does not ultimately feel like a home. When you find these ingredients, these layers and lack of contrivance in a house are delightful.
What are some of your most treasured objects?
Like most mothers, I treasure the children’s artwork, especially their self-portraits. Otherwise, I have a 1940’s sideboard I bought in Melun (!) from a man who had just bought a house from an old couple and wanted to sell me the entire house worth’s of 1940’s furniture for 500 euros. I have a lacquered bento box I use to store jewelry. It reminds me of the happy afternoon I found it in one of those restaurant supply shops in Tokyo.
What’s the story behind the wooden sculpture in your living room?
It is an African Senufo bird given to me for my birthday by my husband. They are apparently symbols of fertility, but I don’t think he chose the bird for its powers. I first saw one in a picture of Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris apartment and loved it immediately. When it was first delivered, I put a straw hat on its head because it stared down at the children rather imperiously. But now it’s a member of the family.
Tell us more about the decision process of painting your kitchen all black.
My kitchen is black to disguise many evils! The kitchen is from the 1980’s, but not in a good way, so I wanted to ‘black out’ the bad joinery. The kitchen doesn’t get much light, so I thought rather than pretend it was bright, I’d rather dial up the drama. I love the atmosphere black creates in ‘The Wolseley’ in London, so this is my small scale ode to one of my favorite restaurants.
You’re living in Sydney’s Bellevue Hill. What do you like most about this area and what are some of your favorite places around here?
Bellevue is equally close to the city and Bondi, so I love the location. My children’s primary school is in front of a park with giant old trees and fronts onto Sydney harbor. It’s a favorite place because it’s just so idyllic. There are beautiful harbor baths not far from our home: on summer weekday afternoons parents walk their children straight from school to the baths and stand around and chat while the kids decamp into the water. For me, this is Sydney at its best.
Photography and text: Jessica Jungbauer – Translation: Selma Gasc @thesocialitefamily
After having got about from Paris to Cameroon, Lisa and Julien chose to establish their nest in this 1940s beautiful building in Pau. They needed that space to let their imagination and the boundless energy of their five children go...
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