Moody, atmospheric, colourful: A look at Lee J Morgan’s Decanter collection

Like much of Lee’s work, the collection began in her Sydney studio with a considered palette rather than a singular visual reference. There is something different about it, though. A deliberate departure from neutrals, each canvas has come together with deeper, more saturated tones. A glance at each artwork, and you’ll be transported somewhere else: a dark, moody room, the warmth of a fire, a glass of red wine in hand. A moment when nothing else matters. Indulgent, sensory moments like these are what Decanter recreates in painted form. 

“I had been painting in a lot of neutrals and started questioning what it would look like to experiment with more colour,” she says. “The moment I pulled that palette together, it instantly took me back to that feeling of being by a fire in a luxury hotel or guesthouse. That feeling of not having to go anywhere or do anything, but having a complete sensory experience… the scent of the fire, the taste of a beautiful wine, the textures of a plush sofa and soft throws and your eyes almost subdued by enveloping colours and candlelight which gives you this moment to completely exhale. That is the world Decanter was made for.”

When working within a dominant, saturated colour, texture is what tells the story. How will light move across the surface? The way a raised edge catches light, or a recessed layer sits in shadow, becomes the composition. 

Lee has achieved this with a single colour carried through every layer, deep and rich and tonally beautiful. The canvas is literally saturated, both in colour and texture. Here, texture carries the weight that contrast usually achieves. It gives the eye somewhere to travel without ever leaving the world of that colour. The result is the work feels enveloping, the same way a beautifully considered interior does when every element is working together.

“Some of the works almost glow with the depth and richness of their colour, the kind of delicious surface that makes you want to eat it. Others have a very matte finish that creates a beautiful artisanal quality, the way you feel when you run your hand across stone or a beautiful ceramic. Both are completely intentional, and both respond differently to light and to the spaces they inhabit,” says Lee. For an interior designer specifying a work, that distinction shapes a space.

Having first encountered Lee’s Cascade and Ember collections at an exhibition, Susie Ferreira of Casa Flair Interiors was moved by the depth of the artist’s work, the movement and rhythm she creates to genuinely speak to a space, beyond simply adding interest. 

“Design, for me, is deeply emotive. It goes beyond making something look beautiful; it’s about creating an environment that genuinely reflects those who inhabit it,” says Susie. “Artwork is considered very early in my process. Once I’ve understood a client’s brief, I’m less focused on a design style and more interested in what feeling they want to achieve. I always come back to that emotive space. Artwork is the natural progression of creating emotion in a room, so I choose it early and then build everything around it. The finishes, the furniture, the soft furnishings, they’re all layered upon that foundation. It’s truly the anchor of a space.”

The designer describes Lee’s Decanter collection as one that adds moodiness and a refined, rich palette to any space. “There’s a beautiful restraint, very pared back, yet with the most subtle textures that the light catches in unexpected ways. The moody, deep colours she uses as a backdrop are just stunning. Some pieces offer a real pop of colour, and yet even those remain composed.”

Those who will truly appreciate Lee’s work are people who value the artistry and craftsmanship behind a piece, and who understand the layers of complexity and thought behind every gesture. 

“I see these works living in rooms that already carry a lot of weight. Spaces with colour-drenched walls, rich velvets, veined marble and detailed timber accents. Rooms where bold, intentional choices have already been made and the art needs to anchor the mood and add another layer of interest without competing with or detracting from everything else in the space,” says Lee. “These are not works that need a neutral room to breathe. They were made for the rooms that have already committed to a point of view.”

Each original artwork carries energy, texture and presence that cannot be engineered. It is the piece that makes everything else in the room feel complete.