HOUSE CALL // the ideal home

Douglas Snelling chair and foot stool, 1957 (timber and synthetic webbing); Douglas Snelling cabinet, 1949 (timber); George Nelson 'Bubble' lamp, 1947-70s (plastic and metal)

Robin Boyd 'House of Tomorrow', designed 1949 (model made 1992)

Wolfgang Sievers 'House of Tomorrow' photographs, 1949 (printed 1990)

Grant and Mary Featherston 'Numero IV' lounge suite, 1973-74 (polyurethane foam, ABS plastic and wool); Grant and Mary Featherston dining setting, 1969 (stem, plastic, timber, metal, rubber and fabric); Korban/Flaubert 'Swaylamp' floor lamp, 2002 (background); Marc Newson 'Helice' floor lamp, 1993 (foreground)

Catherine O'Donnell 'Sirius Topography (series)', 2018 (3M vinyl tape 471)

Mid century modern style made a comeback years ago and it's not going away any time soon and for good reason - great design. I recently saw The Ideal Home exhibition and although it's very small, it's worth it if you're in the area (there's a larger second site at MAAS Powerhouse in Ultimo). The exhibit shows a slice of history with examples of what a 20th century Australian home looked like with furnishings and household items from the MAAS Collection.

In this era Australia had one of the highest rates of home ownership in the world and suburbs grew quickly. Modern technology and mass manufacturing made goods readily available to consumers and time saving products allowed more leisure. While modernist designers created trends in architecture, interiors and design internationally, Australian pioneers made their own mark. Architect Robin Boyd's creations are featured as well as iconic furniture designers Grant and Mary Featherston.

Another interesting and unexpected element was the installation of drawings of the Sirius brutalist apartment block. I've written before about the threat of redevelopment that the iconic building is facing in my Save Our Sirius post. Catherine O'Donnell has covered the walls with tape outlines of the Sirius footprint, floor plans and elevations to showcase this treasure in a fresh way.

Australians embraced mid century modern as it represented comfort, style and function. 100 years later it is a lifestyle that we still aspire to today.