We’ve been a bit quiet on the blog front lately, as we’ve been working really hard on some interesting, challenging and exciting projects.  Here’s a sneak peek of some of the things we’ve been up to:  

A warehouse conversion in Leichhardt, due for completion early in the new year.

A three-level penthouse at the top of the 49 story Forster + Partners building in China with BSA Architects and Secret Garden.  Site visits are interesting!  The builder’s lift was challenging – on the outside of the building.

A lovely heritage home in Hunters Hill that we did with TDK architects was completed.

Cremorne House – nearly complete in time for the holidays – with one of the rugs ‘Inlets’ from our latest collection with Designer Rugs. 

A beautiful tree house in Palm Beach, will be completed early next year.

An apartment in Darling Point, complete renovation.  Happy snaps while installing, gorgeous view, and another of our rugs ‘Landscape’.

A new home in Willoughby with James Design Studio.

We refurbished the cabins of our favourite yacht ‘Quantum’.  That’s Lucy with the vacuum, part of the ‘glamour’ of our job.

And a country home in the Southern Highlands with Anna inside the lamp.

Another project with BSA – photography by Nicholas Watt – waterfront in Vaucluse.

There’s more, but looking back, you can see why we are all exhausted.  

During the year, we have had quite a few of our projects recognised in awards, books, and magazines, it’s always a buzz when that happens, but essentially our focus is on creating beautiful homes for our clients.  

This was our the twelfth time that H+K has been included in the Andrew Martin Interior Design Review featuring the world’s top 100 designers!  We were included in House & Gardens Top 50 Rooms, their 20th anniversary of this event.  We were also in their 1st Top 50 issue and Meryl was honoured to be inducted into H&G’s Hall of Fame at this year’s event.

In an H+K first, we were excited to be shortlisted in the Interior Blog Awards 2018 for Best Interior Designer Blog, this came as a surprise initially as a mystery reader of the blog nominated us for the award.  Thank you, whoever you are (we’d love to know!). We were also finalists in the World Interior News Awards celebrated in London in February, were shortlisted in the Australian Interior Design Awards and saw two of our projects win building awards in various categories.  

One of the best parts of what we do is collaborate with talented architects, builders and landscapers, so when they win awards for the projects that we’ve worked on together, it’s very rewarding.  

• Our project Tranquil Bay won MBA Excellence in Building Awards 2018 for Innovative Building Services, Architects were BSA.  Photographed by Nicholas Watt
• Ocean Clifftop won Belle Luxury Building Award 2018 for Alterations and Additions for Conti Constructions, Architects were BSA, Landscaping by Secret Gardens.  Photographed by Jen Wilding and Michael Nicholson.

A new compact edition of our book Texture Colour Comfort hit bookshelves in time for Christmas – it holds the same content as our original book, but has a new cover and easier to take on the road with you. We are also working on our second book – watch this space!

We have also welcomed two little girls into the H+K family, with Victoria and Eliza giving birth earlier this year.  Chloe Odah joined us during the year and has been project designer for our China project, working with Melanie who is about to take off for a while to give birth to her second child.  There is definitely something in the water at H+K!

We’ve had a good year, met new and interesting clients, started collaborating with new joiners, builders and architects as well as renewing old client friendships and working with our favourite consultants.  

Our Team at H+K are amazing and talented and a pleasure to work with and our suppliers and craftspeople are at the core of our decorating work so the relationships we build with them are crucial to the success of our work.

We sincerely thank all of our collaborators for a wonderful 2018. May the Festive Season and the New Year bring happiness, peace and a sustainable future for us all.