Design Stories invited interior stylist Michelle Hart to choose her favorite items for giving, receiving, and decorating this holiday season. Her six choices are all rich in texture and sculptural in form.
BASED IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, interior stylist and decorator Michelle Hart loves creating a feeling of magic in her timeless, calm, and considered interior designs. We talked with Michelle about her work and asked her to choose her favorite interior items for the upcoming holiday season.
Hello Michelle, thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Could you please briefly introduce yourself and tell us about the path that led you to where you are today?
“I am an interior stylist and decorator based in Melbourne, Australia. I started with an interest in the home environment and the connection and effect it has on our state of well-being. I studied Feng Shui which introduced me to this concept of how our home environments can have a direct influence on all aspects of our lives, from health to finances, relationships, and family.
From there I translated my learning into styling homes for sale and then moved into styling homes for people who permanently live in them, which has become more fine-tuning into a client's unique persona and style. I am all about creating warm and inviting homes that people feel good living in.”
Do you have a dream creative project or collaboration?
“I have always dreamed of creating a beautiful and sustainable place or retreat away from the city for people to stay. It could offer inspired interiors, local produce, and wonderful classes like cooking, yoga, pilates, and meditation, perhaps organic beauty treatments and massage, too. A place that appeals to all the senses. Even to be able to collaborate on a project like this would be amazing!”
“Something well-designed can create an emotional affect and connection to us and our overall well-being and contentment.”
What does good design mean to you? What makes a design classic?
“Good design is a combination of timeless form and aesthetics, functionality whilst also maintaining a sense of simplicity. To me, good design is also about personal experience and how it makes you feel, whether that’s in a designed space or from using a product. Something well-designed can create an emotional affect and connection to us and our overall well-being and contentment.
Classic design represents pieces that are timeless. People recognize the value in classic design as they are often highly sought-after pieces, like fine works of art.”
Michelle Hart’s 6 picks for the holiday season:
1. Decorate with light
“I absolutely adore the texture and form of this beautiful Matin lamp by Hay. Lighting pieces are like sculptural art, not only do they provide mood and soft lighting but they act as focal points and great styling décor to any room. I can see this styled on a sideboard with holiday décor such as candles and vases filled with seasonal florals and foliage.”
• Hay’s Matin table lamp >
• All table lamps >
2. Centerpiece of the festive table
“Ferm Living's stunning Circle candleholder will be the perfect addition to your festive table. The beauty of this simplistic piece is that once the holiday season is over, it can be easily transitioned for use on a shelf or console.”
• Ferm Living’s Circle candleholder >
• All candleholders >
3. For seasonal blooms
“I love to collect vases, and I also love gifting them, and this Ming vase by Marimekko is the perfect color and shape for using any time of the year, and also great for adding some seasonal blooms and foliage at Christmas.”
• Marimekko’s Ming vase >
• All vases >
4. Textures of teak
“The texture and shape of Architectmade's FJ bowl are what caught my eye. What an amazing gift to receive or give! Designed by Finn Juhl, the teak bowl can be used anywhere in your home for a number of different things, like a serving bowl or a trinket bowl, or as a stand-alone piece purely for its beautiful form.”
• Architectmade’s FJ bowl >
• All platters and bowls >
5. Touch of brass
“I love brass and gold for Christmas. And I also have a thing for collecting eye décor! So this Twin Eye ornament by Ferm Living is definitely on my list for tree décor. It has interesting curved shapes and just the right amount of bling!”
• Ferm Living’s Twin Eye ornament >
• All holiday decorations >
6. For coffee lovers
“Who doesn’t want coffee made first thing in the morning from the sleekest stovetop coffee maker? We love our coffee here in Melbourne, so Alessi's Espresso coffee maker 9090 is the perfect gift!”
• Alessi’s Espresso coffee maker 9090 >
• All coffee pots >
See also:
• Michelle Hart on Instagram >
• New Arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >
Text: Silvia Filippelli Images: Suzi Appel and manufacturers