Eclectic Oz style Tap into a strong underlying theme to pull off an eclectic approach to decorating

A STRONG UNDERLYING THEME WILL HELP YOU PULL OFF AN ECLECTIC APPROACH TO DECORATING

Passionate decorators are blessed with an ever-widening variety of superb Aussie-made and designed furniture, homewares and tablewares to suit all tastes and budgets. Whether you embrace an eclectic style of decorating – where seemingly anything goes – or you prefer to judiciously pepper your home with select, much-prized handmade ceramics, resin objet d’art or even native flora screenprinted on fabrics and then transformed into exquisite soft furnishings or artwork, in going native you will also be supporting our local designers, craftspeople and/or manufacturers.

Textiles are an excellent way to bring native botanical motifs into your home. 3 SHELF LIFE Don’t limit yourself to tables and shelves for displaying your natives. A book stack is a playful perch for an urn of fresh eucalyptus and banksia. And watch for the silent interplay between the lovely handpicked and handprinted banksias. Native cushion in Rust, $155, bonnieandneil.com.au.

1 SPLENDID SLATS Owning an exquisitely cool and contemporary sla ed oak sideboard by iconic Australian furniture designer Mark Tuckey – at an affordable price – is like a dream come true. It’s ideal for books and display. Mark Tuckey for Adairs Slat Oak Sideboard, $999.99, adairs.com.au.

2 TABLE TALK We Australians love relaxed dining. So set the tone right from the outset with lovely table linens handprinted with proteas – ‘relatives’ of Aussie natives waratah and banksia. Protea tablecloth in Citron, $245 medium; Aster napkins in Green, $135/set of 6, bonnie andneil.com.au.

A black side table references the black and white sofa (opposite page) for a sense of cohesion. 4 SIMPLE SILHOUETTE Eclectic interiors with pa erns aplenty need to give your eye some pause to rest. Try the Mark Tuckey-designed Metal Egg Cup Side Table in Black, $299.99, adairs.com.au.

Large expanses of calm allow busy pa erns their time in the limelight.

5 BUSH BOUQUET Voila! With a fistful of so ly shaded native flora, you have yourself a fine arrangement in an instant. Put its beauty on show in an equally lovely Australian-made resin vase featuring a pearl-like finish that won’t detract from the beauty of your blooms.

6 LEG WORK A natural sisal rug is ideal to pare back an eclectic scheme that’s laden with bold pa ern and colour. Here, it serves as a subtle nod to the woven details of the sofa. PS, to create connection between them, rest the front legs of the sofa on the rug.

7, 8 BED MANNERS Use every means at your disposal to create bloomingly beautiful bedrooms underscored by a common theme – florals. This is a lesson in how to layer your bold pa erns and details that aren’t obvious at first glance but prove deliciously delightful when you happen upon them. Note the tablecloth bed throw, ruffled edge sheets, native hibiscus curtain and oversized proteas of the sca er cushions with their divine trims, which help to distinguish them from the every day.