Karen McCartney’s new book steps back from over-styled spaces and finds homes with real meaning

A NEW book steps back from over-styled spaces to find homes with real meaning

Styles and eras in Rodney’s living room have been thrown together with apparent disregard for the rules of interior design. But somehow it all works.

AUTHOR and publisher Karen McCartney (pictured below) had a bit of a job convincing some homeowners to be part of her new book, The Alchemy Of Things. The book is dedicated to character-filled houses, rather than those consciously styled to impress others or stay right on trend.

So some of the people she approached were questioning her interest in including them.

“Rodney (de Soos) could not see what the fuss was about,” says Karen of one of the driving forces behind one of Woollahra’s most recognisable former emporiums, Copeland & de Soos.

Author and publisher Karen McCartney.

Now living on the NSW South Coast, Rodney and his partner Patrick Carrick’s house is a testament to a lifetime of collecting and curating. It’s one of several Australian houses in the book, which also took Karen, photographer Michael Wee and stylist David Harrison to homes in Italy, Belgium and England.

While the houses differ considerably in style, Karen says they’re united by an eye for things that instinctively work together without being too self conscious. And that’s reflected in the owners themselves.

“They are not looking over their shoulder to see if their friends approve,” says Karen. “Their homes are so personal and they’re thinking of no one else.”

Karen says there are some practical lessons to be learnt from these houses, whether or not their interior style is your cup of tea.

The hallway works as an art gallery. The table is made from eucalyptus and packing case pine.

You can combine objects from different eras if you look for the unifying factors. Here, Rodney has expertly balanced shapes and colours to create a tableau from a collection of ceramics.

A careworn but loved chair from the 1930s makes for an inviting seat with a Dutch colonial teak armoire as a backdrop.

“The book is about encouraging you to do whatever you want but you need to be thoughtful about drilling down into what you like and why you like it,” says Karen. “It’s not about money necessarily, it’s about the interest and the ability to seek things out that make sense to you.”

Even in houses with seemingly mismatched objects that somehow just work, Karen says you’ll often find a common thread to link them together.

“It’s about how you find connections between something from the 18th century and something contemporary and how those pieces relate to each other, perhaps because of their proportions and colours,” says Karen. “There’s nothing wrong with buying something new but just be mindful you have that layer of character.”

Sometimes pulling off the style of eclectic interiors that make up this book requires the kind of confidence that can only come with years of experience.

“With a couple of exceptions, everybody in the book is of a certain age.,” Karen says. “Understanding yourself is definitely a part of it and they all know themselves well.”

More:The Alchemy Of Things: Interiors Shaped By Curious Minds, Murdoch Books, $59.99