Inside Hamish & Zoë Foster Blake’s warm and joy-filled Sydney family home
Homeowner Zoë Foster Blake in the living room of her Vaucluse home, vintage Amanta modular sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia; Arflex Marenco armchair and pouf from Space Furniture; Floris Wubben metallic glaze ceramic stool and vase (on right) from Alm; Nalgona wicker armchair by Chris Wolston from The Future Perfect; timber tables designed by YSG and produced by Maiden; Akari floor lamp by Isamu Noguchi for Vitra from Living Edge; Babatree Nosere Yure Art basket and Bomma Hex side table from Spence & Lyda; Pink bramble II (2022) artwork (on left) by Lynda Draper and Fuji no namida—Mother and child (2020) artwork by Hiromi Tango from Sullivan+Strumpf. Zoë wears dress from Gucci and earrings and bangle from Tiffany & Co. Styled by Joseph Gardner, styling assistant Laura Alexandra; fashion styling by Miguel Urbina Tan, fashion assistant Isabella Mamas; hair by Sophie Roberts and make-up by Kristyan Low.
Of all the rooms Zoë Foster Blake loves in her Sydney home—and she loves them all unreservedly—you need to look beyond the embrace of the inviting living area, the eye-catching kitchen complete with an eat-in booth and character-packed bedrooms in the family escape she shares with husband, TV host and broadcaster Hamish Blake, children Sonny and Rudy plus cat Meowbert, for her favourite.
“The powder room is one of my favourites because it’s so unexpected to have such a pretty guest bathroom,” she says of the mottled green-walled, tumbled marble cobblestone-floored space she makes sure every guest experiences. “I love it because it operates on the same philosophy as the one that runs through all my work and particularly Go-To: it has no right to be that fun. I mean, it’s a toilet.”
In the entry, door designed by YSG and produced by Maiden; landscape design by Even Spaces; project builder Promena Projects.
The author and entrepreneur’s skincare business was how Foster Blake met designer Yasmine Ghoniem of YSG. “I felt like there was so much more we could do together,” says Foster Blake after collaborating with Ghoniem on an office redesign for Go-To. “When we decided to move to Sydney, we bought a house that was definitely in need of love and energy and a whole new feeling. Yas was the only choice.”
Amid the pandemic-ridden backdrop of a turbo-charged life upheaval—purchasing the property in 2020, moving to Sydney from Melbourne on New Year’s Day of 2021, designs put into motion in February, moving out in May then moving back in a few days before Christmas—the re-imagining of the four-bedroom home in Vaucluse somehow happened in just nine months.
In another view of the living room, mixed Tropical Leaf pendant light from Casamidy; shelf commissioned by YSG from Saint Cloche. cushions by Christina Lundsteen from Amara; custom velvet seat pads from Rematerialised.
“A project of this scale and detail would take about 18 months to two years,” says Ghoniem. “When someone’s excited to do something cool, you go above and beyond the call of duty to make it happen because it excites you, too. You’re invested and it keeps you motivated but it was tough.”
The key to working so efficiently drew from the “perfect marriage” of client and designer, stemming from a kindred-spirit appreciation of the energising force and celebratory play inherent in the blending of colour, pattern and texture. “For me, it’s about how far can you push a room to delight the eyes without it feeling overstimulating—there’s a fine balance between going nuts with wallpaper, art and rugs and it feeling chaotic like you don’t know where to look,” says Foster Blake. “Yas and I are both creatives and get excited easily. We had to work together to go, ‘All right, how do we make this house rad without it being too much?’”
Zoë Foster Blake with husband Hamish Blake in the kitchen, Rattan terracotta vase by Stephanie Phillips from The DEA Store; vintage pendant light.
Questions were asked from the outset. “We did a questionnaire—both Hamish and I—without sharing our answers, which was great,” says the author. “Favourite music, movies, what do you do on the weekends, how do you spend an evening, where do you spend most of your time? It was a clever way of figuring out how and where we really live in the house, which parts were going to get hammered.”
“One of the questions was, ‘How do you want guests to feel when they come to visit your house?’” recalls Ghoniem. “And I remember Zoë’s answer was she wanted to show people that she was fearless with colour and wasn’t afraid to take risks, while still making sure that she created a beautiful and inviting home. Hamish—I have to laugh—he wanted it to be a seven-star hotel but still have the heartbeat of the little family home.”
