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Stephen Clark

August

Tom daley in his hand-knitted Olympic sweater

Should knitting be an Olympic sport?

British diver Tom Daley may not be the first man to knit at the Games, but he’s probably the best known.

February

A sunburst brick collage references the front porch in this rear extension to a 1937 house in Roseville,  Sydney.

How to avoid the ‘Madonna effect’ when renovating your home

How should old houses be redesigned for modern living? A new book documents some of the country’s best makeovers – and the results are beautiful and surprising.

November 2023

Phaidon’s ‘The Christmas Book’ is your picturesque guide to everything to do with the festive season.

You can’t go wrong with these beautiful books for time-poor people

We’ve selected 14 image-driven options in which the pictures do the talking.

September 2023

The newly installed rooftop pool at Rydges Melbourne is a welcome addition for summer.

No reception desk, thanks, at this revamped Melbourne hotel

Skip the queue when you check into Rydges’ new flagship – the quicker to get you to the swank rooftop pool.

Paul Bangay at Stonefields

Why Australia’s top garden designer is embracing natives

How Paul Bangay, Australia’s most celebrated garden creator, went from sustainability to ostentation and back again.

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November 2022

Books are perfect gifts for Christmas because almost everyone has time to curl up and read.

Would you pay $10,000 for a book? Assouline thinks you might

Christmas is hardcover heaven for book lovers. Treat yourself or someone exceptional to one of these beautiful tomes.

The MS Amadeus Queen is home for a magical 12-day Art and Music river cruise from Frankfurt to Vienna, organised by Renaissance Tours.

From Frankfurt to Vienna on a river reverie

Renaissance Tours organises a journey into enlightenment, leaving guests free to succumb to the sublime while on a relaxed cruise with six city stops.

August 2022

Wearing a blazer over a T-shirt is a classic look.

T-shirt etiquette for the buff and not so buff

There are tricks to wearing what’s essentially underwear as outerwear, particularly if you’re not quite the hunky young bloke you once were.

March 2022

Burlesque dancer and feminist, Porcelain Alice at the Opera House.

Why performing a striptease can be a feminist statement

Porcelain Alice says the art of burlesque is a place where women are in charge, are their own boss and even encourages some confidence-building objectification.

January 2022

The Crystalbrook Kingsley building is a 1997 Brutalist tower in the Civic cultural precinct.

Hotel debut caps off amazing Newcastle renaissance

The Crystalbrook Kingsley is yet another sign of the spirit of revival sweeping this 200-year-old seaside town, proof there is plenty of fizz left in the bottle.

August 2021

Father’s Day is every day.

Watch out, dads! Time is slip slidin’ away

Being a father is like driving – you’re steering by instinct most of the time and hoping to hell the battery lasts.

June 2021

Decorated telephone in the Changwangsan Hotel.

Northern lights: a glimpse inside Pyongyang’s retro hotels

North Korea might be the hermit kingdom but it has a well-staffed, if not thriving, tourism industry and its hotels look like they belong in a Wes Anderson film.

March 2021

“I have always understood that this is a lot of fun,” Courtney Act says. “The idea of dressing as a man and performing on stage isn’t nearly as thrilling.”

The drag queen with business smarts

Despite her tongue-in-cheek name, Mardi Gras co-host Courtney Act is no joke, with a career shaped as much by financial nous as her commitment to diversity.

December 2020

Accidentally Wes Anderson features the work of 180 photographers from around the world.

The 10 best coffee-table books to give for Christmas

The holiday season is the perfect time for idling between the covers of these sumptuous books, ranging from the luscious photography of Helmut Newton to tales of the heart from Humans of New York.

September 2020

Tim Ross in front of the tapestry designed by Jorn Utzon, entitled Homage to C.P.E. Bach.

'Design nerd' Tim Ross uncovers a mid-century Opera House mystery

Why were John Coburn's enormous and applauded curtains, part of the original design of the Sydney Opera House, removed only two years after being installed?

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August 2020

Jade Oakley worked with Axolotl for her sculpture at Harbord Diggers Club.

The accidental alchemists and their magical materials

Creativity and technical innovation have propelled the brothers behind Axolotl to the forefront of an unusual field.

Detail from the cover of "Bill Cunningham: On The Street, Five Decades of Iconic Photography".

Bill Cunningham captured what they were wearing in the Big Apple

New from the the legendary New York photographer's archives: five decades of street style.

Mastery tower deigned by Kengo Kuma

The star architect bringing a 'stacked forest' of apartments to Sydney

Celebrated Japanese designer Kengo Kuma reflects on his first residential project in Australia and designing for a post-COVID-19 world.

January 2020

RuPaul and nightlife diva Susanne Bartsch  attend the opening of the WeHo Edition in November.

LA glam or Zen cool? You choose at the new Edition hotel

High society and serenity on high make for a unique mix in a vibrant Los Angeles neighbourhood with a storied past.

Grayson Perry

Grayson Perry, the comedic 'everyman in a dress'

The award-winning British artist, writer and broadcaster makes his Australian stage debut, bringing his provocative humour to Sydney and Melbourne.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/by/stephen-clark-gy1d06