S3 Ep 1 – Mary Featherston A Home That Lifts The Spirit
6/23/20261 hr
Tim and Kevin head to Melbourne for a special conversation with celebrated Australian designer Mary Featherston in her groundbreaking home, designed by Robin Boyd in 1967 - an intergenerational house where family life and creative work have been intertwined for almost six decades.
One of Australia’s most influential voices in design, Mary reflects on the evolution of her home over nearly 60 years with wisdom, generosity and razor-sharp insight.
While her early career is best known for her furniture collaborations with her husband, Grant Featherston, Mary has more recently focused on creating progressive learning environments for children. In this conversation, she generously shares the ideas and philosophies that have shaped that work.
Joining Tim and Kevin is Mary’s son, Julian Featherston, who also lives in the house and led the recent alterations that have ensured this remarkable home will continue to serve the Featherston family for many years to come.
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Big Design Adventure is proudly sponsored by Space Furniture (@spacefurniture), the Australian Institute of Architects (@institute_architects_aus) and is produced with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation (@alastairswaynfoundation) in Australia. The Royal Institute of British Architects (@RIBA) in the UK and New Zealand Institute of Architects (@nziarchitects) in New Zealand.
Hosts: Tim Ross and Kevin McCloud
Guests: Mary Featherston and Julian Featherston
Big Design Adventure is produced by Modernister Films on Wallumedegal land, Australia.
Executive Producer: Shelley Kemp
Audio Production: Madeline Joannou – Mylk Media
Music: Kit Warhurst (@kitwarhurst)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTim Ross· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Well, hello there. I'm Tim Ross.
Kevin McCloud· Host0:07
And I'm Kevin MacLeod, and welcome to- Big Design Adventure. Yeah.
Tim Ross· Host0:11
Tim and Kev's Big Design Adventure.
Kevin McCloud· Host0:13
Yes. Welcome. I'm a little, not just a little, I'm extremely excited to welcome our UK and Irish listeners, and a little nervous of course, because, uh, yeah, it's home territory for me. It's, it's very exciting.
Tim Ross· Host0:24
We've been doing this podcast for, is it, like, let's just call it a year, and this is the first time that it has been able to be heard in your neck of the woods. And I was talking to someone about this the other day, and about how it's almost like you've been doing it in a bubble. 'Cause I bump into people- Mm ... in the street all the time who've been listening.
Kevin McCloud· Host0:42
Whereas I, I don't. [laughs] [laughs] It's a nice thing for, it's a nice thing for British and Irish listeners to know that it works. [laughs] That this isn't an experiment for them. Do you know what I mean? I think it's important that people know that people do like it, and it's important for people to know, Tim- Mm ... that last year, in our first year of broadcast in Australia and New Zealand, we were placed in Apple's top five podcasts.
Tim Ross· Host1:08
Yes.
Kevin McCloud· Host1:09
I mean, not top five podcasts about design and spoons, but top five podcasts full stop.
Tim Ross· Host1:14
Yeah.
Kevin McCloud· Host1:15
It's good.
Tim Ross· Host1:16
Yeah.
Kevin McCloud· Host1:17
So we should be proud.
Tim Ross· Host1:18
It's on the resume. You put it on LinkedIn. Well done. Good stuff. It's important to share that, uh, in this podcast we have design adventures. We go to all sorts of places to meet interesting people,