Inspiring Family Members/ Kit Hay

As a Stylist you look back at your past often and wonder what it was that formulated your style, what were those influences that still come up, even if subconsciously? I have to say the interior schemes of my family still strike a chord and leave an impressionable imprint on my mind. My Nanna, Kit Hay was definitely a major influence, my childhood visits every Saturday to her unit/apartment in the Melbourne suburb of Mentone filled me with wonder, of course I adored her so these visits were very special to me, but her interior scheme, although quite unconventional screamed “Austin Powers meets an English Tea Party”.

My Nanna was no professional decorator that was certain but in her later years she seemed determined to fill her small apartment with the things she loved. Her apartment always smelt of makeup, hairspray, mints and “Charlie” perfume. She had developed a love of purple and her living room was a sea of bright purple, purple shaggy carpet, purple swiveling lounge chairs, matched with turquoise shot silk pillows and crocheted throws in multi color. It was these wild mix of colors that excited me as a child. The soundtrack of “Abba” played in the background, it was an old 70’s LP of the super group that Nanna gave to me and I still have it to this day.

The apartment had glass chandeliers and faux drew dropped roses, sometimes mixed with fresh ones from her small rose garden at the front of her window, we ate home cooked cakes off rose printed plates and sipped milky tea from an eclectic mix of similar teacups.

Kit never left the apartment with out some lipstick and a silk scarf tied around her neck, her motto was “you are only as young as you feel” As long as she could “doll herself up” she did, even if her lipstick could be a little askew, I loved her for it!

These images are more like a mood board of her place, sadly she died in the late 90’s, but for me she still lives in my decorating spirit.

Thanks to Martha Stewart, Purl Bee, Arne Jacobsen, Quiang-Huang and of course Abba for providing these “inspiration” images.