Coty Farquhar is a professional creative director, visual decorator, and photographic stylist, as well as the founder and creator of Styling Magazine, Australia. Her career flourished over many years, working full-time within the Australian Vogue stable of magazines, including Vogue Living, Vogue Entertaining Guide, and Vogue Children. Her magazine career culminated in Sydney, where she served as Fashion Editor and Beauty Editor of New Woman magazine. With a passion for the visual arts—particularly photography—Coty has more than four decades of experience creating exquisite homes, timeless photography, unique and memorable events, and her very own magazine.

Over 30 years ago, Coty joined the world of fine furniture making and restoration through Farquhar’s Furniture Workshop after meeting and marrying her husband, Andrew. With a background of over a decade in design and styling, she breathed new life into the business and was the driving force behind the first Farquhar showroom in Bowral. She meticulously designed and styled all major events the Farquhars attended, including Hermès Paris showjumping events and the Southern Highlands Art Show. Coty also led the photography studio and all marketing efforts for the furniture designs, sharing “The daily life of a furniture maker and the life of an artisan business.” "It’s a family business, after all; you contribute your skills in the best way you can," says Coty.

Her goal was to convey the ambiance and energy of the workshop, a truly remarkable space where rare and traditional skills are still practiced daily. The arrival of magnificent 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century antique furniture, along with sumptuously beautiful textiles and decorative arts for restoration or conservation, is an exhilarating experience. Coty incorporated unexpected elements into showroom displays, including eclectic objects, oversized timber bowls filled with intriguing sawdust, walls adorned with carving samples and furniture hardware, and various collected items—such as timber offcuts and delicate curls of wood left from a spokeshave job—alongside exquisite hand-painted finish samples. “These items would typically end up in the bin. I consider them magical elements; they tell the real story of the workshop. It’s always wonderful to witness customers’ reactions when they step in and catch the aroma of freshly worked timbers. A newly polished piece of furniture is simply amazing.”

Coty feels entirely at home in her Bowral studio and is seldom without her camera. She has styled and photographed for numerous books, renowned magazines, and Australian brands. Additionally, she has designed events, home interiors, and websites for clients, showcasing her expertise across fashion, interiors, events, and even food styling.

Coty has lived in Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, for the past 32 years. Her two children, Thomas and Rebecca, each manage their own creative businesses in the Southern Highlands, further enriching the family’s artistic legacy.​