A return client came to me with a new home for him and his two daughters in Collingwood. Given free rein to design while the apartment was still in construction, I was thrilled to work with a blank canvas.
At the beginning, only one thing was set: the timber floor colour. It was a pale, American oak – a great hue around which to base my design.
Master bedroom – bold, masculine style
The bedroom needed a style to match the client. So I opted for dark bronze grass paper for all walls. Then, I commissioned a bronze velvet bedhead. Beside the bed I placed dual darkwood bedside tables and added brass lamps with green velvet shades. This same green was also used for a bedroom chair in the corner of the room. This was offset beautifully by the tones of orange, blue and white I chose for the bedding.
Next, to match the bedhead, I added a bronze-framed bed stool at the foot of the bed. After the addition of contemporary art, a few family photos, and dark sheer curtains, the space had it all: bold colours, masculine style to match its owner, personal touches, and small soft contrasts.
Makeovers for the daughters’ bedrooms
These rooms were treated to a complete re-do: new beds, bedside tables, and lamps. In each I placed a custom desk, fitted to one end of the room around a structural column (a great use of the space).
Finally, I fitted wallpaper to all four walls in both bedrooms, then finished their respective designs with handpicked bedding and decorative cushions. Now they each get their own space with a comfort and style worth bragging about.
A multi-purpose space unified
The kitchen-dining-living area was one space. To give it a centrepiece, I chose an eight-person dining table. Then I hung two wall mirrors to reflect the space and increase the sense of space and size.
For comfort, I added a soft grey three-seater sofa and two orange-red swivel armchairs. These chairs are now positioned in front of the window to take advantage of the great city views. To make the living area as liveable as possible, I added imported side tables, a custom TV unit and footstool, and a marble coffee table.
I laid a wool silk rug to soften the vibrant colour in the room. Then I hung two sculptural art pieces on the walls to add further depth. Finally, as the client was so impressed with the wallpapers used in his bedrooms, we decided to paper the entire living and dining area – and even the ceiling in the kitchen. We chose grey textured paper, which is definitely more interesting than plain white walls.
To complete the room, and the home, I commissioned a one-off custom timber pendant light to hang above the dining table. This was the icing on the cake, the final touch to a beautiful home design I could only have delivered with the trust of my client.
Location: Collingwood, Melbourne
Photographer: Martina Gemmola
