A globe-trotting lifestyle meant a monochromatic interior was a matter of necessity for Lucy Mowat. We take a closer look at her contemporary style
The interior of this Auckland home has an international story
A globe-trotting lifestyle has taken Lucy and her banker husband, Paul, to homes in Tokyo, London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne. Even her children were born half a world apart: Felix, 10, in Sydney and Rocco, four, in London. It’s no surprise that this international outlook extends to personal style.
Here she’s wearing a blazer and lace shirt by a Copenhagen label called Baum und Pferdgarten, from one of her favourite stores, Maman in Auckland’s Remuera. As for what you’ll find in her Auckland home, Lucy’s surrounded herself with a globally sourced selection of well-designed items.
She describes her personal style as “modern, contemporary, classic and fresh” and sums up her idea of what makes for successful interiors as “a strong colour palette, layered with classic modern, fun pieces of furniture and homeware that you love and that makes you happy. Also loads of beautiful bunches of flowers and foliage” Lucy’s bright accents of colour throughout her home offset a base of black and white which in her case was a matter of necessity.
“We have lived in so many houses and apartments in different parts of the world,” says Lucy, “I often didn’t have the budget or the landlord wasn’t flexible about changing a lot, so a black and white palette always worked well.”
If Lucy has a design secret, it could be her sense of humour. “I believe humour is an essential in every part of our lives, which of course, includes the home,” she says. Witty artworks and objects like a tiny grand piano bear out her words.
Now well settled in Auckland, Lucy launched her business, Lifestyle Society, about a year ago. “An events-based group designed for the style-minded who have immigrated to New Zealand,” according to Lucy, “its main goal is to inspire, educate and inform guests.”
Lucy says she began Lifestyle Society partly because “I have a good understanding and sympathy for those who move halfway across the world and find themselves in a foreign environment.”
Words by: Naomi Larkin, Paul Little. Photography by: Rebekah Robinson.
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