In Sydney, educated audiences regularly pursue evenings put together by magazines, art organisations and brands. The art, lighting, music and food are curated to create rich and engaging, multi-sensory experiences. Art Month, Contemporaries and MCA Art Bar are known for these type of events. They’ll also add recognised curators or creative directors to take the reins.

Back in 2009, the All Tomorrow’s Parties music event on Cockatoo Island invited Nick Cave to coordinate a line-up of artists. We now relish the idea that someone behind the scenes is pulling the strings for our pleasure. It’s a talking point.

Concept stores are also widely used today for home owners to source ideas. Products are less frequently sold in silos. Homewares, kitchen appliances, textiles and art are now regularly combined and interwoven. Koskela with Kitchen by Mike offers coffee and lunch, a gift shop, a wall to choose art from and even a workshop to take a lesson in. It’s multi-functional. And as a result, our tastes have grown in sophistication.

Elke Kramer and Kate Hurst enjoy a glass of Veuve Clicquot at the Living Edge Women in Design event hosted at 51 Oatley Road, Paddington. They stand in front of Foreign Bodies by Catherine Clayton Smith. Image courtesy of Living Edge & Alaska Projects.

In the posh suburb of Paddington, this idea has crept into home styling. Sellers are using novel elements to engage with a new breed of residents. And to do it, they’re utilising ideas previously more suited to the likes of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Campaigns at the top end include Champagne receptions with avant-garde canapés, guest speakers, live music, special lighting and art installations. Only the models are missing.

These campaigns have elements familiar to Richard Avedon, Mario Testino and Carine Roitfeld – build the dream, make it sexy, push the envelope. Just last year, architecture firm CM Studio, teamed up with Living Edge to deliver a home in Paddington. For this home, the sales campaign included a series of five private media events. It pulled together  hot inner-city collaborators. There were candles by Maison Balzac, flowers by Dr. Cooper’s Studio and art selected by Sebastian Goldspink from Alaska Projects – you know that gritty little gallery in a Potts Point car park?

The kitchen and dining room by CM Studio in the converted terrace at 51 Oatley Road, Paddington, features artwork by Bart Celestino, selected by Sebastian Goldspink from Alaska Projects.

Kapow! The home sold quickly to an upwardly mobile man, whose blogger girlfriend had written a story about the home. “We were aiming for young, design interested 30-ish person and that is exactly who bought it,” says Megan Burns of CM Studio. “The marketing certainly gave the home a bit of an x-factor.”

While styling with hand picked furniture, lighting and linen has long been the cream on the cake for property marketing, the art layer is now the cherry on top. For sellers prepared to take the risk, the benefits can add personal excitement and commercial reward. According to the owner and developer of 31 Harris Road, Catherine Woods, having a team to bounce ideas with throughout the process helped her immensely.

31 Harris Street, Paddington with Lemniscate Construction 1 by Rochelle Hayley above the banquette. Rochelle’s work appears courtesy of Galerie pompom.

“As anyone will tell you that has done a development, about half way through you’ve absolutely had enough, and you don’t think you can handle any more stress. But, I think because Catherine Dixon sold this house to me and because we have been in touch with each other the whole time I have been developing it, she understood right from the start what sort of house I was doing here. This is probably the most modern development I have ever done. I knew that I needed new art to complete it. And I knew my own art wasn’t right,” says Woods. “The art draws all the other elements in the room together. The art is something that people will focus on in some areas and in others it has been put there to add a textural quality.”

Just like in magazine editorial, art makes the rooms pop. “The thing that was different this time with Harris Street was that it’s not decorator art,” adds Tanya Guiffre from Evolve Styling who styled the home. “It is emerging art from really highly anticipated artists.”

Shelter by Catherine Clayton Smith in the hallway of 31 Harris Street, Paddington. Image courtesy of Alaska Projects.

“Another thing Seb did that I love, was bring in art with resin and textiles, things that were moulded and stitched. Not just paintings.”

It’s a win/win situation for galleries also according to curator Sebastian Goldspink. “It a great opportunity for a new artist to be exposed to a new audience, and the room sheets guide people to know who the artist is, so they are able to learn more about them,” Goldspink says.

Untitled, Catherine Clayton Smith 31 Harris Street, Paddington.

We all know that the property market is crowded with people selling homes in the prestige category, that’s why sellers are now being directed to carefully pitch their home with aplomb.

255 Underwood Street, Paddington was a bare walls home with no furniture. In order to prepare for sale, the home was creatively fashioned in to a gallery environment. Once again Sebastian Goldspink came in to curate the art. The slick contemporary art brushes up against the walls, adding interest to a space that has gone un-renovated since the 1970’s.

Dumb and Dumber, Framed Photographic print 2013  by Samuel Hodge at 255 Underwood Street. Image courtesy of Alaska Projects.

Idiot Box, 2015 hung at 255 Underwood Street, Paddington. Image courtesy of Alaska Projects.

Party Pooper, 2010 by Natalya Hughes. Image courtesy of Alaska Projects.