{"id":347183,"date":"2016-02-08T00:00:28","date_gmt":"2016-02-08T00:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/?p=347183"},"modified":"2019-06-25T14:57:50","modified_gmt":"2019-06-25T18:57:50","slug":"iain-halliday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/iain-halliday\/","title":{"rendered":"The Magnificent Audacity of Australia’s Iain Halliday"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Australian interior\u00a0designer Iain Halliday, director of BKH, is known for his dramatic residential creations (portrait by Earl Carter). Top: In the Manhattan apartment of Kiane and Charlie von Mueffling, Halliday outfitted the living room with a Warren Platner for Knoll<\/a> chair, Beauvais carpet, vintage Moroccan-inspired Baker coffee table<\/a>. The\u00a0leather window seat and silk-velvet sofa were custom made (photo by Ditte Isager). All other photos by Sharrin Rees, unless noted<\/p><\/div>\n\n

February 8, 2016<\/span>The sheer drama of Iain Halliday\u2019s work could change the Australia of your imagination from a place of spectacular natural scenery to one of man-made sophistication, urbanity and glamour. The Sydney-based interior designer is well-known Down Under for breathtaking beach houses, theatrical apartment makeovers and big-budget destination restaurants. These days, he is a man of two hemispheres, jetting between BKH<\/a>, the long-established Sydney firm of which he is director, and a satellite office in New York, the city that has been his muse since childhood.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Sydney in the 1970s, Halliday was obsessed early on with the Manhattan penthouses and skyline views in the black-and-white movies of the Art Deco<\/a> era and with the images of New York \u2014 \u201ceverything shiny and black\u201d \u2014 that appeared in the issues of Architectural Digest <\/em>he pored over as a teenager. Later, he became fascinated with what he calls the \u201chigh-minimal, three arum lilies in test tubes\u201d aesthetic of New York\u2013based designers like Joe D\u2019Urso<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After studying interior design at Sydney\u2019s College of Arts and architecture at the University of Technology, Halliday joined the interior design firm that Neil Burley and David Katon launched in the 1970s. (The firm\u2019s name officially became\u00a0BKH, for Burley, Katon and Halliday, in 1989.) Those early days were \u201ca fun time,\u201d Halliday says. \u201cThey sold inflatable furniture and made things out of blocks of acrylic\u201d in the madcap spirit of the day.<\/p>\n

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The first-floor bedroom suite of Halliday’s own Palm Beach house, north of Sydney, has a Baccarat chandelier<\/a> above an\u00a0Eero Saarinen Tulip table<\/a> and chair, along with gilded Louis XV\u2013style side chairs<\/a>. In the background are a custom-built cabinet in metallic lacquer and a Louis XVI desk<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

When Halliday came on the scene in the mid-1980s, the seeds of the company\u2019s adventurous aesthetic were still being sown. \u201cWhat we did was create a kind of vocabulary,\u201d he recalls. \u201cEven when we got crappy little jobs, we made the best of them by relying on one succinct gesture\u201d to create drama. A Chinese restaurant they designed was all black except for a wall stenciled with a template based on willow-pattern china. \u201cThe whole budget went into that wall,\u201d Halliday says. \u201cRather than sprinkle money here and there, we\u2019d deliver one exciting thing.\u201d It was an early lesson he\u00a0retained as his work became more diverse and his clients more moneyed.<\/p>\n

In Australia, Halliday\u2019s bread and butter has been what he calls \u201cHamptons-style\u201d structures, \u201cthat whitewashed dream\u201d of a beach house sitting on the continent\u2019s dramatic shoreline. But the projects he\u2019s most proud of are the displays of architectural daring, like the house in the countryside with a facade made of ground earth mixed with concrete and poured into a plywood form to create a sinuous wall \u2014 \u201ca bit like a Richard Serra<\/a> sculpture,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the four-level \u201clook-at-me\u201d house facing Sydney\u2019s famous Bondi Beach, a U-shaped structure of tilted concrete slabs and glass wall panels. \u201cIt\u2019s in a very public location, and the client\u2019s desire was to create this highly visible statement,\u201d Halliday says. Within this industrial shell, the interiors are pure luxe, with a white marble foyer, a spiral staircase and sweeping sofas covered in coppery metallic leather.<\/p>\n

