Pip Edwards knows cool. At first glance, her easygoing disposition and savoir faire are undeniable, which naturally make their way into her personal style and, of course, her activewear brand, P.E Nation. But beyond the visage is a genuinely laidback human whose joie de vivre weaves through the calming space Edwards calls home.
“Because my life is so crazy, it’s nice to walk in and just feel relaxed,” she tells marie claire Lifestyle. “From the plants to the sofa to my garden, you’ll notice there’s a strong green theme. It’s a colour I’m drawn to and love being surrounded by. It represents abundance, calm and peace.”
Like many of us in recent years, Edwards was feeling ready for a fresh start. She said goodbye to her place in Bondi and settled down a few minutes away in a village-like slice of Rose Bay, a day before the city’s first lockdown in 2020. With an empty space and nowhere to go, the fashion icon made use of her downtime to research, curate and apply her signature style to the new home, all while getting acquainted with an entirely new realm of design.
“When I started looking into renovating this place and putting my energy in here, I knew nothing about furniture,” says Edwards, “unlike fashion, which I know everything about – every genre, every designer, every silhouette and trend. So I had to do a deep dive and learn about furniture and interiors for the first time.”
As Edwards threw herself into her new project, she noticed her worlds colliding. “Even though I was researching for my house, my findings ended up influencing the creative briefs at work,” she says.
Ultimately, it was out with the old and in with the chic. Edwards revamped the kitchen with the help of Dylan Farrell Design, doubling its size and opting for contrasting obsidian marble countertops.
She then renovated the laundry, swapping the old marble flooring for new herringbone parquetry. And in the living area, she removed the outdated floors and adopted calming colours alongside grounding, tactile materials.
Interior designer Chloe Matters worked with Edwards to apply her vision to the space, transforming the new home into a personal sanctuary. The result is an oasis where earthy textures collide, vibrant artworks captivate and lush plants flourish. It’s a place for Edwards to recharge and re-centre.
“I love texture, I love colour and I love what happens when you clash them together,” she says. “I like pieces that are really solid and have weight and then I balance them out with colour and print, which is really kind of what P.E Nation is.”
Paintings and photographs by local creatives and good friends of Edwards, such as artists Sarah Ellen, Dina Broadhurst and Daimon Downey, liven up the white walls of her inspiring space and set the aesthetic agenda.
“I’ve got such creative friends and I love what they do,” she says while looking over her beloved collection. “They have such an amazing sense of colour and colour balance. My whole business is based on colour, but seeing it in artwork and living with it is amazing. It reminds you to have fun.”
Edwards’ eclectic collection includes a paint-splattered rose by Bondi-based artist Vicki Lee, known for her large close-ups of flowers. “This [picture] is a favourite,” says Edwards. “Roses are very sentimental to me.”
As for guilty pleasures, the designer confesses hers are statement chairs, of which she owns about 25. “I just love them,” she says. “I’m used to the cycles of fashion, so I kind of apply that to homewares. Each season I want to buy new things for my house but that’s almost impossible.
I just keep buying chairs and lamps that catch my eye and slotting them in wherever they’ll fit.” With interiors this cool, calm and collected, you can understand the desire for plenty of places to put your feet up.
MC: What is your favourite room to spend time in?
Pip Edwards: I spend a lot of time in my bedroom upstairs. It has a beautiful vista. I can see the city skyline and I can also see Bondi and the water. I think when you’re on top of the hill you can just let go.
MC: Talk us through your morning routine.
PE: When I wake up, I do my little stone crystal ritual and I go and stand on my patch of grass and do a little bit of grounding. I like to get my feet in the grass. I have an infrared sauna upstairs, so that’s another nice little self-care treat.
MC: What do you like to shop for when it comes to your home?
PE: I have an obsession with lamps and chairs. There’s about 25 chairs in my house at the moment and lamps in every corner. Mood lighting is really important.
MC: What does a night of entertainment look like at your place?
PE: I love to have friends over and that’s why I built out the kitchen. Everyone always ends up partying [there]. I also love to be out on the patio. It’s so nice to be there in the height of summer.
MC: Name an interior designer who inspires you.
PE: [Iranian-French designer] India Mahdavi is possibly one of the greatest. I’ve got her pillows and some of her chairs upstairs. She does amazing stuff in colour and she’s an absolute inspiration for what we do at P.E Nation when it comes to colour. I think she’s so quirky and unique. I’m obsessed with her in terms of style.
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