STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL, PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

The Japanese architect Tadao Ando once said, “I believe that the way people live can be directed a little by architecture.” The monochrome palette of Chelsea Hing’s design for Orchard House reflects Ando’s credo, beside brutalist walls it’s the furniture, and the people that dwell amongst it, that complete the home with life and colour.

“From day one, I’ve relished the simple act of sitting at my drawing board, thinking through the pencil, testing out design ideas, staying loose and not getting too fixed on an outcome - this is the true joy of design for me,” explains Chelsea. “It has been the same for 20 years, and I love the history these simple implements hold for me in my design career. I still use them today.”

Following stints with Janne Faulkner at Nexus Designs and Jeff Copolov at Bates Smart, Chelsea opened her own tight-knit studio with studio manager Nicole Hall and senior designer Andrea Mancuso. 

“I grew up in a house with the ‘good room’ that no one ever used and I never understood that,” she says.

For Chelsea, the key to thoughtful interior design is about living among our elements. “Get the foundations right first. An incredible floor plan that embraces the natural intuition of the house, creating flow and embracing light where it falls,” explains Chelsea. 

When asked about what it takes to create great design, Chelsea quips, “Confidence. Thoughtfulness. Experience. Risk.” On her style, she offers the tenets of her practice, “Charismatic. Knowledgeable. Poetic. Heartfelt. Detailed. Established.” 

Chelsea work for Parkville Terrace highlights her respect for the regal character of the home while adding splashes of her elegant signature details; materials speak for themselves, colour is used to bring out a room not crowd it, and furniture that isn’t just ornamental - it works with the personality of the room.

It’s no surprise that Chelsea draws inspiration from the masters of sculpture; Rodin, Giacometti and Brancusi. She adds, “The love of silhouette still shines through in our work. We’re a small studio with a big aesthetic.” 

Over the past 14 years, Chelsea has sharpened her aesthetic and just last year, she opened an office for her studio in Daylesford. 

“We have a beautiful office in Vincent St, open by appointment. Daylesford has always had a high level of romance. It’s a lovely historic town and a great central base to service the surrounding areas,” she says. 

“We’re excited to work with clients on rural properties and homesteads that need our take on interiors crafted with character – this works in either a contemporary or a country context. And we have a beautiful office in Vincent St - open by appointment.”

Chelsea Hing

8506 0417

www.chelseahing.com.au

1–2 / 57 Vincent Street, Daylesford