Talk Shop: Amy Spargo // Maine House Interiors
ABOUT AMY
Interior Designer Amy Spargo’s passion for her craft started at ten years old, when she began her first project – her bedroom. Amy remembers styling all of her trinkets and toys and making her bed perfectly before asking her mother, a decorator herself, to photograph the space. We definitely could say Amy had some serious foresight, as her account, Maine House Interiors, is one of our absolute favorite fellow designers to follow on Instagram.
Amy believes a house should represent the journey of your life, which is a belief we are firmly rooted in at AOI, too. “A home should tell a story of where you have been and what’s important to you. I aim to create spaces that feel like a home to my client, and a welcoming reflection of their lives to friends and family who visit,” Amy says. She enjoys working with colour and prints, and always ensures the addition of an unexpected element of surprise (you might recall the gorgeous hydrangea wallpapered entryway that went viral on Instagram!)
Amy sources objects and furniture from both high-end, acclaimed Australian and international suppliers as well as one off pieces, found by scouring antique stores, which Amy says can elevate an interior from feeling predictable to unique (we agree!) She believes in supporting local artists, builders and trades, too – whether it’s constructing custom joinery designs, upholstering bespoke furniture items or bringing a space to life through art, this designer knows that the devil lies in the details.
After graduating from Interior Design at RMIT, Amy’s formal design career started at Rothe Lowman Architects, where she formed an understanding of large scale projects, working on the well known Art Series hotels. From there she worked for Nexus Designs, a boutique design firm in Melbourne under Janne Faulkner AM, who remains one of her greatest inspirations. Amy moved to Sydney and opened Nexus’s NSW office, before founding Maine House Interiors with over 12 years experience in the design industry. “Perhaps it was my short stint at University, studying Behavioural Science - or because I take the responsibility as a designer to really understand how you live, what you love, what's important to you and how you enjoy spending your time, to heart,” she says. “This understanding forms the foundation of every one of my interiors. It’s why no two interiors will ever be the same; because we are all different and every design is tailored to each unique client's needs.”
With all of these accomplishments, the most fulfilling part of each project to Amy is the reveal of a completed space. “To see the expression on my client’s face, knowing that I have created their imagined vision – I am often asked by happy clients, “how did you know what I wanted!?” We agree, there’s no better feeling. We sat down with the Maine House Interiors principal and founder to chat all things design – read more below!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Classic, colourful, and welcoming.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
My childhood home, it was full of blue and white china, patterned fabrics and surrounded by the most beautiful garden. My Mum too, she has the incredible talent of mixing high end and low-end pieces in a house, always creating a welcoming space that family and friends feel comfortable in. Later in life, it was holidays to the US, where I found a style of architecture and interiors that felt so right, to me.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I side stepped into interiors after a short stint in behavioural science at university. A leave of absence due to glandular fever was the turning point. I realised I wanted to study and build a career in a field that I was already so passionate about, so I never went back to Psychology (although I have to say, it has helped me a lot in this career!). I started working at a large architectural firm, followed by a small interiors studio where I gained insight and experience, which gave me the skills and confidence to launch Maine House Interiors. My favourite part of my job would have to be meeting so many wonderful clients, getting to know them and their families and ultimately creating spaces that they call home. I think the relationship between designer and client is so special, it relies on a huge amount of trust and I feel blessed to be able to work with so many wonderful people, all while doing what I love.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I have had several mentors in my life, all incredibly strong women who have been so pivotal in my career, at various stages. Janne Faulkner who founded Nexus Designs where I worked for a number of years, was an Australian design icon, even well into her 80’s Janne lived and breathed design. She taught me the importance of surrounding yourself in different cultures, people and places and taking inspiration from all these experiences, into our designs. My mother too, a decorator herself, who is a little bolder than I am. Mum’s taught me not to be too ‘neat’ with my designs, and to throw in the element of the unexpected, which always seems to be the thing that makes the room pop…Mums are always right!
