04-08-2025
One Easy Rule: If You Admire It, It's Worth Collecting
In the eyes of Ray Malone, the world is bursting with objects worthy of admiration. Suits of armor, bonsai trees, preserved insects, antique chinoiserie cabinets, Murano glass, contemporary art: if it captures his attention, he wants to collect it.
'I've always loved the decorative,' said Mr. Malone, 64, a former car painter who built and sold a large Australian automotive repair business. 'Everything has a story and a history to it.'
Over the years, Mr. Malone amassed a wildly eclectic range of furniture, accessories and art. So when he bought a property in the mountains just east of Melbourne, Australia, 10 years ago, he wanted to build a house where he could enjoy his fascinating finds every day.
To create such a building, he tapped Dylan Farrell Design, a firm run by husband-and-wife partners Dylan and Nicolette Farrell that is based in Sydney, Australia, and has an American outpost in Quogue, N.Y.
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