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The terrace of Balmoral House, on Sydney\u2019s lower north coast, is decked out with a vintage French bistro table, a custom ottoman in French canvas, a Franco Albini<\/a> for Bonacina rattan Gala chair and Harry Bertoia Diamond chairs<\/a>. Photo by Jason Ierace<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Left: Inside the Balmoral House are a French Louis XVI<\/a>\u2013style antique cabinet and a custom-made velvet window seat. Right: In what Halliday calls \u201cthe rumpus room,\u201d Louis XVI\u2013style armchairs in Schumacher Leopard fabric flank an Ari side table by Oly Studio. Photos by Jason Ierace<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Left: For the master bedroom of a house on Sydney\u2019s Whale Beach, BKH custom-made the drum bedside table that sits beneath an artwork by Jenny Watson. Right: Outside the bedroom, the straight lines of a Christian Liaigre<\/a> chair and table contrast with the curved Venetian plaster wall.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Left: The Whale Beach rumpus room features Bronte House chairs, a Christian Liaigre lamp and a Tavolo con Ruote coffee table designed by Gae Aulenti<\/a> for Fontana Arte<\/a>. The homeowners\u2019 collection of Aboriginal art includes a painting by George Hairbrush Tjungurrayi (at left). Right: On the opposite end of the room are Khmer sculptures (top left) and a photograph by Isaac Julien (at right).<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Left: Adorning the bedroom of an apartment in Potts Point, Sydney, are a Louis XV\u2013style commode, Arne Jacobsen<\/a> Egg chair and Herm\u00e8s<\/a> blanket. Right: In the dining area, a red Barovier e Toso chandelier<\/a> hangs above an Eero Saarinen Tulip table and chairs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Typical of Halliday\u2019s attention to detail and creative use of materials is a house made\u00a0for collectors of Aboriginal art, located 25 miles north of Sydney, with 14-foot ceilings and curved Venetian plaster walls. Its all-black dressing room has rubber shelving edged in stainless steel, and the bedrooms have headboards and cushions upholstered in Fortuny<\/a> fabric.<\/p>\n

Many BKH projects play with the tension between minimalism<\/a> and decoration, which Halliday appreciates in equal measure and combines to impactful effect. \u201cYou can have a great white expanse of wall, floor and ceiling,\u201d he says, “along with something Victorian<\/a> and highly ornamental,” like the Murano<\/a> or Baccarat<\/a> chandeliers he often deploys in such settings.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPeople may not be design\u00a0<\/span>literate<\/span>, but they respond anyway. Successful design<\/span> always registers.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

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A custom-made leather banquette and Barovier e Toso Murano-glass chandeliers bring comfortable sophistication to the family living area and kitchen of a house in Melbourne.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Left: The library of the Melbourne house projects a subtle safari vibe, with a Stark leopard-print rug, zebra-print chair and wheat-sheaf coffee table from 1stdibs. Right: Also in the library are BKH-designed shelving and a chair by Oscar de la Renta<\/a> for Baker.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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The Melbourne home\u2019s entry hall has vintage starburst mirrors<\/a> and a chaise upholstered in gold Leli\u00e8vre silk velvet.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Right: A house in Mosman, on the lower north shore of Sydney, features a sweeping entryway staircase with a Saarinen table, blanc de chine vessels and a beach-themed Massimo Vitali<\/a> photo on the back wall. Right: In the living room are a custom tufted ottoman, Poliform Dune sofa, Vittorio Bonacina<\/a> Eva side chair, Minotti<\/a> Leger side table, Saarinen Tulip side table and Aboriginal art by Minnie Pwerle<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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In his design for Melbourne\u2019s Rosetta restaurant, Halliday included references to Italian culture, such as this digitally produced mural based on Andy Warhol<\/a>\u2018s Last Supper<\/em>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

