About three years ago I had the great fortune of meeting Briar Stanley through work. She's a wildly talented woman with so much going on you don't know where she'll pop up next. Since meeting her three years ago, she's become a mum to the most ridiculously beautiful baby girl who makes me go clucky every. single. time I see her pop up on Instagram.
Briar's blog is this hotspot of cool. I love clicking through and wondering what I'll find. I'm never disappointed. Briar carefully curates a visually rich snapshot into her life. It's like visiting a good friend to catch up. Except much more beautiful.
She's terribly humble, utterly charming, and her work just appears BOOM - so effortlessly stylish.
So let's do this thing - I'm lucky to have Briar Stanley on PMM today. Look out for her credit on Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. Let's GO!
PMM - Briar
Stanley. Props buyer. Interior stylist. Food enthusiast. Crafter. Blogger.
Mother. How do you fit it all in?
BS - I
don't watch a lot of TV and I rarely sit still.
To
be honest, I'm concentrating on styling resedential properties since I have
been on maternity leave, working from home with more flexible hours - so I
haven't been experiencing the long hours as a props buyer on a film for a
while.
I've
also always got time to be a food enthusiast. My husband is a great cook, and I
love nothing more than trying out a new restaurant or cafe with my baby in
tow...she loves her toast and babycino.
How
did you first start working in interiors and prop styling?
I
studied Graphic Design for three years at The Design Centre, Enmore. After
graduating, I was a graphic designer for a few years at a big advertising
agency - but my heart was never really in it. I one day found myself on the
client side of a Kelloggs commercial and had a complete life changing/light
bulb moment when I spotted the crew Set Dresser decorating the lounge room. A
few months later, I took a bit of a gamble. I quit my day job and started
waitressing in a pizza restaurant at night so I was free during the day to take
on work experience in the film industry. Experience work I did! That was over seven
years ago, and all the free work paid off - I work with the same people today
I met in those first few months.
You
worked on The Great of Gatsby (squeeeee!!). What was your favourite part?
I
was surrounded by sparkles, gorgeous furniture and sumptuous fabrics as a
Senior Buyer in the Set Decorating department for close to a year, it was
definitely one of the highlights of my career. The huge size of the production
and the healthy budget meant that we had the luxury of highly detailed and
layered sets with months of research behind us. It was a challenging job, but
thrilling at the same time. Working with the best in the industry and
witnessing things like Gatsby's extravagant party scenes being shot at Fox
Studios was truly electric.
It
must be demanding working on a film. How do you maintain your stamina?
Exercise
definitely helps - not only physically but also for mental stamina. For the
past few years, I have been part of a Manly based personal training group
PinkFit a few times a week. For me, a day beginning with exercise is a much
more productive one! I also walk/pram push a lot with my baby. In the first few
months of her life, we would clock about 9km a day, because that was the only
way she would nap...oh, fun times! When I'm working on a film, I'm always in
bed before 9pm, as I usually have to set the alarm for 5.30am.
What
other awesome projects have you worked on?
Some
films I really enjoyed working on include Australia, Wolverine and Tomorrow
When the War Began. I've also worked on the television series Underbelly, Rake
and Paper Giants. I especially enjoyed Paper Giants, the story of Ita Buttrose
- when she was editor of Cleo in the 1970's.
I've
also had some fun shoot days in the world of magazines - assisting the stylist
Megan Morton was always a joy, and styling my own 3 x covers for Real Living
magazine was definitely a highlight.
What's
one of your favourite parts of your job?
It
sounds so cliché, but I was able to forge a career based around my hobby. I was
obsessed with interiors as a kid (I was always moving things around my
bedroom), so to be able to play with furniture and props all day really is a
dream come true.
What's
your least favourite part?
When I'm working on a film, it would have to
be the long hours.
You
have a one year old baby. How do you juggle life?
My
Mum and family are a big help and I have a very supportive husband. It's taken
a while, but I feel like we are juggling things quite well. It's coincided with
the baby becoming a better sleeper too. Sleep makes the world such a better
place!
I
found working from home, I always found distractions such as the washing
machine, the sink and making beds (plus much, much more), how do you keep your
eyes on the prize?
I'm
pretty used to working alone when I'm on the road. When I'm out sourcing props
and furniture, it's really important to keep focused with a strict to-do list.
When the day comes to an end back at the office, I have to have some exciting
things to show and tell. I treat working from home in a similar way, I'm a big
fan of my to-do list (including daily domestic chores). I also make sure
my office space is always looking nice and inviting, with good natural light.
Do
you take time out for yourself? What do you get up to re-energise your
batteries?
I'm not great
at switching off - I can't even sit through a whole DVD at home. I do love to
go to the cinema though, and pre-baby, would often go alone.
I
get the urge to craft/create often. It's almost my form of meditation, and I
like to complete projects while the baby is napping.
What's
up next for Briar Stanley?
A
trip to New York. I kid...I wish. I'm decorating a gorgeous home for a client
at the moment, so I'm looking forward to seeing the project come together. I
also hope to style a few more children's bedrooms in the near future - that's
where I can really have some fun.
This is the 10th interview in my Yo Mama! series. Interviews with creative working mamas. Look out for them (sometimes) weekly.
