Your name: Linda Delaney
What you do: Interior Design, Decoration, Styling and Project Management. As director and owner of North Shore Interiors, I provide design services to clients on Sydney’s lower north shore and greater Sydney metropolitan area. I have also started contributing to Luxury Home Design magazine where you can find my design tips and favourite products featured in the What’s Hot section.
Your latest project: Current home project: Fitting out and furnishing a Contemporary home renovation overlooking Sydney Harbour in picturesque Mosman Bay. Last commercial project: Café fit out in Harris Street, Pyrmont.
Who are three people that inspire/excite you:
1) Amanda Talbot – she is originally a country girl like me and her global success as an editor, design professional, trend forecaster and now author is impressive.
2) Suzanne Trocmé – apart from her obvious talent as a Curator, Author and Furniture Designer Suzanne’s ability to juggle an international career with four children gives me hope!
3) My two beautiful daughters – they are kind, smart, funny, exhilarating and show a tenacity and enthusiasm for life that I truly admire. They inspire me to be a solid role model for them.
What is your favourite…
Travel destination: Italy – My heritage is Italian and I love everything about it: the culture, the style and the relaxed attitude. I get a genuine kick out of speaking the language when I’m there.
Hotel/place to stay: Omni Berkshire Place in NYC – it’s in the heart of all the places I love to visit when I’m in New York. They also have a great restaurant in the hotel, which is important when you’re too tired to eat out.
Luxury goods company: Bottega Veneta – it’s ever so luxurious!!!
Value for money company: Ikea for its Ikea PS 2012 collection. A new PS (limited edition) collection comes out every three years. The designs are fantastic and they represent great value for money.
Design classic: All things ‘Eames’ and more recently all things ‘Patricia Urquiola’.
New design: Alain Gilles ‘Big Table’ from Italy and available at Fanuli Furniture. What gorgeous legs!
Type of chair: Coterie lounge chair and the Allee chair both designed by Suzanne Trocmé for Bernhardt Design (available in Australia at Ke-Zu)
Meal: Fish Pie at Burnt Orange Café, George’s Head and Seafood Risotto at the Bather’s Pavilion, Balmoral Beach.
Restaurant: Hawthorne – Mosman. It has a great ambience and great food. Some days I just go in and hang out in the bar area, scoffing scones, sipping tea and working on my computer. It’s my second office.
Drink: Champagne – there’s always something to celebrate!
Bar: The Wine Library, Woollahra by day. Zeta Bar at The Hilton by night. Not that I get to bars very often these days… I hear the new Gilt Lounge at the QT Hotel is uber-cool but last time I went it was still just the Gowings Building!
Item of clothing for…
Winter: I love wearing winter hats, a result of my time living in North America. Apart from the practical warmth, I think they complete a winter outfit.
Summer: Footwear – so many choices, each brings a different dimension to the same outfit.
Artwork: Mia Oatley’s ‘Contemplation’ – I’m going through a reflective stage at the moment so this piece resonates with me.
Artist: Harriet Goodall – her weaving techniques are just gorgeous, particularly her illuminants. Check out Harriet’s website for weaving workshops. I’m doing one!
Gallery/museum: Musee d’Orsay, Paris – The architecture, the art, the sculptures….all the way to the dazzling chandeliers, paintings and gilded ceilings in the restaurant (restored to its former circa 1900 glory) – it’s spectacular!
Book: “Sons & Brothers: The days of Jack & Bobby Kennedy” I have always been fascinated by all things Washingtonian, in particular the Kennedy era. Having lived in Washington DC makes me realise how truth can be stranger than fiction.
Item in your studio: I have this inspirational piece which says: “Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out”. Like everybody, my life is full of ups and downs so I have it as a reminder to keep things simple and to approach things optimistically. Somehow, everything seems to work out in the end. It’s all in how you view it.
Piece of technology: I am ‘mac’ all the way! My absolute favourite is my MacBook Air. It stores every aspect of my life, family and business. It fits nicely in my satchel so I can take it with me everywhere.
Historical figure: Leonardo da Vinci is the epitome of diverse talent in my view. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer. His discoveries were way ahead of his time and he appeared fearless in his pursuit to make new discoveries across a broad spectrum of often un-related fields of interest. A true inspiration!
Fictional character: Juliet Capulet from Shakespeare’s ’Romeo & Juliet’. I even travelled to Verona, Italy to view the balcony where the play was set. Apart from the obvious intrigue of a secret tryst between Juliet and her love…not to mention the ensuing drama… I find it a captivating tale of two waring families who are in the end united by the tragic death of the young lovers. “For never was a story of more woe / than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” Love it!
Vice: My tenacity. It can drive some people crazy. My husband says I can be like a dog with a bone. As I’ve got older I have tried to soften it. Moving from the corporate sector into the design industry, it’s been important not to carry some of those hard traits over. It doesn’t always bode well. It is however effective during building projects where it’s the only way to get anything done on time and to budget. It’s all about balance I guess.
Virtue: Without a doubt it would have to be my optimism. A former boss once told me I had ‘tenacity to envy’ but thinking back I think tenacity is merely a product of optimism. I have an expectation that somehow everything will work out. It’s just a matter of finding a way to make it all happen – somehow.
What does the term ‘Design Hunter’™ mean to you? Seeing a fabulous piece and thinking how perfect it would be for a client, even when the job was finished some time ago. No hunt is ever “finished” — you could be hearing from me at any time!
About Linda Delaney and North Shore Interiors
Linda Delaney is the owner and manager of North Shore Interiors, a company that provides interior design, decorating, styling and project management services to Sydney’s lower north shore and greater Sydney metropolitan area. You can also find Linda in the pages of Luxury Home Design magazine where she is a contributing editor sharing her tips and the latest in “What’s Hot”. Linda’s extensive local supplier contacts as well as those in New York and South Carolina, can assist you with your next home or commercial project.
Follow Linda Delaney on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and on Instagram @nshoreinteriors.
North Shore Interiors on the web: www.nsinteriors.com.au