Daryl Mills in his own words:
The passion of Decorative Arts began whilst living in London in 1969, when quite perchance, I discovered the Glaswegian Architect/Designer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and after my first styling opportunity, with none other than Helmut Newton, the seed had been sown and led to the opening of 'Reflections Antique' in Greville St., Prahran, in 1975, after 4 years as Props Master at ATV O and Art Director on a feature film, 'End Play'.
'Kath & Kim', 'Wogboy', mini-series 'Dunera Boys', 'Petrov Affair', 'The Battlers', 'Halifax F. P. are a cross-section of Art Direction/ Design in my Film & TV career.
Decorative Arts and Vintage luggage and accessories have always been a passion, which vied for my other passion, horticulture, which has incorporated design, art direction, set decoration in film and television, hence De Mille Decorative Arts was born and many other incarnations since.
Quality and condition have always been paramount of the eclectic collection at De Mille and led to many lectures at various Clubs ( The Athenaeum, Lyceum, Kelvin, Maritime Museum, Sydney et al. ) and a guest appearance on ABC TV'S 'Collectors' in 2007.
Each piece has been hand-picked for it's intrinsic value, together with an extensive interest and a gained knowledge of decorative arts and design.
Most pieces have a history that embellishes the item together with it's patina. This, together with the excitement of that special item and the wonderful aesthetics of a vast variety of objects, has fuelled my passion for a lifetime - the passing of knowledge, wherever possible has given me immense fulfilment.
