On the heels of releasing her new book on urban trends, Kylie Legge sits down with Habitusliving to tell us about her design favourites.

Your name: Kylie Legge

What you do: I am a place maker – which means that me and my team help communities, government and developers make better and more human urban environments that people want to spend time in. 

Your latest project:

Publishing the first in the Urban Trends book series ‘Doing it Differently’ about all the inspiring community led projects around the world.

Who are three people that inspire/excite you:

     1)  Anyone out there trying to make a positive difference in their community

     2)  Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney – she’s committed to the big picture as well as all the little steps that need to happen to get us there – even if some are uncomfortable

     3)  The people I didn’t mention in #1

What is your favourite…

Car/bike/plane/boat model: Dream car- 280sl Mercedes, Bike – share, Plane – anything with in seat entertainment, Boat – ferry

Chair model: While there is some pretty sophisticated contemporary designs I adore anything preloved, mid 20^th century Nordic furniture particularly

Residential space: It’s not a permanent home but for my short time there The Ace Hotel in Portland really aims to make you feel that way

Commercial space: Does the garden courtyard inside the Museum of Modern Art in New York count?

Decorative product: I am loving all the fabulous street art that is decorating our cities. It’s so often really clever and thought provoking

Functional product: My bed

Handmade good: My sheets – from a women’s enterprise group in India Pure and General

Mass-produced good: Ikea basics

meal: Anything my sister makes – amazing! Hampshire & Legge Catering

restaurant: Buffalo Dining Room – ricotta gnocchi to die for 

drink: Lychee mojito with lots of lychees

bar: With so many great choices its hard to settle on one in Sydney, but at the moment I am liking the Corner House and 10 William St, and any place with outside seating as it gets warmer

item in your studio: ‘Ratty’ the stuffed kangaroo – Place Partners’ unofficial mascot

piece of technology: I do like a tweet in the morning

historical figure: William Whyte and Jane Jacobs – they both had much to do with making Manhattan one of the most desired places in the world to visit, live and work in.

fictional character: Jo March, Little Women – I can remember reading it and thinking ‘cool, can girls do that?’

vice: Gelato Messina – lemon, pistachio and hazelnut, the same 3 flavours I have had since I was a child (and conveniently located across the road from the Buffalo Dining Room)

virtue: Early morning walks around my neighbourhood 

What does the term ‘Design Hunter’™ mean to you?

I am more of an ‘Ideas Hunter’. If that manifests itself as an object then that is great but sometimes its more about creative thinking than being ‘artistic’. Maybe  ‘Design Hunter’™ is about finding clever solutions to the world’s challenges whether that’s peeling a potato or the revitalisation of a city?

www.placepartners.com.au