Queen of style

Sydney interior designer Tamsin Johnson and her husband Patrick Johnson have a deep connection with Paddington. Tamsin’s shop, No. 33, on William St, is a boutique emporium dedicated to her favourite pieces, while Patrick’s P Johnson is a glamorous custom tailor tucked away on Walker Ln.

Tamsin has now released an incredible book, Spaces for Living, published by New York publisher Rizzoli. 

Responsible for a host of well-known interiors including of restaurants, residences and shops — such as the recently launched Lucy Folk next door to her own No. 33 — Tamsin describes her style as timeless.

“When I buy a piece of furniture, I always ask: will it still be good in 20 years’ time?” she writes in Spaces for Living. “Beauty does not date, and 'good design' may enjoy many lives and many homes.”

She notes vintage and antique pieces can add lustre to any residence.

“The way pre-loved objects can defy the decades and evolve through different life cycles is one of the things I love about them. Another is that it is of course near impossible to come across the same piece twice. Antiques enable me to bring something unique to each space, wrapped in a slight air of mystery that interweaves with the familiar and the contemporary.”

She says the key to a great interior design is clarity and balance.

“There’s a certain balance I seek, where a space looks appealingly layered but not ‘decorated’, where a design appears effortless rather than forced. I am by no means a minimalist, but my instinct guides me in the process of removing the unnecessary to ensure a space doesn’t feel cluttered. I add, and edit, and remove, and assess, until the space feels right. For me, that occurs when the pieces appear as if they have always been there, regardless of the era when they were created.”
These images are extracted from Tamsin’s new book, Spaces for Living.

No. 33

33 William St

tamsinjohnson.com 

Spaces for Living by Tamsin Johnson and Fiona Daniels (Rizzoli, $110).