Power of a single flower

The Grandiflora Magnolia is one of the finest trees. It stands tall and majestic outside our front door shading us in the heat of the summer and sending out a firework display of enormous fragrant flowers for months.

COLLETTE’S KITCHEN

I picked these broad beans last night in my vegetable garden. I was going to add them to a salad but ended up blanching them and creating a new bruschetta.

Paddington Cottage, Sydney NSW

A sandstone heritage house in the heart of Paddington that needed a total renovation

White House Milton, NSW

This was one of the original dairy farms on the south coast. I kept the old butter shed turning it into a magical bedroom sweetly located a few metres from the main house.

Palm Beach House, NSW

This was a run down 1970s beach shack that had good bones and an incredible view across Pittwater. The challenge was to retain its charm while upgrading. The external walls were painted a pale New England grey and the window frames painted in goose white.

Golf House Luxury Apartments, Sydney NSW

An iconic site in Sydney’s CBD overlooking Central Railway Station Golf House’s urban location demanded a modern treatment.

Black Barn Bowral, Southern Highlands NSW

This was the first barn I renovated.

Piccolo Penthouse, Rome Italy

The top floor of a 200-year-old building in the centro historico in Rome, with ancient wooden beams and terracotta handmade roof tiles was a dream to renovate.

Casa Olivetta, Puglia Italy

I fell in love with the whitewashed truillis and the masserias in Puglia, and the olive groves. Inspired by this we were on a crusade to find a property such as Casa Olivetta that could be lovingly and sympathetically restored.

Watsons Bay, Sydney NSW

This was a former 1920s Masonic lodge that had been renovated in the 1990s. I worked with the scale of the property but also added an intimacy to balance the vast rooms.