james bought a house

James Treble attributes his love of creativity to his father, who always encouraged freestyle Lego play, inspiring his imagination and instilling a passion for architecture and design. Today, James is a Sydneybased interior designer, TV presenter and writer who loves to share his passion for houses, colour and design.

James’ love of the built form evolved from selling real estate in the early 1990s. He went on to host a segment on The Living Room for seven years. Subsequently, he became a regular guest on Sky News Real Estate before taking over as co-host for over two and a half years.

“If you love what you do, you naturally become good at it. You need to work in a field that you find fulfilling or in a role that provides money for what you want to do. I’m fortunate to have both,” explains James.

A natural in front of the camera, James is currently a regular on two 9 Network TV shows. A presenter on the lifestyle show Open Homes Australia and a host of the newly launched TV show Renovate Or Rebuild. “I love media, for it combines my skill of talking underwater with my passion for design,” adds James.

He is also embarking on a new online series called James Bought a House. Set to broadcast on his YouTube channel in May 2023, it documents the journey of his property renovation on the central coast of NSW, just 600m from the beach.

“It’s an ugly red brick house that my partner Sandro and I are transforming into a Palm Springs-inspired masterpiece,” explains James. “Whilst I create all different styles of homes, Mid-Century Modern, in particular Palm Springs, is my favourite style, and perfectly suits our Australian lifestyle. I love the clean lines, sleek finishes, sculptural elements, textured breeze blocks and cladding. Patterned tiles, like terrazzo, create the inside/outside lifestyle we are so fortunate to enjoy much of the year.”

Before pursuing a thriving media career, James was already a successful interior designer and colour consultant. “I have always been deeply intrigued by houses and the psychology of how we live,” says James, “Interiors greatly influence how we feel, with the impact of the finishes and materiality that surrounds us in our homes often underestimated. Successful design is not about how much money you spend but about making the right choices for your home and lifestyle, and that’s the difference between cost and value.”

James has been travelling to Bologna for over ten years to attend Cersaie, the annual tile trade fair that brings products from around the world to Italy. “It’s so important for me to explore tile directions and innovations. Australia has a strong design voice, and our homes largely enjoy a sense of connectivity through the tiles we feature in indoor and outdoor settings. For most of my projects, the conversation starts with the tiles. You can build the personality of a home with the right tile texture and tone selections for floors, paving, wet areas, and splashbacks. Not only do tiles need to be visually appealing, but as a significant investment, they must be hard-wearing and easy to maintain.”

Colour, texture, pattern and form are the key factors in tile selection, and specifications can vary widely depending on location (given the vast landscape in Australia), climate and culture. “We have been using tiles in our homes for thousands of years because they are such a hard-wearing material,” says James, “One material that has enjoyed longevity is terracotta, with its presence felt at Cersaie. A key design direction was the blurring of lines between brick and tiles, as many more 3-D tiles are available for us, both internally and externally. The textural form attracts the eye, plays with light and undulating surfaces invite a tactile response. National Tiles’ Fragmenti Cotto range is the perfect example of the influence of terracotta and the merging of brick and tile to create feature walls that offer a textural play.”

To learn more about James Treble, his design studio and his review of Cersaie 2022, visit www.jamestreble.com