RICK CARLINO

House of Continental

I was raised in a house of big emotions and big plates of pasta. It was a time when European aesthetics exploded across the suburbs. I watched my mum build a life in a country that wasn’t quite sure what to do with us yet. I became an observer early, and that’s where I learned that environments tell stories.

I accompanied my mum to family visits and endless weddings, where I absorbed everything — especially the interiors. The 70s and 80s Italian-Australian aesthetic was unapologetic: arches, pillars, concrete everywhere, velvet drapery and pelmets, shimmering chandeliers, ornate vases, patterned tiles, staircases, deep browns, mustards and maroons. Rooms leading into other rooms — the formal lounge room, the second kitchen for special-occasion cooking.

Over time, I realised it wasn’t just the Italians. It was the broader European immigrant story expressed through space.

That palette and confidence shaped the visual language of this show. What was once dismissed as “too much” became cultural identity. What was once a slur softened into shared humour and nostalgia — now reimagined and distilled, informing today’s contemporary interiors and architecture.

This collection celebrates that era and the generation who defined it — the people who shaped my childhood, informed my values, and are now at the end of their lives. They made their mark. They did the best they could to create safety and longevity for their children.

This is my House of Continental, Rick Carlino February 2026