MODERN ART
Don’t let the simplicity fool you – artist Caroline Walls’ home is as unique as her work
For Melbourne-based creative Caroline Walls, home is where the art is.
IN BETWEEN THE OVERGROWN LANEWAYS
and buzzing wine bars of Melbourne’s Carlton North sits this oasis of a twobedroom terrace shared by Caroline Walls, her wife Emma Hill and their cat Major Tom. The couple moved in five years ago after Walls’ stints in London and New York, and have since created a stylish home showcasing their ever-evolving aesthetic. “It’s a real culmination of art, objects and furniture Emma and I have collected on our travels over the years, both together and separately,” Walls says. “It’s a small, personal space that we hope tells a bit of our story.”
The home’s original timber floors and muted colour palette make it the ideal canvas for the couple’s arty and eclectic style. “We hope our home has some character, warmth and a sense of depth and richness to it – a true expression of what we love and what has meaning to us,” Walls says. “We don’t want our home to look like a showroom catalogue.”
Like many full-time artists, Walls’ home doubles as her studio. “The hallway walls are often lined with canvases and my pieces creep into the living room, too,” she says. With the exploration of femininity,
gender lines and identity at the forefront of her art, Walls’ simple, graphic approach has seen her work also become a fixture in households all over the world.
The home mirrors Walls’ art perfectly – both are layered in shades of nude and soft grey, offset by deeper tones of midnight blue and black. Scattered among Walls’ own work is an impressive collection of ceramics, many made by Melbourne-based artists. “I tend to shop at smaller independent stores that source and sell local designers,” she says. “Rather than a space filled with objects and furniture that feel mass-produced, we want to ensure our home is uniquely our own.”
Although each piece has been selected by the couple, Walls admits that one room and its contents has become the heart of their abode. “The living room is filled with my favourite books, ceramics and, most importantly, the record player,” she says. “Music is a really present part of our home and, luckily for me, Emma has exceptional taste – her ever-growing vinyl collection of music from the past and present is always playing on the turntable and brings so much soul and life to our home.”