MICHELLE BANARES
TASTEMAKER SERIES
Talk us through a typical day in the life of Michelle Banares.
I work from home and freelance so my day-to-day changes A LOT.
One day I could be running around from shoot to events and other days I’m sitting in the dining room planning out a concept and a team for a dream client — so there’s never really the same work day. That aspect keeps my job fun!
You’ve spoken about always being drawn to interior styling, even from a young age. What has been the allure and how do you showcase your personality through interiors?
Interiors has always been something I’ve been drawn to (ever since I was little). The fascination with creating beautiful but intentional spaces probably started with my love for doll houses and being able to customise all the rooms!
And I guess that love has trickled its way down to the Mish I am today. Things like that never go away I don’t think! I’ve travelled to some cool places over the years — so being able to collect things from my travels has really helped with making our space really “ours”. Let alone the injection of inspiration you get when you travel to places like Paris and Copenhagen, is truly unmatched. I draw a lot of inspo from these two places for their love of minimalism and wood.
What advice would you give to someone trying to find or define their own personal style, in fashion or at home?
Patience! Coming from someone who very much.. isn’t. But I like to remind myself! Curation and personal style is a work-in-progress and it doesn’t happen overnight.
And choose pieces that you ACTUALLY like, you’ll notice that if you follow trends your place ends up looking like a crazy visual scrapbook. Which can work sometimes but if it’s intentional the space can really be transformed!
Must-have pieces from our collection?
I might be biased (because I already own them) but I love my Oslo Coffee Table and the Beau Bench Seat in Walnut. I love mixing chrome and wood together, it scratches an itch in my brain!
Melbourne, Victoria
Local Guide
Coffee spot:
Currently I’ve been loving a ‘Mont Blanc’ from Good Measure! Warning, it’s not for the faint hearted. Expect to be bouncing off the walls after. It has this yummy cream on top with orange zest.. thank me later!
Bar with the best mood:
Caretakers Cottage in the city! It’s small and intimate which I love but the cocktails are AMAZING and on a hot summers night you can sit on the lawn just outside.
Go-to dinner spot:
Cam's Kiosk in Abbotsford, order the Napoli Pasta with Burrata with a natural wine or Good Days in Brunswick, order the Chicken and Rice!
Favourite way to spend time off:
Doing anything with my boys!
After a little more?
If you’re new to Melb, book a table at Marion and order the vodka pasta and the bread (use the bread to dip into the sauce once you’ve demolished the pasta). After something boujee? Drinks and snacks at Gimlet have never let me down. And lastly (if you have time), visit the NGV! I love looking at art and pursuing the coffee table books at the gift shop!
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