The 18-person BKH office is nothing if not versatile. A Melbourne client recently bought a turn-of-the-20th-century villa that \u201chad been made over by a flipper and was beige everywhere,\u201d Halliday says. The client had a vision of zebra chairs and an ocelot carpet, and Halliday turned to 1stdibs for suitably dazzling accessories. He added etched mirrors from Bernd Goeckler<\/a>, a sputnik chandelier from John Salibello<\/a>, an Edgar Brandt fire screen from the Warehouse<\/a> and a brass mid-century coffee table from Amy Zook<\/a>. \u201cWe buy from 1stdibs all the time,\u201d Halliday says. \u201cAustralia has\u00a0a very big DIY culture, and our clients all know about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The sitting room of\u00a0Halliday’s Palm Beach home\u00a0features\u00a0an\u00a0Eames<\/a> La Chaise by Vitra<\/a>, an antique Chinese opium bed and ceramics by Keith Murray<\/a> for Wedgwood. On the terrace behind is a\u00a0Bertoia Diamond chair.<\/p><\/div>\n

For a historic 1830s Georgian<\/a> villa in Sydney\u2019s Potts Point, Halliday\u2019s team discovered a world of items on 1stdibs, among them a Seguso<\/a> frosted-glass pendant fixture\u00a0and 1960s chrome ribbon chandeliers from John Salibello, a circa-1950 French marble-topped gueridon from Maison de Provence<\/a>, an early-2oth-century Louis XVI\u2013style<\/a> gueridon from George Davis<\/a>, 1950s Italian slipper chairs from Gaspare Asaro<\/a> and a 19th-century French Regency\u2013style center table from Fireside Antiques<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For clients Kiane and Charlie von Mueffling \u2014 a pair of expats from Australia and Germany, respectively, with two young children \u2014 Halliday conceived a chic apartment in Manhattan\u2019s Flatiron District with pale, cool walls, furnishings upholstered in jewel-toned silk, graphic rugs and generous smatterings of black. He layered the space with intriguing finds, including a pair of 1940s black lacquer Dorothy Draper<\/a> chests with brass handles from 1stdibs.<\/p>\n

So far in New York, BKH has done mostly residential interiors. What Halliday craves more of, he says, are commissions to design public spaces, perhaps something like a recent dream project in Melbourne: the Italian restaurant Rosetta, owned by celebrity chef Neil Perry. With circular, domed skylights stenciled in gold leaf and a fresco based on Andy Warhol<\/a>\u2019s Last Supper,<\/em> the restaurant abounds with Italian design references, including Pucci<\/a> cushions, Fornasetti<\/a> screens and a rug inspired by\u00a0a 1980s Missoni<\/a> pattern. These references are quite likely lost on most diners, but that doesn\u2019t matter to Halliday. The thrill of designing spaces for use by the many, he says, is that \u201cyou reach people who may not be design literate, but they respond anyway. Successful design always registers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Iain Halliday’s Quick Picks on 1stdibs<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Mark\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMark Weinstein starburst sculpture, 1960s, offered by John Salibello\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cSpiky, complex and simple. A great wall piece and reasonably priced.\u201c\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Pair\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPair of Andr\u00e9 Arbus chandeliers, 1950s, offered by Galerie Secula\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cLove Venetian chandeliers, particularly the crisp and less curvy refined 1940s classicism of the Arbus versions.\u201c\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Osvaldo\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOsvaldo Borsani armchair, 1950s, offered by Gaspare Asaro\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cVery pretty from any angle and comfortable as a desk, dining or side chair.\u201c\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Jean\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJean Roy\u00e8re Gondola daybed, 20th century, offered by Galerie XX\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cI adore just about anything by Jean Roy\u00e8re \u2014 the line work is quirky and incredibly refined at the same time.\u201c\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Maison\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaison Jansen Royale table, 1960, offered by Little Paris Antiques\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cThis is a wonderful table \u2014 slender, elegant, practical and at home with many chair styles. Great as a desk as well as for dining.\u201c\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Gabriella\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tShop Now\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGabriella Crespi Z Desk, 2015, offered by Rita Fancsaly\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cThis desk for me defines 1970s jet-set glamour.\u201c\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

