Meet Sydney-based interior designer, artist, and mother Dina Broadhurst. Her bold and compelling interiors and artwork are composed with an elegant modern feel and a touch of edginess. This striking creativity lends itself to her approach towards life and a style that’s all her own.
YOUR INTERIOR WORK – AS WELL AS YOUR COLLAGED ART – IS BOLD AND MULTI-FACETED,WHERE DOES THIS AESTHETIC ORIGINATE? My aesthetic for both my art and interiors is very graphic based with composition, shape, colour, and texture all strong players. A discreet edginess, playing with seduction and emotion, and creating relationships between objects is paramount.
WHAT IS ONE ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF GOOD DESIGN? Truth and character.
HAS MOTHERHOOD CHANGED THE WAY YOU STYLE YOUR SPACE OR DO YOU FIND IT COMPLIMENTS YOUR SURROUNDINGS? Motherhood creates a further depth in understanding yourself, life, and emotions so as in any growth and learning you only get a richer sense of how to live, work, and be within spaces and environments with comfort and ease.
HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE YOUR SON TO DEVELOP HIS OWN CREATIVITY? My son Leo is encouraged in every way to experiment. Though music, dance, cooking, books, nature, and using found materials for play or to create something new. I also take him to site visits, art galleries, and travels so he’s exposed to a wide range of different ways to express himself and be creative.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE – WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL DAILY UNIFORM? My personal style is quite simple. I love black on black and I appreciate beautiful craftsmanship, stitching, shape, and cut. I also love denim and soft leathers. A beautifully shaped heel is my weakness and a sculptural boot. I would even buy not to wear but to put on my shelves like a piece of art.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE ON MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE? I think a healthy work-life balance arrives once you are involved with work that is your passion, as it doesn’t feel like a job it feels innate. Time spent visiting galleries or the factories of raw materials is part of the process and is an absolute pleasure to be immersed in. It’s something I would choose to do in my leisure time. It is all related and entwined, so you may not have an off button but you don’t want to. It’s what you breathe and it becomes your life.
HOW DO YOU REJUVENATE AFTER A LONG DAY? A yoga session followed by a hot bath with oil is the perfect night in.
