2007 Lace Commission Government House, Sydney

2007 lace curtain commission, government house, sydney

In 2007 I was commissioned to design a contemporary lace curtain for the State Rooms of Government House. The project To Furnish a Future was part a five-year refurbishment plan by the Historic Houses Trust to redesign the interior of Government House. Throughout a three-year interview period I presented new concepts and methodologies for the lace curtain - to a series of judging panels consisting of leading architects, historians, curators and design experts.

The final design pays homage to botanical illustrations by the Scott sisters who lived in Darlinghurst, Sydney in the 1920’s.The lace design references flora unique to NSW. The treatment of the floral is contemporary in its layout, scale and open repeat. These investigations combine technical and aesthetic innovation.
One hundred meters of lace was woven for the commission by Scottish mill Morton Borland & Young which houses one of the widest lace looms in the world.

Photo Credit: Paul Pavlou, Morton Borland & Young