In the kitchen, custom island in Brocatello Di Spagna and White travertine from Euro Marble; Iva bar stools from Grazia&co; Icon + Lever mixer in Tuscan Bronze from Astra Walker; Hook and Pull Forme No7 handles from Mi&Gei; Bikini wall lights in Rust #4 by Servomuto from Artemest; Pierre Frey Sur Le Nil Naturel wallpaper from Milgate; cork ice buckets from Spence & Lyda; Structure artwork (on left) by Lucy Anderson from Saint Cloche; brass wall clock by Oji Masanori for Ihada from The DEA Store; Nancy vessel (on right) by Alice Gavalet from Jardan.
Foster Blake’s style influences informed the brief, none more so than hotel design (Kelly Wearstler’s “rich, texturally exciting and interesting” mix of “browns, neutrals, burgundies and oranges” and “elements of Nanna” at Santa Monica Proper was one inspiration) and grounding out-of-the-box thinking was Ghoniem’s signature expressive take on tone and texture seen in the combination of Cambia ash, gold-speckled Portuguese cork, Marmorino plaster and travertine. A retro-leaning aesthetic was given in this “case study in the effectiveness of wallpaper”. “The ’60s and ’70s were wild, that is my favourite design era,” says Foster Blake. “Loads of pattern, unbridled colour and lots of joy.”
The family cat Meowbert in the eat-in dining zone, red lacquer dining table designed by YSG and produced by Maiden; Volcano bowl by Arnaud Barraud from The DEA Store; banquette designed by YSG and produced by Rematerialised in Pierre Frey Opio wool in Pesca from Milgate and Murano leather in Rust from NSW Leather Co; Strikha pendant light by Faina from Tigmi Trading; custom blinds in Tigger Hall Fermoie Sicily fabric from Simple Studio; Missoni cushions from Spence & Lyda; custom flooring designed by YSG in travertine pavers from Ocean & Merchant; Vermillion/ Turquoise (2022) artwork by Will Lynes from China Heights.
Despite the property’s good bones, the configuration of the existing floor plan also needed a serious rethink. “There was a strange energy in the old living and kitchen area,” says Ghoniem. “I took away the rest of the house and was left with that one space. That was where the family would, in my eyes, be day in and day out. And that’s true to this day.”
“We spend most of our time in the kitchen looking out to the salon and it’s such a visual treat,” confirms Foster Blake. “I love the artwork, the sunlight, the giant daybed that the kids love to sit on and read and muck about, and you can see the cactus through the window with its little scalloped curtain. It sparks so much joy, the whole house does. We still can’t believe we get to live in it.”
In the dining room, dining table designed by YSG with top produced by Maiden and legs produced by Mark Surtees of Anomolous; Artifort Suit chairs from Ke-zu; chair (at front) in vintage upholstery produced by Rematerialised; vintage chairs (at rear); bowls (stacked) from Alex & Trahanas; vase, platter, candleholders and coupes, all from Maison Balzac; ’60s Czech glass bowl (on shelf, top right) from Rudi Rocket; Havana decanter and coupe (on bar) from Mr Pinchy.
Perhaps honing in on creating retreat-like bathing spaces draws on simple reflection. “I do so much of my creative thinking in the shower where I am getting ready for the day and the momentum starts,” says Ghoniem. “And that’s where you end up before you go to bed. For me, that area is gold.”
In the entry hallway, custom carpet designed by YSG and produced by Tappeti; commissioned ceramic family portrait artworks (on wall) by Ebony Russell.
A spirit of generosity filters through this home, not only with confident style ideas and design details but through casting character via a multi-focal lens. “It offers so many different ideas, patterns, textures, eras and art,” admits Foster Blake. “Nothing matches and I love that. Collectively, so many competing elements probably shouldn’t work. But with the right eye and the right designer, it has all come together so perfectly. It’s playful yet cosy and there is so much surprise and delight.” Adds Ghoniem: “This is a beautiful project showcasing what can happen if you have trust because the sky’s the limit.”
