At the moment I’m writing a novel set in Paris. Although I’m dealing with the Paris of the past, my […]
All hail the national style
In my piece on the California bungalow, I mention the idea of a country seeking a national style. It’s an […]
On a superficial level
This week’s Design File is all about colour (see Pantone). As those who heard my essay on colour for By […]
The ambivalence of the ex-pat
The 26th January is Australia Day. The first time I was ever aware of this was one wet wintry morning […]
The joy of writing
I’m in the middle of the first draft of a new novel. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to […]
Are you sitting comfortably?
This week’s Design File is about Mies van der Rohe’s classic Barcelona chair. I have a total thing about chairs […]
The problem with clothes
This week’s Design File is the Little Black Dress . When I told my female friends that I was doing […]
Something different
This week’s Design File is about the Sacco bean bag. It was hard for me to write about the bean […]
Windows for the soul
This week’s Design File is about Willow Pattern china. If ever there was a design that symbolised a cosy, bourgeois […]
Is Coke really it?
This week’s Design File is about the evolution of the Coke bottle. I was never a Coke child. I’m not […]
