Jenny Newton of Jenny Newton Furniture and Interior Design (REDFERN)

Jenny Newton is a well-heeled innovator. Her fervor for considered spaces, natural materials and sustainable futures informs her modern excursions in furniture and interiors.

Tell us about the facets of your business?
Jenny Newton Furniture and Interior Design offers a full interior design and renovation service, specialising in cutting edge environmentally friendly design and building. The showroom showcases the in house urban rustic furniture range as well as soft furnishings and textiles by other local and eco conscious designers. We are based in Sydney but also have offices in London and Hong Kong.

You’ve moved between South Africa, Zaire and Paris to Dublin, London and the Cayman Islands. How has your nomadic journey influenced your aesthetic?
I have definitely been very inspired by different cultural aesthetics, in particular indigenous cultures. Perhaps my passion for mud and hemp in building has been inspired by my African roots. There are many similarities between African tribal aesthetics and Australian Aboriginal style and I love incorporating this into my contemporary urban approach. Living in Europe for so long has also ingrained in me an appreciation for beautiful, classical buildings and a design approach that stands the test of time.

The Newton Collection furniture line is inspired by the synergy of materials in unexpected ways. Tell me about an example.
I love combining fine and delicate fabrics such as silk and muslin, with industrial elements such as raw, rusted steel. The Tennyson range of dining tables incorporates a woven linen table top with stainless steel legs. I wanted to introduce something softer and less obvious than wood as a standard tabletop.

How do you go about reclaiming the natural materials for your furniture designs and where are the collections made?
I often make trips to Asia and Europe and so am able to pick up one off pieces. However I do have a supplier for my “Alchemy” dining room collection in Northern China who reclaims wood from old houses that are being knocked down. My collections are made both locally as well as in Asia.

What has been your most ambitious project?
A bachelor pad in Hong Kong with a jacuzzi on the roof, which we lifted 29 floors up the side of the building. The client also had glass walls between the bedroom and bathroom, which turned frosted or clear at the flick of a switch and a Da Vinci style ceiling mural that could only be seen under UV lights (the rest of the time the ceiling just looked white!).

Who do you admire abroad?
Ireland for leading the world in sustainable design in my opinion, especially when it comes to the engineering of hemp building.

What’s your favourite innovation in the interiors industry?
My favourite innovation is a revolutionary cellulose building board that looks like concrete but is 100% recyclable and carbon zero. It can be used as a tile, as wall cladding or instead of gypsum board. It is waterproof and can be used both inside and outdoors, which makes it incredibly versatile as well as eco-friendly. It is currently just being launched in Australia, and was engineered here.

With the advancement of on-screen technologies our attachment to physical space is diminishing. What’s key to modern interiors?
Understanding that it is completely possible to work in harmony with our landscape, and that there are eco friendly building options available that do not harm our environment. Key to modern interiors is designing with integrity for the planet. Buildings globally account for 40% of carbon dioxide emissions. However building with hempcrete, for instance, actually absorbs CO2 during its manufacture and so has a negative embodied CO2.

In looking towards a positive future, what can we as consumers do?
Become aware of the materials we use in building and realise how detrimental these often are not only for the environment, but for our general health; and educate ourselves on the alternative options available.

Jenny Newton
95 Regent St, Redfern. T:9698 4078

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