As the undisputed heart of the home, the kitchen becomes pivotal in upholding our evolving lifestyle values.
Join Meryl Hare (Hare & Klein), Simona Castagna (Minosa), Jo Lawless (Lawless & Meyerson) and Greg Natale (Greg Natale Design) as we look at how the kitchen has come to hero everything from sustainability to technological innovation, family life and the new work-from-home wave.
Alice Blackwood is an editor, journalist, communications strategist and currently Editor of Indesign magazine. With over 10 years’ experience in architecture, design and media, Alice is a passionate supporter of the Australian design community, profiling the faces and forces behind top projects, innovative products and industry initiatives. “I think the Australian design community is one of the most talented and entrepreneurial in the world. I’m fascinated by all the moving parts – the businesses, the brands, the big-thinkers and everyday-doers – that come together to make up the Australia design industry.” Alice is an active member of the design and media community as a Moderator, MC, Judge, Commentator, Mentor and Advisor.
Meryl Hare is Principal and Design Director of interior design practice Hare + Klein formed in Sydney in 1989. Hare + Klein is a five-time winner of the prestigious Australian Interior Design Awards, has won an Australian Timber Award, the inaugural Future Home Green Interiors Award, H&G’s Top 50 Rooms, was shortlisted for the international 2017 WIN Awards and has been selected for the prestigious Andrew Martin International Design Review in eleven volumes.
Meryl is an Accredited Designer and a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia, she has received a citation for services to the Design Industry and was inducted to the DIA Hall of Fame in 2011 and House & Garden Hall of Fame in 2018.
The practice undertakes mostly residential projects and has a team of 14 design and support staff. As Principal and Design Director, Meryl oversees all of Hare + Klein’s projects.
In 2014 Meryl co-authored with David Clark, a book of Hare + Klein’s work titled ‘Hare + Klein: Texture Colour Comfort’. Her second book, titled ‘Interior’, was released in 2020. Hare + Klein has launched two rug collections of hand-knotted rugs from Nepal through Designer Rugs in 2014 and 2018, with a new collection due for release in 2020. In 2019 she launched HK Edit – a concept store showcasing furniture designed by Hare + Klein and made in Australia as well as rugs and an edit of favourite furniture and objects.
Jo Lawless is an interior designer with over 20 years industry experience having worked on a variety of retail, hospitality and luxury residential commissions throughout Australia, the USA, and Asia.
Having enjoyed the experience of working around the world, Jo has developed an innate style of relaxed sophistication, combining modernism with classic pieces and fine art.
After completing her studies in a Bachelor of Design in Interior Architecture at the University of South Australia, Jo spent her formative years at a large architectural firm before spending 10 years at esteemed design firm Burley Katon Halliday (BKH) working in their Sydney and New York offices.
Jo created Lawless & Meyerson in Sept 2015 with architect Brian Meyerson after setting up the interior design studio within Brian’s architectural firm MHNDU. During her time as an interior designer Jo has successfully completed an array of projects, has had work featured in various design publications and books and has been the recipient of numerous industry design awards.
Multi-award-winning Australian designer Greg Natale is known for his masterly use of pattern and colour, and his bold application of both in creating tailored, curated and sophisticated spaces.
Greg has released two books on interior design showcasing his unique style: The Tailored Interior (published by Hardie Grant Books Australia in 2014 and released in the UK and US the following year) and The Patterned Interior (published by Rizzoli NY in 2018). His designs have featured in numerous local and international publications including Architectural Digest, Harper’s Bazaar, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Vogue Living and Belle Australia.
Among the many awards to his name are International Luxury Designer of the Year for 2016 at High Point Market in North Carolina and, locally, Belle Interior Designer of the Year for both 2011 and 2014. Greg has extended his passion for pattern, line and colour into other design disciplines, exploring his love of geometric and organic designs through the creation of ranges of rugs, carpet, wallpaper, tiles, furniture and homewares.
He has collaborated with local and global brands such as leading Australian firm Designer Rugs, classic French furniture label Grange, and Italian tile experts Bisazza, with whom he launched The Mosaico Collection during Milan Design Week 2017. Latest projects include a furniture range with American company Kindel and a new Greco-Roman wallpaper collection with Sydney-based Signature Prints. Greg continues to expand his business and currently has his own line of products available in Bergdorf Goodman, as well as a new flagship store in Sydney.
Simona Castagna is co-founder and Creative Director of Award winning design studio Minosa. With industry experience spanning over 20 years she has a wealth of industry knowledge and driven to “make life better” for all clients through creating extraordinary interior spaces, from conception to completion.
Focusing on the kitchen and bathroom as hubs of the home, Minosa design luxury environments that foster qualities of organization, comfort, relaxation, security and peace.
For Minosa and Simona in particular, communication is key — by truly understanding the unique needs and desires of her clients, a creative solution can be tailored that considers their nature, supports their routine and enhances their lifestyle. In this way, wellness and indulgence are integrated into every project she completes.
Minosas mission is to set themselves apart through design and expertise; always endeavoring to go beyond the boundaries in their presentation, deliverables and client satisfaction — an approach that is consistently recognized via industry accolades.
Currently Minosa is Sydney’s most awarded Kitchen and Bathroom design studio. Simona’s latest accolade is KBDi Australian Kitchen Designer of the Year.
Aside from design, Simona is passionate about raising her two daughters to be strong citizens of the world, loves hanging with her pooch Larry and is constantly struggling with a cookbook obsession.