Stickybeak: Blue Touches and Light Wood Bring Life to a New Home
An interior stylist transforms a dim and empty Melbourne house into a welcoming and well-lit home. Here's how
A newly purchased house. A series of empty rooms. A collection of unpacked boxes. A blank interior canvas. This was the scene that greeted Michelle Hart of Bask Interiors when she first set foot in this Victorian terrace in Windsor, Melbourne. Georgia Ellis was the proud new owner and had just moved back to Australia after living and working overseas. But aside from decorative objects and a few key pieces of furniture – her modular sofa and bedroom suite – Ellis’ house was almost bare. The brief, and Hart’s job, was to transform the property from a house into a home.
Ellis approached Hart, an interior stylist and owner of Bask Interiors, after discovering her work on Houzz. “She first contacted me in March 2017 while she was living and working overseas, and told me that she had purchased a property in Windsor that she planned to move into when she returned permanently to Melbourne in April,” says Hart.
“She was bringing a few furniture pieces back with her that she hoped to use, but she required mostly new furniture throughout the home that suited her current style.” The two met in person after Ellis relocated, and by September 2017 her house was fully styled and furnished.
“She was bringing a few furniture pieces back with her that she hoped to use, but she required mostly new furniture throughout the home that suited her current style.” The two met in person after Ellis relocated, and by September 2017 her house was fully styled and furnished.
“What was most important to my client was that she wanted her house to feel more like her home,” says Hart. Ellis is a fan of relaxed Scandinavian style and loves light timber finishes and calming washes of blues and greys. To reflect this, Hart adopted these tones for the colour scheme, which we see throughout the house.
After identifying a style and colour palette for the house, Hart quickly saw to the basics. “I added essential furniture items such as a textured rug, coffee tables and an entertainment unit to the living space,” she says. “The dining room included a new dining table and chairs, pendant light, commissioned wall art and a new console.”
Gubi Ronde pendant light: Surrounding; custom-made mandala artwork: Mondocherry
After identifying a style and colour palette for the house, Hart quickly saw to the basics. “I added essential furniture items such as a textured rug, coffee tables and an entertainment unit to the living space,” she says. “The dining room included a new dining table and chairs, pendant light, commissioned wall art and a new console.”
Gubi Ronde pendant light: Surrounding; custom-made mandala artwork: Mondocherry
The placement of the new furniture in the dining room proved the biggest challenge for Hart. “It is a large room, and has three doorways or thoroughfares off it – hallway, bathroom/laundry and kitchen,” she says. “This meant that we couldn’t place the dining table and overhanging pendant light right in the centre of the room, as the walkways would have been obstructed. I was concerned that not centring the furniture and lighting would make the room off balance; but in fact it was most logical for the flow of foot traffic in and around the room, so it worked well in the end.”
Henri dining chairs and Ethnicraft table: Globe West
Henri dining chairs and Ethnicraft table: Globe West
In addition to its beautiful bones, Ellis’ period home featured pockets of poorly lit spaces – a malady that has beset many a terrace house built in the Victorian era. The entrance, hallway and master bedroom face south, so receive little natural light, along with the adjacent guest bedroom.
To rectify this, Hart replaced the existing light fittings and suggested installing new downlights in the hallway, which Ellis promptly did. “It was a big concern for Georgia, so this was one of the first things she got onto changing,” says Hart. “She was very hands-on at organising and getting things done quickly, which is one of the reasons why she was such a delight to work with.”
Marius sideboard in ‘Petrol Blue’: Clickon Furniture
To rectify this, Hart replaced the existing light fittings and suggested installing new downlights in the hallway, which Ellis promptly did. “It was a big concern for Georgia, so this was one of the first things she got onto changing,” says Hart. “She was very hands-on at organising and getting things done quickly, which is one of the reasons why she was such a delight to work with.”
Marius sideboard in ‘Petrol Blue’: Clickon Furniture
To help welcome natural light into the guest bedroom, Hart updated the internal window furnishings with sheer white curtains that usher in light while maintaining privacy.
She also dressed the guest bedroom with linen and soft furnishings in light neutrals and bright whites to create an airy ambience. Darker navy blues were restricted to a single cushion and a ribbon of midnight blue across the bed in the form of a throw, to avoid overshadowing the already dim space.
Cotton lantern light fitting: The Society Inc; bedlinen: Adairs; navy throw and cushion: Myer; Chelsea green cushion: Eadie Lifestyle
She also dressed the guest bedroom with linen and soft furnishings in light neutrals and bright whites to create an airy ambience. Darker navy blues were restricted to a single cushion and a ribbon of midnight blue across the bed in the form of a throw, to avoid overshadowing the already dim space.
