Janine Mezrani portrays Geoffrey Clark’s home located in Paddington. She describes its decoration and modern art collection. BELLE INTERIORS. TWENTY-FIFTH ANIVERSARY ISSUE. April-May 1999. Page 110.

Having the contents of his antique shop to play with, Geoff Clark of The Country Trader created a home as eclectic as the store itself

When antiques dealer Geoff Clark acquired his 1850 stonemason’s cottage in Sydney’s Paddington, he had only to look 100 metres down the street for the furnishings. As proprietor of The Country Trader, the furniture store he started in 1983, Clark enjoys the luxury of changing his home environment whenever he chooses. An eclectic mix of eccentric, one-off pieces and antiques constantly moves between shop and home like participants in a game of musical chairs.

But, ironically, it is not the furniture that dictates the focus of the home. It is Clark’s beloved collection of modern art. “I wanted a clean uncluttered backdrop where I could put modern art with textured elements and pieces.” He says. Take, for instance, the wild swirl of colour and texture in the painting by Emily Kame Kngwarreye in the living room. Beneath it sits an old intentionally nondescript sofa which, explains Clark. “I wanted a clean uncluttered backdrop where I could put modern art with textured elements and pieces.” Another intention of the owner is to adapt the house for all seasons. In summer the home is configured around the garden where he spends most of the time. During winter, the fireplace holds centre stage. Removing internal walls and corridors was the key to creating a great sense of space in what is essentially a small, two-storey house. It houses Clark and his two Labradors intimately, but can easily open to absorb 40 or 50people.

A favourite piece of furniture which Clark has possessed since the early 1980s lies upstairs near the bedroom. ‘The Shell Cupboard’ typifies his love of the eccentric that is so inherent in The Country Trader. It is a large, garish piece of furniture emblazoned with advertising logos. “I like the surprise of it,” he says, “the strength of colour on a very naïve piece of furniture – it’s literally axed out of slab wood – and the crass commercialism is really amusing to me.” The cupboard, signed by singwriter/painter George Hughes, works as a dramatic gesture of almost sculpture-like proportions, and only need the accompanying painting, again by Kngwarreye., the highlight of the confident use of colour in both pieces. Individual elements like the cupboard are “heroes”, according to Clark. “They can be used in very strong, clean spaces,” he says. “I think they bring a focal point which is missing in a lot of contemporary furniture.”

Other heroes are the two generous chairs in the downstairs living room. The William and Mary English period chairs are dated to 1690 and are still covered in their original leather. The powerful, heavy forms balance well against the textured sandstone wall – their off-beat edge adds a playful flavour to the interior. Clark has since moved from the house in search of high ceilings, a view and off-street parking (a luxury on its own inner-city Sydney). “It was my time,” sighs Clark. “I get bored quite quickly. I am passionate about creating spaces.”

JANNINE MEZRANI
BELLE INTERIORS
TWENTY-FIFTH ANIVERSARY ISSUE
April-May 1999. Page 110 Back