Interior Stylist, Megan Morton is truly a master of styling sorcery. Styling, designing and facilitating inspired creative workshops at ‘The School’ are just a few of the things that keep her busy (not to mention her beautiful family). Yet no matter where she lands, she manages to make the space a little piece of heaven.
The blanc de blanc approach for the home interior style of ‘The School’ is a perfect blank canvas for the evolving creative needs of the space. Photographic studio one minute with natural light beaming off the all white surfaces, and Shibori workshop the next, full of creative souls enjoying a special kind of morning tea with friends.
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Simplicity and soulfulness seems to be the essence of Sydney-based Megan Morton’s design philosophy. Whether it’s her home interior style or photography layouts, she manages to dig deep and find the things that tell a story. Pairing back to a few curated pieces in a room is a real challenge, but Megan has this skill down-pat.
“Stylists are doing one thing one day, another the next and by weeks end have been asked to do the impossible”, she writes in her book, Things I Love. Well, she certainly makes it look easy.
Her concepts are shared among florists, photographers, engineers, embroiderers and general craftsman in a variety of impressive trades.
According to Megan, “What (stylists) do best is work with other people who are really good at their thing and deliver a result that works for everybody.”
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It is within these circles that she shares her success, acknowledging the teams of experts that make her style and its outcomes beyond amazing.
“Having something lovely to look at” is important to her, especially in her own interior style. When creating a space that is personal to you, it can be difficult to find a starting point. Great design is often found in detail that doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive – a small token that generates a memory or a moment that you can’t not have on display such as handwritten postcards, a collection of watches or a pile of linen bound books. Seeing your prized possessions in all their glory as you pass them each and every day is priceless.
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Making the most of what you’ve got is another great lesson from Megan. She writes about awkward spaces or ‘kooky small rooms’. Her approach is to embrace what you have and allow life to take place in these spaces just as they are supposed to. Never just assume a space has to take the path it has in the past. Transforming a usually ignored corner into a cosy reading nook or the space under the stairs into an office changes the way you think about your space and can open your way of living into something you had never imagined.
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“Houses don’t need to stick to one colour palette”
Megan has been seen to experiment in her own home with painting half of the floor black and the other white just to experience the difference of living in a space with two contrasting floors. There is no greater way to know what works best for you in your home until you have lived in it. Have fun with colour, because a change is as good as a holiday.
So, next time you need to make a decision on refreshing your own space, take a leaf from the pages of Morton’s style files: be original, create a space that tells your own story and have fun along the way!
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TOP 10 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT Megan Morton:
- She rocks a maxi skirt like no other
- Her genuine admiration and respect for all of the creative counterparts that support her
- Ability to hero a few key pieces in a room that could be tempted with waaay to much ‘stuff’
- ‘The School’ and all of its unique and expert workshops
- Appreciates the elements and principles of design ‘rules’, but isn’t afraid to break them
- Gypsy soul that makes a work/family life balance seem possible
- Appreciation for handmade craftsmanship
- The collection of arm jewels. Just WOW!
- Values a great sense of humour
- Appreciation for art
Top 5 Megan Morton styles I love:
- The most successful colour schemes have a dominant colour and a subordinate colour
- When things go wrong, it can force you to create a new set of solutions even better than the first
- A mantra of ‘something old, something new, something rough, something smooth’
- Don’t use the straight-backed seating from the 16th Century when no one had time to sit down
- Even if something is expensive, it only has value if you love it.
This article was written by Kylie Monteleone, @Spacedresser and Designbx interior designer.