February 8, 2016The sheer drama of Iain Halliday\u2019s work could change the Australia of your imagination from a place of spectacular natural scenery to one of man-made sophistication, urbanity and glamour. The Sydney-based interior designer is well-known Down Under for breathtaking beach houses, theatrical apartment makeovers and big-budget destination restaurants. These days, he is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":347203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_jonathan-becker-a-50-year-career-in-timeless-black-white-photography":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5003],"tags":[14053,61,2063,25723,26393,25743,26403,13763,59,26423,17743,25733,6103,533,2113,74,14443,26413,9833,2053,46713,25753],"dibs-categories":[],"dibs-designs":[],"dibs-styles":[],"dibs-creators":[],"dibs-sellers":[],"class_list":["post-347183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-designer-spotlight","tag-apartment","tag-architecture","tag-australia","tag-australian","tag-beach-house","tag-bkh","tag-bondi-beach","tag-cara-greenberg","tag-designer-profile","tag-home","tag-house","tag-iain-halliday","tag-interior-design","tag-interior-designer","tag-melbourne","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-residential","tag-residential-design","tag-sydney","tag-vitra","tag-whale-beach"],"acf":{"hide_hero":false,"hero_title":"The Magnificent Audacity of Australia's Iain Halliday","hero_text":"

Inspired by filmdom\u2019s Art Deco penthouses and disco-era glamour, this interior designer is known for making grand gestures in projects from Melbourne to Manhattan.<\/p>\n","custom_author":{"ID":7182,"post_author":"253","post_date":"2014-11-20 23:05:42","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-20 23:05:42","post_content":"\n

Cara Greenberg has been a\u00a0professional freelance writer all her\u00a0adult life, specializing in architecture, interior and furniture design, decorative arts, gardens and travel. She is a frequent contributor to 1stDibs and writes a longstanding weekly design column for Brownstoner, the Brooklyn-based real-estate website. She has been a columnist for\u00a0the\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0Styles section and a contributing editor at\u00a0Metropolitan Home<\/em>,\u00a0Art & Antiques, Art + Auction\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Hamptons Cottages & Gardens<\/em>. She is\u00a0<\/em>the author of several books, including\u00a0Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s<\/em>, and she owns three 19th-century row houses in Brooklyn and Philadelphia and a rustic-modern house in East Hampton, New York.
<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cara Greenberg","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"cara-greenberg","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-08-12 10:06:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-08-12 14:06:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/?post_type=author&p=7182","menu_order":0,"post_type":"contributors","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},"hero_byline":"by Cara Greenberg","hide_byline":false,"customize_thumbnail_byline":false,"hero_date":"February 8, 2016","hero_credit":"","hide_from_archive":false,"hero_background_image":false,"logo_and_navigation_color":"null","slideshows":[{"slideshow_shortcode":"halliday-whale-house","type":"editorial","options":{"fade":"","autoPlay":false,"autoPlaySpeed":5,"prevNextButtons":false},"bring_it_home":false,"title":"","slides":[{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":351353,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

The terrace of Balmoral House, on Sydney\u2019s lower north coast, is decked out with a vintage French bistro table, a custom ottoman in French canvas, a Franco Albini<\/a> for Bonacina rattan Gala chair and Harry Bertoia Diamond chairs<\/a>. Photo by Jason Ierace<\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":352953,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

Left: Inside the Balmoral House are a French Louis XVI<\/a>\u2013style antique cabinet and a custom-made velvet window seat. Right: In what Halliday calls \u201cthe rumpus room,\u201d Louis XVI\u2013style armchairs in Schumacher Leopard fabric flank an Ari side table by Oly Studio. Photos by Jason Ierace<\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":351273,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

