Colour Balance – Melbourne
The young family of this 19th Century Victorian weatherboard home in Melbourne’s leafy suburb Camberwell, Australia, were ready for a re-vamp. A makeover inspired by the clients love for the fabulously eclectic New York apartment of American-Italian model Carmen Dell’Orefice; artistic and chic but not too precious – the project aim was to create a mix of re-purposed vintage furniture with the kitsch, embracing the client’s poster and print collections.
Ready for a more adult space, after 8 years since their first renovation, the clients entrusted The Stylesmiths to modernise the home from kid friendly to a sophisticated and bold colour infused habitat. The Stylemsiths designer Danielle B with an eye for colour and materials felt that the furnishings, surfaces and fixtures needed a refresh. The original Victorian rooms were given an extra dash of pizzazz, reflecting the clients’ personalities to create common living areas that were usable and beautiful.
The project aim was to balance the space with the furnishings and colour, each room painted in a different colour swatch including base tones made up of soft, muted, pastel pinks and blues. Strong and contrasting tones including deep green, navy, black, gold and magenta are then layered via furnishings, paint, wallpaper and surface treatments.
In the living area the well-loved art deco chairs were re-upholstered in a lush bottle green velvet, and the circular dining table was re-fashioned with Black Japan lacquer with a black glass table top to give it a new lease of life. The furnishings, colour and lighting are linked to each room. This created a unique monochromatic hue in each room to give each space a distinct feel and atmosphere. It was important to look at the house and scheme as a whole. The process involves creating a spread of swatches, fabrics and materials throughout the home to ensure that the balance works throughout the entire scheme.
Photographs Nicole England