CREATIVE SOLUTION
In the hands of a designer who took a curatorial approach to its transformation, this Melbourne home is now itself a work of art.
“THE DARK GREEN COLOUR MAKES THE STUDY FEEL COSY AND COCOONING.”
Swee Lim, interior designer
Art sits at the very heart of this Melbourne home. When the businesswoman who owns this 1920s property first bought it, the house was in excellent shape but needed a complete interior refit to become the kind of space where the owner could demonstrate her love of contemporary art and design. Enter Swee Lim, who happens to be an art consultant as well as an interior designer. She took on the task of transforming the shell of a house into an elegant and sophisticated family home. “The artworks were largely commissioned specially for this house,” says Swee. “They played a very important role in establishing the mood of the interiors.”
Glass artist Mark Douglass created a series of iridescent glass sculptures that slot perfectly into the existing wall niches near the formal dining room while acclaimed abstract artist Marisa Purcell delivered a dazzlingly beautiful green painting for the casual dining area. “Marisa’s large-scale painting draws the green of the garden inside and plays beautifully to the idea I had that the furnishings be based around the concept of jade, a semi-precious stone,” says Swee. Greens and blues abound throughout the home, in the rugs Swee specified and in the deep-green study. Dark timbers such as smoked oak and
“THE DESIGN WAS BUILT AROUND THE LUSTROUS FINISHES AND COLOURS.” Swee
wenge are teamed with lustrous furnishings that offer up the iridescent sheen of glass, silk and brass.
The lights and key pieces of furniture were carefully selected for their sculptural qualities. Oversize pendant lights, redolent of Chinese lanterns, create movement and form in the air; floor lamps play the role of ‘jewellery’ in each room. There is a strong sculptural element to the shapely Molteni&C casual dining table and the curvaceous Moroso ‘Longwave’ armchair – another striking blue item – in the formal living room.
Marble also plays a starring role in this home, with the real thing used extensively in the bathrooms and on coffee tables, and its likeness making an appearance in the form of wall murals that steal the show in the home’s bedrooms. The bedrooms have been simply furnished so as not to compete with this punchy print. “It was all about creating a luxe-hotel feel in these rooms,” says Swee. In the generous main bedroom, glass doors open out to a private balcony where the owner can sink into a warm bath and take in views of the garden and pool.
Given that the homeowner was overseas for much of the renovation period, this was a logistically challenging project for Swee.“I’dsourceitemsIthoughtwouldsuitthehouse,sendphotos to the owner and then we would set up a video call to sign off on them or to look at other options. It’s not the usual way of doing things, so the project took longer to complete than normal.”
The result, though, clearly reflects the attention to detail and time that has been put into it. “This a luxurious and elegant home and the owner tells me she’s thrilled with it. It’s a wonderful hybrid of cultures and styles and suits her to a tee.”