White minimalism makes way for opulent interiors

Hunters and collectors: (From left) Matt Fishburn, Hartley Cook and Olivia Kwan at Hartley Cook'??s Grafton Galleries Antiques in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney. Photo: Fiona Morris

White minimalism is making way for interiors of a more opulent, layered style, mixing the modern with the vintage, the precious with the bargain and adding pattern, texture and splashes of saturated colour.

It is by no means a return to the past. Rather, on-trend interior designers highlight just one standout piece of antique furniture, artwork or objet dart in order to make a statement within an otherwise contemporary space.

By paring back and working in select antiques, interiors become more nuanced, imaginative and autobiographical.

Jazz-era glamour: An art deco bronze of Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt with the face modelled on Greta Garbo. Photo: Michael Wearne.

Its an eclectic approach that taps into the zeitgeist for the handmade, the eco-friendly and the upcycled.

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A room that displays a sensuous art deco figurine injects a touch of jazz-era glamour; an 18th-century English or French dining table paired with contemporary chairs warms a space; while a streamlined Danish sideboard imparts a sense of cool cat, mid-century sexiness.

A diversity of fine art and antiques will be showcased during the annual Sydney Antiques Fair, being held at Randwick Racecourses Kensington Room from Wednesday, August 27 to Sunday, August 31. Alongside period furniture will be dealers of rare jewellery, sterling silverware, antique maps, vintage posters, photographs and paintings, candelabra, rugs and figurines. All dealers are members of the Australian Antique and Art Dealers Association (AAADA).

Melbourne dealer-decorator Jamie Allpress uses antique furniture to add personality to the interiors of architect-designed homes. That way we can see an 18th-century English oak dresser base teamed with uber-modern artwork or it can mean adding a pair of 18th-century Gothic-Windsor armchairs to a cutting-edge living room.

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White minimalism makes way for opulent interiors