The news that one of Sydney’s favourite retailers is now doing a new concept is reason enough to visit as soon as you can.
If you haven’t visited Les Interieurs yet, and you really should – the new concept is a triumph. It’s had a makeover.
The walls are still white, but there’s less black – “It’s still important, but there’s less of it,” says owner Pamela Makin, who does the best smart casual in Australia, choreographing her interiors (and shop) as beautifully as a fashion show. Makin will help you distinguish between style and fashion (especially fads) with a new look palette of different white tones, and sand hues combined with honest materials such as stone, natural wood, and metal that have made her a favourite with the Sydney style set. *Lead image Hide Pendant Lamps starting from $495.
The focus is now on different shades of white, tones of sand, only a touch of black, and lots of wood and very modern, edgy furniture.
You will find stark, sculptural monochrome chairs, tables, coffee tables that mix well with the rustic pieces on which the brand has built it’s reputation.
The store’s white backdrop is brimming with must-have accessories you won’t find anywhere else, from volcanic stone sculptures to handmade French pendant lights in bamboo and cotton, tribal baskets, bamboo bowls, clay beads, felted sheepskin and crushed linen cushions as well as contemporary art and lighting by Sam Whitman. New to the store is strikingly contemporary furniture – from black chairs to white sculptural tables, and coffee tables that instantly make everything look ultra-modern. Especially when mixed with the brand’s signature twisted vines, vintage ropes, generous cushions and hurricane lamps.
With four store locations in the past couple of decades from Palm Beach to Paddington, and now back at Newport, Les Interiurs pioneered the modern rustic coastal look of black, white with rustic timber. Owner Pamela Makin does the best smart casual in the city, but she says “you need to keep introducing newness to the market. You don’t want to look the same as everyone else.
“We have moved forward and introduced lots of edgy, exciting pieces.”
Makin’s projects include a penthouse in a landmark Sydney building, a spacious harbourside mansion in Sydney, and several sprawling ocean estates at Palm Beach in New South Wales, Australia.
Pamela is also one of the only Australian designers whose work has featured in Andrew Martin’s prestigious annual Interior Design Review book, which is a little like the Oscars of the interiors world.
So, if you ever needed an excuse to visit Les Interieurs at Sydney’s northern beaches, it’s here. Go as soon as you can.
LES INTERIEURS, 358 Barrenjoey Road, Newport NSW 2106, (02) 99996479, www.lesinterieurs.com.au
