Lily Fu: Co-founder of L I V E/liv/Art Lab brand, Bachelor of Interior Architecture with Honors from UNSW, Master of Project Management Risk Control from USYD.
Starting from Yunnan, it has been rooted in Australia for 15 years. Growing from an interior architect to an all-around curator, these experiences overlap with my current home. Her own space aesthetics creates a unique and livable environment for her and her family through design and art.
Lily's new home is in the open highlands in northern Sydney, adjacent to multiple national parks and boasting rich and beautiful natural features.
Entering the residential area, you will encounter the Rose Seidler House, which was built by modernist master Harry Seidler for his parents in the 1950s. Lily, who had just started studying architecture, came here to visit. Unexpectedly, many years later, she would also place her home nearby.
Walking a little further, you will see corridors under the eaves with white and different layers of red bricks from the inside to the outside, supported by thin Roman columns... This unique double-story old house with a pitched roof is the one we visited this time. destination.
01 Major renovation of the old house to let the light in
In Lily's mind, the ideal "home" not only has an overall sense of design, but also incorporates personal preferences. Transforming an unfamiliar old house into a warm home bit by bit is also a challenging creative project for her, who majored in interior architecture design as an undergraduate.
Before the renovation, all the old furniture in the old house had been moved out.
She lived in this empty state for a while,
friends who stayed there jokingly called it a "tramp's" home.
Q: How do you design your home?
A: When my husband and I were designing our home, we faced the layout constraints and budget considerations of the old house, which were far more trivial than imagined. Old houses have many walls that divide a large space into several smaller spaces. Most rooms also have at least two doors, leading in all directions like a maze.
Many walls were knocked down and many new walls were built. This process removes unnecessary tight spaces, making what remains more independent and quiet. Because we respect each other's needs and habits, we attach great importance to preserving personal space.
The living room used to be a corridor between different spaces.
After sealing the door, it becomes a semi-open area.
Through the arch, this place belongs to Lily,
here she is, doing yoga, reading, drawing, and playing drums.
The renovation also made the public areas more transparent. There are many windows in Lily's house, providing more natural lighting, so that the indoor and outdoor gardens echo each other, and each window provides a view.
Huimi, as one of the family members,
stop at different windows.
Q: Is there any principle behind the family?
A: Create an open and warm environment so that every family member can find a sense of belonging in this space.
The same is true for Hui Mi. There is no need to specially set up a cat aisle or a cat climbing frame on the wall. Instead, her various toys and daily necessities are distributed in every corner. She will be more "confident" and can feel that she too Owner of the entire home.
Cats relax in a pet-friendly home.
02 Home is a garden connected to the seasons
The house is surrounded by a private garden. Lily, who was born in Yunnan, has loved gardening since she was a child, and Sydney happens to be one of the spring cities in the world, which is suitable for cultivating a variety of plants. Spending time in the garden with nature and focusing on the present is a long-standing way of relaxing for her.
Q: Will you update the space regularly?
A: I will establish a connection between the seasons and space, and change them frequently to explore the most comfortable seasonal life. In addition to replacing hanging paintings and home furnishings with different themes, the most intuitive thing is flowers. They best reflect the seasons, and when paired with special utensils, they can often refresh the atmosphere of the space.
Lily's floral creations for her own wedding,
on Loft Square Table.
Flowers and green plants scattered around the home,
with Pat-Pat Stool and 20°Coffee Table in different sizes.
As early as a few years ago when she was a graduate student, Lily opened a floral studio with her friends. They did not pursue popular styles, but explored stories of different spaces and activities based on the needs and tastes of the protagonists. "When we better display every organism that represents life in the space where we exist, we gain the greatest motivation and the greatest happiness since learning design."
03 Like a curator, curate my home
As a curator, Lily often needs to find a balance between creativity and function, combine the knowledge of space design with the display of artworks, and create a unique exhibition time and space through differentiation in layout, color, material, etc. Provide audiences with impressive artistic interactions.
Q: How do you understand “design” and its relationship with “art”?
A: Art and design are essentially the same, they are both innovation and exploration.
To me, design is about creating a space that blends beauty, functionality and personality. Good design is not to cater to trends or satisfy the public, but to add the designer's thinking on the basis of solving problems. Therefore, design is not only layout and decoration, but also an art of lifestyle. At home, I am inspired by interesting designs.
Q: Do you “curate” exhibitions in your home?
A: The content at home will be more life-oriented, and I will hang my collection of paintings on different walls. However, it will take a long time to form a large-scale collection. What we can do now is to tell a story in each special area.
Alexander Hill, the artist known as the "Australian Picasso",
"Self-Portrait of an Artist" created in 1988.
Lily believes that all art is contemporary because art is a reflection of the times and carries the artist's understanding and expression of the present. And everyone’s home is also an artistic expression of their own space, observing and responding to changes in lifestyle. In a sense, everyone is the curator of their own space, coordinating diversified layouts with different styles and ways of thinking on the basis of mutual respect.
Lily & Jianze
Q: What is your first impression of Jianze?
A: It gives me an abstract and inspiring feeling, like expressing the subtle but important relationship between space and things, or a door to infinite possibilities. Each unique "room" is a new story and connection.
The symbol "0" reminds me of the beginning of infinite possibilities, a blank waiting to be created and filled.
Q: Which three of Jianze’s products are your favorite?
A: Loft Square Table: The line details that surprised me the most make the dining environment more integrated and fun.
Jenga Cabinet: My kitten likes to crawl around in it very much. Cabinets of different colors can also create different atmospheric corners. Sometimes they can also be used as side tables and storage cabinets.
Pat-Pat Stool: There is no doubt that it is a small pouf that every guest must embrace. It satisfies everyone’s curiosity, is warm and cute, and can be used in any corner.
"When you are very sure about something,
you will feel completely free. "
Past experiences gradually converge into the present,
the life time and space you want will always be ready to come out.
