It’s the little rituals that elevate a space into feeling like a home for designer and creative director Oscar Leal. Catching the early morning light coming through the kitchen window; tending to his collection of beloved house plants (“They are thriving, so the love is mutual”); spending the last golden hours of the afternoon stretching and meditating on his yoga mat. “I believe it’s about your connection with the energy of your home,” says Leal. “It’s when you feel completely comfortable in the space, especially when no one is around.” Moving across the globe as a teenager from the mountainside metropolis of Bogota, Colombia, to the coastal cityscape of Sydney, Leal says that it was love at first sight. “When I was around 16 years old, I saw pictures of Sydney, and I just knew it; Sydney was the perfect city for me,” he says. “When I landed [in Sydney], I had no idea my life was about to change this much. It’s been 18 years now!” Now residing in a leafy backstreet of Redfern, Leal’s mid-century inspired home is a bowerbird’s nest of collected treasures. “I’m a fan of curating different atmospheres in each room through the use of art, photographs, new and old furniture, handmade treasures and especially light,” he says.
The most sentimental objects among them? A photograph of Leal’s niece, back in Colombia, who is “Just so beautiful and cheeky. I miss her a lot.” He also mentions a cherished monstera deliciosa, gifted to him by a friend five years ago. “It brings so much joy to me when I see a new leaf sprout. I keep it in my bathroom, so I get to see it every day.” The heart of Leal’s home, though, is the kitchen, an airy space abundant in natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass panels that look out to the greenery of the backyard. Adjacent, a glassed-in zen garden acts as a lightwell through the centre of the home. “It has my favourite tree, a Japanese maple tree,” Leal says. “At night, we turn on the lights and it’s just magical. Lately, I’ve been inspired by my love of photography and film to experiment with light, using lamps around the house to set different moods.”
When asked about the most unusual pieces in his space, Leal replies that the most asked-about is a hand-painted leather bag crafted by an artisan from Guadalajara. “It looks like an angry leopard mask. I love it, it’s wacky and weird and it reminds me of the time I lived in Mexico, which was so fun. Displaying it pays homage to the artisan culture in Latin America – it reminds me of where I come from.”
Aside from the home’s Latin and Japanese influences, an appreciation for Scandinavian furnishings is apparent throughout the interior of Leal’s space – from the vintage Danish dining chairs that he saved up to buy as a university student, which still sit proudly at his table (“They aren’t going anywhere!”), to his most recent purchase, a postmodern black Ekstrem chair by Nordic interior designer Terje Ekstrøm. “I have been in love with this chair since the first time I saw it in a gallery in Oslo,” he says. A harmonious blend of craftsmanship and comfort are prerogatives close to the core of Leal’s personal taste, transcending his affinity for interior design and naturally bleeding into his work as the founder and creative director of tailored suiting atelier BELANCE. Marking the occasion of the brand’s debut Ready-to-Wear collection, Leal says the assemblage – crafted from rare hand-loomed silks, linens and cottons – was designed with the “progressive romantic” in mind, noting a healthy mix of nostalgia and futurism that influenced the design of pieces intended to “make you feel grounded, whilst still having the level of sophistication BELANCE is known for”.
Leal uses his home as a secondary workspace – outside of his Paddington boutique – and notes the space’s influence on his work. “The house has a very strong creative energy,” Leal says. “I feel like when I am working from home, things just flow and I get a lot done.”
“It’s a sanctuary that resonates with my spirit, and welcomes me with open arms every time I come back to it.