What does your home say about you:
We live right on the beach; the décor is fresh with crisp blues and whites and full of pattern and texture. I have spent many years scouring antique stores and markets collecting one off bits and pieces, that I will often breathe new life into with a pretty fabric or new paint finish. The walls are covered in vintage prints, framed bookplates and oil paintings depicting local beaches and a favourite, clipper ships. Our friends come for lunch and always leave well after dinner, slouching on sofas that are pretty, not precious. Friends will often comment that our house feels like home, a place they have known before. Maybe it’s because I have a blue and white plate their mother might have or a cane chair that they remember seeing in their grandparents house, whatever it is, I have to say, it’s the best compliment I could wish for.
Where do you find inspiration:
Travel, my now husband and I took 3 months off to take a round-the-world trip visiting places from South Africa to San Sebastian and Madrid to Martha’s Vineyard. I still refer to those photo albums today (even more so now with travel being restricted). Design books, magazines, and Instagram too.
Who are your style icons:
Mark D Sikes, Jackie Kennedy, and Bunny Williams
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Our navy blue 5 oven AGA, a well-stocked drinks fridge and a beautifully set table with white linens, fresh flowers and Jo Malone candles burning. We entertain most weekends and have learnt to always have something planned for dinner too, because as I mentioned, our friends never want to leave!
Do you collect anything:
If you were asking my husband he would say everything, I do have a love for vintage wicker animals, blue and white china, table linens, chairs (of all shapes and sizes) and antique Anglo Indian timber boxes…maybe he’s right?
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@markdsikes, @amylberry, @verandamag, @mrsalice.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
I always make sure there are visual highs and lows in a space. Mixing a tall standard lamp next to a low-slung armchair, combined with a low coffee table topped with an over scaled planter full of blooms creates interest and drama. I will often return to a designed space and throw something in at the last minute, often it can’t be planned, whether it be a fabulous gathered lampshade in a bold print or a piece of art that isn’t obvious. Mum’s trick that she refers to as ‘messing it up’ a little.
What are you working on right now:
I have just signed my most exciting and large-scale project to date, an extensive family home on the West Coast of Australia. The architecture is inspiring, very similar to the homes I have admired in the Hamptons and Nantucket. Most importantly the clients and I immediately clicked (even over Zoom!), instantly I knew we were on the same page and I shared their excitement for the project. Being a 3.5 hr plane ride away, commencing during a pandemic will be challenging, but I have never been one to shy away from one.
Wardrobe staples:
Navy Blazer, stripe t-shirts, fresh white shirt, and a pair of ballet flats.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Check once, check twice, and check again, interior design mistakes can be very costly.
Best career advice you ever received:
Play to your strengths and hire professionals to take care of your weaknesses. I clearly recall my Dad saying to me “you’re a designer and not an accountant, but to run a successful business you need to excel at both” I soon after hired an accountant and I haven’t looked back.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
I invest in good fabrics and custom upholstery pieces. I search to save on vintage and antique furniture pieces, like side tables, console tables and chairs which add the patina to a space.
Your greatest extravagance:
Fabrics, they are my weakness along with a house full of fresh flowers.
Favorite places to shop for home:
My local antique stores and Etsy is a great source for vintage finds from all over the globe
Most prized possession and why:
Other than my 3 little girls, a collection of Wedgwood plates that belong to my Grandmother. My Grandfather bought her the Mother’s Day plate every year and I have 5 hanging on my wall. Also, my French antique 1880 faux bamboo, marble topped chest of drawers that I spent 10 years searching for.
Your interiors motto:
There’s always room for another pattern or print.
Your life motto:
Listen to your gut, it is never wrong and as I always tell my girls, it is as easy to be nice and it is to be mean, so always choose kindness.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Work out what you are drawn to and what brings you joy. Buy pieces that feel right and feel like you. Don’t follow trends because they will come and go, but well-chosen and loved pieces will last you a lifetime.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Hot Chips
Drink: Vodka, Dry and fresh lime
Film: Pretty Woman
Hotel: Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc
City: Sydney
Bedding: Sheridan, an Australian company. Good linen is at the top of my wish list…next stop D. Porthault
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Soy Cappuccino, my sister refuses to order it for me because she thinks it is a Grandpas drink! Always a Peppermint tea before bed
Playlist: Anything of the Yacht Rock genre, think Sailing by Christopher Cross
Weekend Activity: Heading to the beach with my family, lunch at a local winery, entertaining at home or heading to the ski fields in Winter.
Design Book: Currently, Near & Far by Lisa Fine
