Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Cool, Calm and Charismatic in Melbourne's South East
Having worked abroad, Max and Vivienne returned to Victoria to embrace a laid-back lifestyle in their first home as a married couple
Having spent eight years working overseas in China, Canada and Dubai, Max and Vivienne Sinclair decided to return to Melbourne, Victoria to start their new lives together. They had the new home (a double-fronted Victorian house in the south-eastern suburbs), now all they needed was interior designer Sally Caroline Klopper.
The young and charismatic couple spend a lot of time at home. Max works from home five days a week, Vivienne one day a week, so they required natural light and separate work and play zones. “They also love to entertain and wanted their space to embrace all facets of their life – providing a backdrop to host dinner parties as well as a sanctuary to escape their busy lives,” says Klopper. “They wanted their home to be a reflection of their personalities – fun, charismatic and laid-back.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Newlyweds Vivienne and Max Sinclair and their spoodle puppy, Roxy
Location: Elwood, Melbourne
Size: 2 storey home with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 living areas and a home office
The young and charismatic couple spend a lot of time at home. Max works from home five days a week, Vivienne one day a week, so they required natural light and separate work and play zones. “They also love to entertain and wanted their space to embrace all facets of their life – providing a backdrop to host dinner parties as well as a sanctuary to escape their busy lives,” says Klopper. “They wanted their home to be a reflection of their personalities – fun, charismatic and laid-back.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Newlyweds Vivienne and Max Sinclair and their spoodle puppy, Roxy
Location: Elwood, Melbourne
Size: 2 storey home with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 living areas and a home office
Vivienne said from the beginning that she needed to be deterred from just making “safe” decisions, so Klopper chose the living area to begin to put ideas in front of her that she may not have had the confidence to select otherwise.
“This meant a textured and patterned rug setting the tone instantly. We selected fun fabrics and polished metals as well as accessories that were a little unexpected,” says Klopper.
“This meant a textured and patterned rug setting the tone instantly. We selected fun fabrics and polished metals as well as accessories that were a little unexpected,” says Klopper.
The couple loved the idea of a neutral, calming space with daring accents, and were especially keen on introducing pop art to the mix. Towards the end of the project, Klopper came across the artwork of Melma Hamersfeld and knew it would be perfect to balance the Missoni fabric in the neighbouring living space.
“Another brave move was the Lee Broom dining chairs, which were imported from London,” says Klopper. “Part comfort and part rock star, they speak the clients’ language.”
It is indeed this juxtaposition between daring and calming features that provides this home with such a soothing sense of character.
It is indeed this juxtaposition between daring and calming features that provides this home with such a soothing sense of character.
While the work areas remain firmly upstairs, purposefully separate from play, there was a lot more fluidity intended for the living zone. The living, dining and kitchen areas merge into one in an open-plan scheme that’s perfect for entertaining, while carefully chosen furniture pieces and textures help define each segment when necessary.
‘Brooklyn’ stools by Evostyle in black leather with a natural stain frame prop up the kitchen breakfast bar. The bright, white kitchen soaks up the natural light in the home beautifully, providing a neutral backdrop for carefully chosen accessories and furniture pieces.
In the bedroom, Klopper went with a soft palette, provoking interest through layered textures. The velvet wall panels sit behind an Italian hand-carved bedhead, which is custom-stained in a grey silver.
The elegant wall sconces are made from gold-plated brass tubing, fixed together by hand. Referencing the clients’ love for music, these sculptural pieces are inspired by the pipe organ.
The bedside tables were designed specifically for Vivienne and Max and are constructed from a silverline veneer with antique silver drawer pulls.
“I love wall sconces for their decorative appeal as well as their ambience – they offer a gorgeous soft light, which is perfect for a sanctuary space like the bedroom,” says Klopper.
The elegant wall sconces are made from gold-plated brass tubing, fixed together by hand. Referencing the clients’ love for music, these sculptural pieces are inspired by the pipe organ.
The bedside tables were designed specifically for Vivienne and Max and are constructed from a silverline veneer with antique silver drawer pulls.
“I love wall sconces for their decorative appeal as well as their ambience – they offer a gorgeous soft light, which is perfect for a sanctuary space like the bedroom,” says Klopper.
A key trend at the moment is the gentle layering of finishes and textures. This technique brings depth and interest to a space and, in this particular bedroom, gives a warm and cosy feel.
Starting with the wall treatment, the entire back wall of the room was clad with upholstered panels. Each panel is wrapped with dacron and silver velvet before being neatly contoured with a 3mm stainless-steel trim. Expertly crafted and concealed, these are fixed to the wall for a seamless and super-cosy finish.
Panel velvet in ‘Infinito’: Ascraft.
Starting with the wall treatment, the entire back wall of the room was clad with upholstered panels. Each panel is wrapped with dacron and silver velvet before being neatly contoured with a 3mm stainless-steel trim. Expertly crafted and concealed, these are fixed to the wall for a seamless and super-cosy finish.
Panel velvet in ‘Infinito’: Ascraft.
The home had inherent beauty and original details, which provided the perfect base for this cool, calm and charismatic home. Light pours into the hallway, which is home to one of Klopper’s favourite additions for this home.
“The dreamy wall hanging at the entry is still one of my favourite finds. This beautifully calming piece is handmade in Brooklyn from vintage leather, feathers, sticks and crystal. I came across this supplier on a recent trip to
New York and we now sell them at an online boutique – Harklo,” says Klopper.
Klopper embraces the symbolic idea of dreamcatchers: “They were originally used by Native American tribes to ward off bad spirits. They believed that the bad dreams would get caught and confused in the webbing and that the good dreams would drip down into the feathers, imparting good spirits onto the sleeping. The idea is to share positive energy.”
New York and we now sell them at an online boutique – Harklo,” says Klopper.
Klopper embraces the symbolic idea of dreamcatchers: “They were originally used by Native American tribes to ward off bad spirits. They believed that the bad dreams would get caught and confused in the webbing and that the good dreams would drip down into the feathers, imparting good spirits onto the sleeping. The idea is to share positive energy.”
The furniture and accessories weren’t the only new addition. The couple’s spoodle puppy also moved in. Here Roxy stands proudly on the charcoal living room rug.
TELL US
What do you like about this beautiful Melbourne home? Let us know in the Comments section.
TELL US
What do you like about this beautiful Melbourne home? Let us know in the Comments section.
“The idea in this home was to keep the palette still quite calm and sophisticated but challenge Vivienne a little creatively,” says Klopper. “Furniture, lighting and accessories were purchased from various local and international suppliers – carefully layering textures, patterns and forms. We wanted to keep the palette soft and subtle with predominantly blues, greys, charcoals and creams. Vivienne was a big fan of Missoni so we used their ‘Jacaranda’ textile for the window bench – a brave pop of colour.”