In the central courtyard of Magenta House – Mariam Ella Arcilla and Mason Kimber’s Redfern home – there’s a 200-year-old Gadi tree growing a long spike, a sign that the native grass tree is healthy and happy. The narrow terrace is a warm community hub fostering connection, learning and joy.
“Magenta House is a multi-modal space for creative ideas and collaborations to take flight,” Arcilla tells Broadsheet. “We host a lot of intimate gatherings – artist talks, pop-up exhibitions and library readings – and we also do test kitchens, food workshops and curated lunches. We use food as our anchoring point because it’s a magical pathway for conversations about how we create, share stories and care for one another.”
Magenta House is in one of the tight cul-de-sacs in a maze of east Redfern laneways. It’s a private home as well as a public space during open days and by appointment. Arcilla, a freelance arts and culture practitioner, and Kimber, a visual artist, educator and DJ, host events that are ticketed, self-funded or by donation. In recent months they’ve had a potluck celebrating Filipino cuisine; partnered with Welcome Merchant for a Palestinian food demonstration with chef Aheda Amro; hosted language classes; and held lunches connecting creatives from Fine Print magazine.
Although gatherings are typically just a handful of people, Magenta House’s inaugural event was the Bin Alley Biennale, held in the rear laneway in 2023. “It’s become a twice-yearly get-together with neighbours that’s helped us meet our community,” says Kimber. “We have a day of DJs, video art projections, and we open up the house for activities.”
The couple’s 2000-strong book collection is a big drawcard too. You can schedule a visit to the non-lending library and pore over zines, artist monographs and books on architecture, Indigenous knowledge and food. The plan is to develop “tasting note” index cards that include a short review of a book plus information about where it was bought and what further reading it inspired.
“Many of these books are rare and unique editions, sourced from around the world, so that makes it really interesting for people to discover,” says Arcilla. “When Mason and I combined our collections, we realised we had overlapping yet expansive interests. For instance, I’m captivated by food cultures, digital art and experimental publications. Mason is into visual art, spatiality, placemaking and architecture.”
When Broadsheet visits, it’s a quiet Monday morning. We’re gathered around the gold spider marble kitchen island, sharing a morning tea of sliced mango with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste) for dipping. The couple are natural hosts, pointing out the striking circular skylight that brightens the spiral staircase and the bespoke rendered walls, each with its own texture and finish.
Empty of visitors, the house is peaceful. Arcilla works in the library; a stack of books sits next to a velvet reading chair decorated with a magenta barb pillow by artist Shy Talaga. Kimber’s music studio is at the opposite end of the terrace and houses his turntables and collection of records that he brings out for regular DJ gigs at bars and art events. While the studio also doubles as a work station, he has a separate studio space offsite for his art practice. The room is also where Arcilla displays items for Magenta House’s online store – including woven Aban Eco banigs (baskets, mats and hand fans), as well as books and zines, such as Rosheen Kaul and Joanna Hu’s Chinese-ish and Filipinx: Heritage Recipes from the Diaspora.
The property was previously owned and redesigned as a micro-terrace by New Zealand architect Adele McNab. When Arcilla and Kimber moved in they reconfigured the downstairs area to accommodate the shop, music studio, library, event space and co-working area.
Although they live and work here, their dedication to Magenta House is clear in the planning of the space. “We don’t have much furniture,” Mason says. “Anything you put into the house has to be movable and things need to be reconfigured. We grappled with that at first: what is a house without a couch or a dining table? But we’ve made the smallness of the space work in a way that suits our lifestyle and our guests.”
Names: Mariam Ella Arcilla and Mason Kimber
Live: In a Redfern micro-terrace with a central courtyard
Since: 2022
With: Thousands of books
What’s your favourite room in the house?
Arcilla: Mason likes to gravitate towards the back studio. I also use this room as a space to sell books and products. When guests are over, we tend to congregate in the sunny courtyard to host supperclubs and food workshops.
Favourite item in the house?
Arcilla: My favourite object is the asin tibuok – a Filipino pre-colonial salt which is a staple ingredient in my ancestral cooking. It’s shaped like a dinosaur egg and made in the Philippines using a 500-year-old process combining seawater, coconut husks, clay and wood chips. I wrote about its fascinating tradition as a response to the constant questions and curious looks from guests at Magenta House.
Kimber: My favourite item is a peppermint-coloured sundial mold I made when we stayed with friends at Magney House, designed by Glenn Murcutt, in Bingle Point. It has a cool hexagonal shape and sits on our library shelf.
What do you love about your neighbourhood?
Arcilla: There is this eclectic and spontaneous hum in Redfern and Surry Hills that we absolutely adore. One day, you’re taking out the rubbish bin and chatting to someone across the road, and the next you’ve joined forces to throw a street party for all your neighbours. That’s how Bin Alley Biennale started. We also have a bustling Whatsapp chat where we talk about neighbourhood safety, local history trivia and new restaurants in the hood. Sometimes we trade home-cooked meals or announce lost and found items. It’s these genuine interactions that make our dense, inner-city neighbourhood feel like a village of friends.
magentahouse.com.au
@magentahouse.redfern
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