Perfect Balance
Invaluable pointers for transforming your interior space room by room.
Appearances can be deceptive. At first glance, this red-brick home in Geelong, Victoria, looks vintage, but in fact it’s only a little more than 20 years old. It was built by the previous owners in convincing Georgian style, with beautiful architectural details throughout, including grand windows and high ceilings. Subsequent owners decided it needed some additional character and polish. Interior designer Rebecca Jansma of Space Grace & Style was called upon to execute a largely cosmetic makeover. “I had excellent bones to work with, and the project was a rapid one – just three months,” she says.
2 SIMPLE COMPLEXITY
Artworks were selected from the owners’ collection; for this area, Rebecca chose monochromatic pieces with an emphasis on simple lines. The grouping is small, interesting and offset by a sculptural luminaire. “I love tampering with scale and balance,” says Rebecca, “so an asymmetrical light [‘O’branch II’ by Reduxr] is a natural choice to accompany a structured art hang and symmetrical banquette.”
3 SUPER SEATING
The banquette setting is a handy way to gain great seating while conserving space. “Full-aniline leather is the best material for this buttoned style and will just get better with age,” advises Rebecca. She chose Thomas Maxwell ‘London Club’ leather in Clove from Warwick Fabrics. The brassy notes shown opposite continue with the Sarah Ellison ‘Stacey’ dining table. >
4 KITCHEN UPDATE
In the galley kitchen, Rebecca customised the existing joinery with battens (a great money-saving idea) to arrive at what she calls a “modified Shaker” look. She added drawers and painted the lot in Porter’s Paints Dusty Mule, a dusky green-grey shade that makes a better alternative to white in this relatively low-light space. She also replaced the existing benchtops with slick Calacatta marble in a curved lambs-tongue profile. Brass elements are repeated throughout the home; here, the cabinetry has been customised with ‘Bronte’ handles and ‘Atticus’ knobs in Brushed Brass, from Hepburn Hardware – such items are the simplest and easiest way to add highlights, says Rebecca. Illumination comes from a large ‘Easterly’ pendant light in an antique burnished-brass finish from Tigger Hall Design. The Persian rug, an unusual touch for a kitchen, delivers warmth and character.
5 MOULDING CHARACTER
Effective use of panelling is home-specific, says Rebecca.
“You require a good ceiling height and a certain gravitas in order for it to have context. I start by roughly marking the panelling on the walls with masking tape, to quickly get a sense of whether it’s an appropriate match for the doors, windows, furnishings, art, window coverings, scale and balance of the space.” Here, Rebecca used timber mouldings from Mitre 10 and painted them and the walls in Dulux White Duck Quarter.
IN THIS HOME, A EUROPEAN AESTHETIC MEETS A SENSE OF EASY AUSTRALIAN STYLE AND ELEGANCE.
6 A MIX THAT WORKS
Balance comes more easily when you include texture and pattern in the scheme, says Rebecca. “The bone-inlay coffee table from Ruby Star Traders is a complete surprise. Soft grey sheer linen curtains reference colours in the silk Kashmiri rug from Hali Handmade Rugs and act as a bit of a foil to the white expanse of the sofa [‘Joe Deep’ design from MCM House].”
The Chinese chest is a dominant form in the room. “It was imperative to include other elements of black or it would have felt off balance,” says Rebecca. Cue the curtain rails, Gubi floor lamp (from Luke Furniture), table stripes and artwork frame. >
IT ’S IMPORTANT TO CHALLENGE EXPECTATIONS SO A SPACE IS NEVER BORING OR PREDICTABLE.
7 WHEN ERAS COLLIDE
(above left)
“We love to juxtapose old and new, and there are many eras represented in this home,” says Rebecca. “The trick to getting them working together is to ensure the materials are sufficiently different but still compatible.” Case in point is the dining room, where an existing French timber door makes friends with a table crafted from recycled Chinese elm, artisanal Studio Bartoli ‘1085’ leather and timber chairs from Fanuli, a serenely modern wool rug by Armadillo & Co and the crystal-encrusted form of the Christopher Boots pendant light shown previously. Another tightly packed art hang provides a focal point and draws the eye down from the lofty ceiling.
8 DEEPER PURPOSE
(above right)
What a great chair! The owners purchased it at an antiques store years ago and have no intention of restoring it. A true character in its own right, it serves a purpose, jumping out from the moody grey wall (Resene Fuscous Grey) and Godfrey Hirst ‘Green Square’ carpet in Ashen, and complementing the antique gilt mirror. “Private spaces such as bedrooms, studies and dining rooms beg to be painted dark,” says Rebecca. “We’d happily paint any room dark, but I think that you achieve the greatest results in naturally darker rooms – there’s a synergy that seems to work.” >
9 PLAY IT WITH PATTERN
When picking out wallpaper, Rebecca often chooses pattern over texture. “You have a unique opportunity to really inject some whimsy and a bit of storytelling,” she says. For this room, she selected non-woven Passepartout paper in Black/ Grey from Eurowalls, a rich match for the sumptuous leather bedhead.
10 RECURRING THEMES
The classics never go out of style, and Rebecca and her team use vintage and antique pieces in many of their projects. “Try to tie these pieces into a contemporary space by reupholstering or refinishing in a more relevant fabric, colour or finish,” she suggests. “The beauty of these pieces is that they’ve had a life already, and you have the opportunity to extend it and write another chapter. It’s exciting and unexpected to see old pieces reimagined, and they are often the items people gravitate towards in a room.” Here, the vintage bust and crystal pendant light add a sweet touch of whimsy. ‘Bellewood’ custom wall mural in Grey Toile by Rebel Walls. ‘Jensen’ side table in gold and malachite from James Said. Linen bedding from Society of Wanderers.