Place & Purpose: A Visit to Warrandyte’s High Noon
Images by Yaseera Moosa
Editorial styling by Kate Burchell
We first covered Monde furniture designer, Tilly Barber on the IN BED Journal at her bushland studio in 2022. Years later, we meet again at High Noon: a sprawling Alistair Knox-commissioned property on Wurundjeri land. A place constantly in flux, High Noon currently houses Tilly & son Mars in the the main residence, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Giulia Chiro in her poolside cabin, and artists-in-residence Shannon May Powell & Chloe Worthington in a seperate bungalow (more on them next week!) On the shared acreage the four women have created a self-described commune that leads to cook-ups, yoga, soaks in the outdoor bath and above all, as Giulia so aptly puts it: a ‘collectivist spirit’ that you can feel in each fibre of this ever-evolving household.
Tell us about your home…
TB: Our home is a late 70's Commission by Alistair Knox on a few acres of bushland in Warrandyte, where I’ve lived for 3 years. When we moved in a lot of the old curtains came down and because I didn't love the cold tiles in the lower part of the home I put in some floating sisal tiles. I keep things pretty simple and let the architecture breathe - the materials used throughout the property are pretty expressive, so I try not to compete too much with the structure itself. That said, I like to be guided by instinct which can have some unexpected outcomes - I trust that if I love an object, artwork or piece of furniture it will find its place and settle in.
Our Organic Cotton Bath Towel in Khaki is draped over the outdoor tub
Can you share some background into your individual practice…
TB: I stumbled into it through picking up old furniture from the side of the road or local op shops—I didn’t really know what I was doing, and in the early days, I definitely ruined more than I restored - but pulling pieces apart and putting it back together taught me a lot about design and materials, it was also sobering over time to realise just how much waste is created by fast furniture, passing trends, and built-in obsolescence. Designing for longevity and thinking about ways pieces can be designed to be maintained, repaired, handed down, and responsibly recycled—became something I couldn’t stop thinking about. It still drives everything I do.
During lockdown I did a lot of reading and research, asked a lot of questions, spoke to architect and designer friends, and slowly—over time, and with the support of local makers we prototyped the two core modules that make up the Monde sofa - and I've been immersed ever since!
Lately, I’ve been exploring more byproduct and manufacturing waste to design and develop new pieces with and am always expanding on the ways Monde can move from low-waste towards no-waste manufacturing - though it takes time and the learning curve is steep, I ultimately love the challenge!
Furniture waste is a huge, mostly invisible problem. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Designing ( and consuming ) with this awareness isn’t just important to me, it feels essential.
Furniture waste is a huge, mostly invisible problem. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
GC: I’ve always been drawn to the human body as a living manuscript, a vessel that holds our memories, adaptations, and relationships. After years of curiosity and many years of tertiary study in other fields, I discovered Chinese Medicine; a method of care that, by design, is set up to embody whole systems thinking. It’s an ancient practice that remains clinically relevant thousands years after conception and it invites us to listen, observe, and connect with the cycles moving within and around us. I have found the slowness that the medicine encourages to be the best resistance to some of the systemic disconnect and burnout we are experiencing as a collective. It is a living tradition that is deeply relational at its core, and I continue to be humbled by its depth.
Right now most of my days are spent in my favourite place: working face-to-face with patients, both from home and in a clinic closer to the city. I am always engaging with study through mentors in the lineage of acupuncture that I practice, and also am currently developing a line of medicinal skincare products.
Tilly's bed is dressed with our Heavy Linen Bed Cover & Pillowslips in Midnight, paired with 100% Linen bedding in Cocoa
Can you share how you came to live together…
GC: Tilly and I met many years ago through friends and instantly connected. We have a lot in common in the way we live, both of us bring a generous and playful energy to the house and neither of us take ourselves too seriously. I’d been living in an apartment in Northcote and was feeling called to be back among the trees. We started talking about the idea of spending the Summer in Warrandyte before I head off to the Mediterranean; to deepen my practice and spend some time reconnecting with my roots. Everything came together really naturally. High Noon for me has been a chosen family of sorts, sharing this time together felt grounded, nourishing and full of care.
And what sparked the idea to live communally...
TB: For me, as a parent without family nearby—the idea of a commune or intentional community has always made sense to me. I'd lived in a small commune once before in Eltham when Marley was younger and we both have such fond memories of it. We had our own little home but shared care, meals, and rhythms of life with our friends and their two boys. It was not only sustainable—but deeply comforting and some of the most magic and transformative years of our life. Naturally I gravitated to the opportunity when it came around again a few years later. There is ease to it, quiet support woven into daily rhythms and that’s something I really value about communal living.