Left: For the master bedroom of a house on Sydney\u2019s Whale Beach, BKH custom-made the drum bedside table that sits beneath an artwork by Jenny Watson. Right: Outside the bedroom, the straight lines of a Christian Liaigre<\/a> chair and table contrast with the curved Venetian plaster wall.<\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":351263,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

Left: The Whale Beach rumpus room features Bronte House chairs, a Christian Liaigre lamp and a Tavolo con Ruote coffee table designed by Gae Aulenti<\/a> for Fontana Arte<\/a>. The homeowners\u2019 collection of Aboriginal art includes a painting by George Hairbrush Tjungurrayi (at left). Right: On the opposite end of the room are Khmer sculptures (top left) and a photograph by Isaac Julien (at right).<\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":351383,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

Left: Adorning the bedroom of an apartment in Potts Point, Sydney, are a Louis XV\u2013style commode, Arne Jacobsen<\/a> Egg chair and Herm\u00e8s<\/a> blanket. Right: In the dining area, a red Barovier e Toso chandelier<\/a> hangs above an Eero Saarinen Tulip table and chairs.<\/p>\n","items":false}]},{"slideshow_shortcode":"halliday-melbourne-house","type":"editorial","options":{"fade":"","autoPlay":false,"autoPlaySpeed":5,"prevNextButtons":false},"bring_it_home":false,"title":"","slides":[{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":347383,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

A custom-made leather banquette and Barovier e Toso Murano-glass chandeliers bring comfortable sophistication to the family living area and kitchen of a house in Melbourne.<\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":347403,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

Left: The library of the Melbourne house projects a subtle safari vibe, with a Stark leopard-print rug, zebra-print chair and wheat-sheaf coffee table from 1stdibs. Right: Also in the library are BKH-designed shelving and a chair by Oscar de la Renta<\/a> for Baker.<\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":347393,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

The Melbourne home\u2019s entry hall has vintage starburst mirrors<\/a> and a chaise upholstered in gold Leli\u00e8vre silk velvet.<\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":351373,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

Right: A house in Mosman, on the lower north shore of Sydney, features a sweeping entryway staircase with a Saarinen table, blanc de chine vessels and a beach-themed Massimo Vitali<\/a> photo on the back wall. Right: In the living room are a custom tufted ottoman, Poliform Dune sofa, Vittorio Bonacina<\/a> Eva side chair, Minotti<\/a> Leger side table, Saarinen Tulip side table and Aboriginal art by Minnie Pwerle<\/a>.<\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"","image_title":"","image_url":"","image":351393,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

In his design for Melbourne\u2019s Rosetta restaurant, Halliday included references to Italian culture, such as this digitally produced mural based on Andy Warhol<\/a>\u2018s Last Supper<\/em>.<\/p>\n","items":false}]},{"slideshow_shortcode":"iain-halliday-quick-picks","type":"products","options":{"fade":"","autoPlay":false,"autoPlaySpeed":5,"prevNextButtons":false},"bring_it_home":false,"title":"","slides":[{"link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/furniture\/wall-decorations\/wall-mounted-sculptures\/marc-weinstein-starburst-sculpture\/id-f_1059648\/","image_title":"Mark Weinstein starburst sculpture, 1960s, offered by John Salibello","image_url":"","image":351843,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

\u201c<\/span>Spiky, complex and simple. A great wall piece and reasonably priced.<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/furniture\/lighting\/chandeliers-pendant-lights\/pair-of-chandeliers-andre-arbus\/id-f_1502173\/","image_title":"Pair of Andr\u00e9 Arbus chandeliers, 1950s, offered by Galerie Secula","image_url":"","image":351853,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