Cotton lantern light fitting: The Society Inc; bedlinen: Adairs; navy throw and cushion: Myer; Chelsea green cushion: Eadie Lifestyle
To further brighten the guest bedroom, Hart cleverly positioned a large mirror opposite the windows – the main light source – to amplify the natural light and imbue the modest-sized room with a feeling of spaciousness.
“Part of the brief was to also assess what existing items we could re-use in her house and what needed to go,” says Hart. Ellis’ old bed and side tables found a new home in the guest bedroom, which gave Ellis the perfect excuse to buy a luxurious new suite of furniture for her master bedroom, which is one of her favourite spaces.
Brass floor mirror: Warranbrooke; bedside lamps: Beacon Lighting
“Part of the brief was to also assess what existing items we could re-use in her house and what needed to go,” says Hart. Ellis’ old bed and side tables found a new home in the guest bedroom, which gave Ellis the perfect excuse to buy a luxurious new suite of furniture for her master bedroom, which is one of her favourite spaces.
Brass floor mirror: Warranbrooke; bedside lamps: Beacon Lighting
“She emphasised when we first met that she wanted her bed and bedroom to look like one that you see on the pages of magazines,” says Hart.
The interior stylist’s approach pays careful attention to textural accents. You can see this played out in her choice of soft furnishings, which marry seamlessly with Ellis’ preferred Scandinavian style.
Hart installed new shutters in Ellis’ bedroom, crowned it with a diaphanous pendant light and topped the fireplace with a statement round mirror, which lightens and enlarges the feel of the room.
Oak bedside tables: Retro Jan; upholstered bedhead: Nathan + Jac; cotton and bamboo pendant light: Norsu Interiors; photographic artwork: Forman Art and Framing
The interior stylist’s approach pays careful attention to textural accents. You can see this played out in her choice of soft furnishings, which marry seamlessly with Ellis’ preferred Scandinavian style.
Hart installed new shutters in Ellis’ bedroom, crowned it with a diaphanous pendant light and topped the fireplace with a statement round mirror, which lightens and enlarges the feel of the room.
Oak bedside tables: Retro Jan; upholstered bedhead: Nathan + Jac; cotton and bamboo pendant light: Norsu Interiors; photographic artwork: Forman Art and Framing
Ask Hart about her favourite feature in this home and she replies that it is the tonal veins of blue that punctuate the light, neutral backdrop, which immediately catch your eye here in the master bedroom.
“I love how the colour palette, from bright teals to petrol blue to deep navy, shines through in this home,” she says. “From the master bedroom to the guest bedroom to the dining room and living room, there are beautiful elements of blue running throughout.”
Lamps: Life Interiors; bedlinen and throws: Adairs; navy wool cushion: West Elm; Mongolian Sheepskin Cushion in ‘Pink’: Hides of Excellence
“I love how the colour palette, from bright teals to petrol blue to deep navy, shines through in this home,” she says. “From the master bedroom to the guest bedroom to the dining room and living room, there are beautiful elements of blue running throughout.”
Lamps: Life Interiors; bedlinen and throws: Adairs; navy wool cushion: West Elm; Mongolian Sheepskin Cushion in ‘Pink’: Hides of Excellence
As for the lady of the house, one of Ellis’ favourite spaces is her bedroom. “I think she was very happy with the transformation and how it all came together,” Hart says of her client. “She did select well from the items I recommended, and I think she got what she hoped for with the end result.”
Round mirror: Middle of Nowhere; throw: Adairs
Tell us
What’s your favourite element in this home? Tell us in the Comments below, and don’t forget to like this story and save your favourite images.
More
Want more? Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week: An Accessible and Stylish Kitchen-Diner
Round mirror: Middle of Nowhere; throw: Adairs
Tell us
What’s your favourite element in this home? Tell us in the Comments below, and don’t forget to like this story and save your favourite images.
More
Want more? Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week: An Accessible and Stylish Kitchen-Diner
Who lives here: Georgia Ellis
Location: Windsor, Victoria
Size: Land size approximately 195 square metres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Furniture and styling: Michelle Hart from Bask Interiors
Furniture and styling budget: $20,000 to $25,000
“Georgia had returned home with a lot of collected pieces from her time living overseas – artefacts, artworks, cushions. We went through everything to see how we could display and use some of the pieces,” says Hart, who gave these treasured mementos a place to shine in this gallery wall in the living room.
Wool rug: Tribe Home; Sketch Meta End Tables in High and Low tables: Clickon Furniture