GC: I share the feeling of not having family close by. I grew up in a big Italian family, where there was always food on the table, people coming and going, and a sense of generosity that extended beyond just meals, it was about time, energy and spirit. There’s usually something growing in the garden to shape what ends up on our table, and that kind of seasonal, communal living is something I’ve carried with me. Wherever I put down roots, I try to cultivate that same collectivist spirit, a sense that we’re looking after each other, sharing what we have, and creating a home that’s more than just the walls around us.
Wherever I put down roots, I try to cultivate that same collectivist spirit, a sense that we’re looking after each other, sharing what we have, and creating a home that’s more than just the walls around us.
Giulia's bed is made with our 100% Linen bedding in Chestnut & Lilac, while her practitioner's table is draped with our Heavy Linen Bed Cover in Off-white
Can you describe life in a shared space, do you have any household rituals or routines…
TB: We make a point of regularly sharing meals together but more often than not, you’ll find us procrastinating or deep in conversation around the pass—aka the kitchen island and our unofficial meeting point.
GC: The house naturally holds space for all kinds of rituals. In summer, it might start or end with a trip to the river, a stretch or yoga session in the sun or by the pool, evening swims, a hibachi cook-up, and dinners shared outside. In winter, we often gather around the fire, take baths in the outdoor tub, and enjoy big cook-ups around the long table. There’s always good music playing and scents drifting through the space, matching the mood of the day. You’ll often find me blending herbs, making warm drinks or broth to keep the commune healthy, as well as cupping and acupuncture treatments. We’re lucky enough to have 3 wellness practitioners on the commune, so we are always doing what we can to look after each other.
We’re lucky enough to have 3 wellness practitioners on the commune, so we are always doing what we can to look after each other.
In the living area, sits our Heavy Linen Bolster in Midnight & Alpaca Throw in Eggshell
When it comes to interior decoration, do you all pitch in–or is someone in charge…
TB: Giulia has been super easygoing and lets me take the lead on the feel of the space—even when that means the whole house might get flipped upside down sometimes. She’s endlessly patient with my late-night rearranging, deep-cleaning, noisy, dusty furniture making and ( most of ) the questionable items I bring home from the marketplace. I have a pretty unconventional approach to decorating - most of our furniture is one of my own experiments and Giu has become familiar with the process and is ultimately encouraging and accommodating - which I appreciate more than I probably say.
GC: Although I love design and simplicity, I am so happy to let Tilly make everything look gorgeous - this is her forte. We’re lucky to have a similar style, and I enjoy change and dynamism in the home, it keeps things fresh and interesting.
Mars' bunk is layered with our 100% Linen bedding in Chestnut, Mist & Lake and a Two-tone Quilted Bedcover in Chestnut & Mist
Can you tell us a little about your bedroom, and what might we find on your bedside…
TB: I like to keep my bedroom quiet, I don't like too much visual clutter in there but I do enjoy the sensory value of a good quality rug, too many pillows and lamps. There is a B&W photobooth series of images of Mars when he was 3 years old on the wall - it captures his sweet, cheeky spirit perfectly and next to the bed, there’s always a stack of half read books and water.
GC: My bedroom is simple and peaceful. I’ve tried to integrate materials I love; wood, washi paper lanterns, stone, and aluminium into the space. A few treasured objects hang on the walls, including an etched metal portrait of my hometown in Italy, a place very close to my heart that travels with me wherever I go, and a spirit guardian illustration drawn by my dear friend Elena Elias.
I keep a homemade, herb-infused oil by my bedside, which I like to use with my gua sha before going to sleep. There’s always some incense burning and a rotating stack of books, right now I’m reading I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti and Marble in Metamorphosis by Rachel Cusk. A journal is always within reach for late night thoughts and ideas.
Our Alpha Throw in Eggshell makes a cosy addition to one of Tilly's modular sofas
Finally, what’s next for High Noon?
TB: We just welcomed Bridie from Oats the Label to work from the artist studio here which has been such a sweet addition. We’ve got a few photo shoots lined up, and some talk of retreats and events taking shape. Whilst I really love the cooler months spent fireside, I am looking forward to warmer weather and more outside time, tending to the gardens and enjoying more time by the river.
GC: I hope to be back; whether it is just as a visitor, or another stay. High Noon will always hold a special place in my heart.
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