\u201c<\/span>Love Venetian chandeliers, particularly the crisp and less curvy refined 1940s classicism of the Arbus versions.<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/furniture\/seating\/armchairs\/red-armchair-desk-chair-osvaldo-borsani-italy-1950s\/id-f_2695632\/","image_title":"Osvaldo Borsani armchair, 1950s, offered by Gaspare Asaro","image_url":"","image":351863,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

\u201c<\/span>Very pretty from any angle and comfortable as a desk, dining or side chair.<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/furniture\/seating\/day-beds\/jean-royere-gondola-daybed\/id-f_1858172\/","image_title":"Jean Roy\u00e8re Gondola daybed, 20th century, offered by Galerie XX","image_url":"","image":351873,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

\u201cI adore <\/span> just about anything by Jean Roy\u00e8re<\/span> \u2014 <\/span>the line work is quirky and incredibly refined at the same time.<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/div>\n","items":false},{"link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/furniture\/tables\/dining-room-tables\/table-royale-maison-jansen\/id-f_716465\/","image_title":"Maison Jansen Royale table, 1960, offered by Little Paris Antiques","image_url":"","image":351883,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

\u201c<\/span>This is a wonderful table <\/span>\u2014<\/span> slender, elegant, practical and at home with many chair styles. Great as a desk as well as for dining.<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n","items":false},{"link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/furniture\/tables\/desks-writing-tables\/gabriella-crespi-z-desk\/id-f_2234452\/","image_title":"Gabriella Crespi Z Desk, 2015, offered by Rita Fancsaly","image_url":"","image":351893,"custom_image_yes_no":false,"caption":"

\u201c<\/span>This desk for me defines 1970s jet-<\/span>set glamour.<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n","items":false}]}],"hide_all_hero_text":false,"disable_amp":false,"contributors":{"hide_byline":false,"columnist":[{"ID":7182,"post_author":"253","post_date":"2014-11-20 23:05:42","post_date_gmt":"2014-11-20 23:05:42","post_content":"\n

Cara Greenberg has been a\u00a0professional freelance writer all her\u00a0adult life, specializing in architecture, interior and furniture design, decorative arts, gardens and travel. She is a frequent contributor to 1stDibs and writes a longstanding weekly design column for Brownstoner, the Brooklyn-based real-estate website. She has been a columnist for\u00a0the\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0Styles section and a contributing editor at\u00a0Metropolitan Home<\/em>,\u00a0Art & Antiques, Art + Auction\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Hamptons Cottages & Gardens<\/em>. She is\u00a0<\/em>the author of several books, including\u00a0Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s<\/em>, and she owns three 19th-century row houses in Brooklyn and Philadelphia and a rustic-modern house in East Hampton, New York.
<\/p>\n","post_title":"Cara Greenberg","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"cara-greenberg","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-08-12 10:06:45","post_modified_gmt":"2025-08-12 14:06:45","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/?post_type=author&p=7182","menu_order":0,"post_type":"contributors","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"photographer":null,"custom_byline":false}},"dibs_designs_tags":null,"dibs_sellers_tags":null,"dibs_creators_tags":null,"dibs_styles_tags":null,"dibs_categories_tags":null,"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/IainHalliday_portrait-e1453908302314.jpg","post_title":"The Magnificent Audacity of Australia’s Iain Halliday","fimg_url":{"thumbnail":{"source_url":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/IainHalliday_portrait-e1453908302314-122x150.jpg","width":122,"height":150},"medium":{"source_url":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/IainHalliday_portrait-e1453908302314-480x590.jpg","width":480,"height":590},"full":{"source_url":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/IainHalliday_portrait-e1453908302314.jpg","width":546,"height":671}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/IainHalliday_portrait-e1453908302314.jpg","apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347183"},{"taxonomy":"dibs-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dibs-categories?post=347183"},{"taxonomy":"dibs-designs","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dibs-designs?post=347183"},{"taxonomy":"dibs-styles","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dibs-styles?post=347183"},{"taxonomy":"dibs-creators","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dibs-creators?post=347183"},{"taxonomy":"dibs-sellers","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/introspective-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dibs-sellers?post=347183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}