Stylists We Love: Rory James Carter

Stylists We Love is a series of our favourite interior stylists that help create your dream home into a reality. From finding unique ideas for your home to creating more accessible living spaces – they’re here to give you the inspiration and guidance you need for a beautiful and functional home.

We chatted with Rory James Carter, an Interior Stylist based in Sydney, Australia. His Interior Styling Service offers clients a professional and seamless solution to furnishing and styling their home or interior project through careful curation of furniture, art and homewares. We find out more about Rory, his style, and his aesthetic below.

How did you become an interior stylist?

I’ve had an interest in homes and interiors from a young age and always enjoyed looking through the pages of magazines, sometimes cutting out individual images and putting them together to create my own designs.

I formally studied Interior Design and at the same time started working in the interior industry, assisting stylists on photoshoots for home and interior magazines as well as styling homes for sale across Sydney which gave me access to hundreds of the best homes across the city.

Now, my Interior Styling Service offers clients a seamless solution to furnish and style their home, through the curation of furniture, art and homewares to suit their home and lifestyle. I also offer my Photoshoot Styling Service, which includes creative direction and props sourcing to ensure a home, interior project or product is camera-ready, working with Architects, Developers and home + lifestyle brands.

How would you describe your personal style?

My personal style is generally quite relaxed, featuring a lot of natural materials like timber, concrete and stone as well as soft linen. I’m always inspired by elements of Scandivanian and Japanese design with a minimalist approach and a tendency towards layered neutral tones that feel comfortable and considered. I’m a big fan of oversized artwork, floor mirrors, and indoor plants to inject personality and life into a space as well. 

Do you prefer a brief from a client or developing your concept?

For me, an interior styling project works best when my client is able to articulate how they want a room or home to feel, and the way they intend to use it. Knowing how they spend their time at home helps me to source the best furniture, art and homewares pieces specifically for their home and lifestyle. For example, if they entertain a lot, then we might focus on creating a larger dining area or an alfresco space to enjoy.

It’s always exciting to be able to run free with styling concepts, but it’s also great when my clients have prepared Pinterest boards or saved inspirational images because I can instantly get a visual glimpse into their mind to understand the way they envision their home so that we’re on the same page from the start. Interior styling language can be hard to actually visualise, so spending some time creating a broader mood board for the look and feel of a space iis always helpful to get an idea of how colours, textures and style will work together.

What is your favourite part of a project? Sourcing a product for a job or signing off on a project?

The most creative part of a project for me is the concept phase where I start to source products and put them forward to the client to see their thoughts. It’s exciting to see the vision come together with each sourced piece and to be able to imagine everything working together in a space. It also allows me to refresh myself on any new products that have been released or new brands that I haven’t worked with before.

There’s a sense of satisfaction and relief when a concept is signed off on and we move to the procurement phase because it means that that shared vision is finally becoming a real, tangible space that the client can enjoy. It also means that final styling and photography can take place which is a fun part of the process.

What are your favourite RJ Living pieces you've used in a project?

My favourite pieces that RJ Living offers are in the Karpenter Hanging Collection. I love the attention to detail and subtle texture, and the oak timber is a great way to add warmth to a space. At home, I have the Circa Hanging Cabinet in my living room and am so happy with the beautiful dovetail detailing and the way it floats off the ground to give the illusion of more space. I’ve also recently installed the East Hanging Desk in the same oak timber which has created a nice, simple study nook without taking up any floor space. The Karpenter Hanging Collection pieces are a great way to get the look of a custom piece without the hassle.