Life in colour An explosion of colour brings this retreat to life

THIS VIBRANT HOME IN THE BYRON HINTERLAND IS THE PERFECT CALLING CARD FOR AN INTERIOR DESIGNER WHO HASN’T MET A COLOUR OR COLLECTIBLE SHE COULDN’T MATCH

COLOURFUL LANGUAGE It’s hard not to gasp at the melange of moody hues, lush textures and kitsch collectables when entering the northern NSW home interior designer Margaret shares with husband Peter, best friend Nick and Rossie the Jack Russell. And that’s exactly the way she likes it. “I think your interior design should reflect your personality,” she says. In the eye-catching living room (above), it starts with an audacious Moroccan rug, a one-of-a-kind from Marr-Kett, which feels bold but actually reflects every other colour in the space – from the cheeky blue parrot, also from Marr-Kett, to the recycled pine coffee table and leather armchairs from local homewares institution Bisque Traders. A Freedom lounge suite is revived in navy ultra-suede velvet by Byron Upholstery, while the Bonnie And Neil ‘Curve Buff Rust’ cushion draws the hues together. Their old farm’s potato sorter is now a side table, freshened with faux fronds and a cockatoo lamp from Fenton & Fenton.

As you feast your eyes on what homeowner and interior designer Margaret proudly calls her home’s “explosion of colour” – luminous blue tiles beside pink vintage rugs, dazzling floral wallpaper and exquisite collectibles at every glance – it’s hard to believe this bright and vivacious house started life as a “boring ’80s white brick box” with a low ceiling, poky rooms and old linoleum floors.

Fortunately, when Margaret saw it 10 years ago, she had her rosecoloured glasses firmly in place, and a rather brave husband, Peter, by her side. Having previously lived on a farm in Armidale and in a “big old house” in Bangalow, the couple knew they wanted acreage with a creek, four bedrooms and close proximity to Byron Bay. “It ticked all the boxes, but aesthetically it was horrible,” recalls Margaret. “Still, I said to Pete, ‘I reckon I can do something with this.’”

Did we mention those rose-coloured glasses? The 38-acre estate had bare, barbed-wire fenced paddocks and a serious mould problem, but the couple quickly set to work cleaning it out, adding a lush garden and pool, then waited until they had the time and money to renovate properly – which they did three years ago. That entailed gutting the entire building, converting the garage into a luxurious library and closing in the wraparound veranda to allow an extra living room. They also restored the bedrooms at the back.

While the home’s footprint is identical, those poky front rooms have now morphed into a spacious living/dining/kitchen area, and the low gyprock ceiling opens up to expose the original timber trusses. “It was a really hot house and needed a lot more airflow as it faces north, but we wanted privacy so we put a lot more trees in,” says Margaret.

However the real magic – the stuff that makes you draw breath – comes from the interior designer’s unbridled decorating style.

Resisting the Byron call to whitewash everything, Margaret opted for a darker, moodier palette, which somehow still feels light. “When I started painting the walls medium-grey, everyone had a go at me,” she explains, “but I said, ‘Don’t worry, our [Australian] sun can take it.’ Besides, warm colours make it feel cosy.” Today, the home is awash with bold hues, invigorating textures and more visual delights than you can poke a peacock at. It is cosy, yet difficult to define – although many try, laughs Margaret, using terms such as ‘eccentric’. Her preference? “Colourful!” she says. “And we do like putting things together that don’t seem to fit but somehow work.”

It’s that knack for pushing boundaries and pairing the impossible that draws clients to her dynamic interior design business, Alida And Miller, which she co-owns with daughter Kit. Mother Nature is their muse, something Margaret reminds jittery clients of regularly. “I say, ‘Look in nature and tell me a colour that doesn’t go with every other colour’,” she remarks. “You don’t look at a flower and say, ‘Oh that green doesn’t go with that pink.’ Never! It always looks amazing, so who are we to say that nature’s not right?”

While she’s the first to admit her vivacious style is not for everyone, it suits this family abode perfectly. “We get called the Osbournes,” she laughs. “There’s 10 of us and, when we get together, we’re loud and over the top, so our personalities suit our over-the-top house.”

With grandchildren, pets and friends dropping in daily – their best friend, Nick, and Jack Russell Rossie also officially live here – it’s all about fun and friendship, with multiple living areas and happy snaps at every glance. “I don’t care if people walk in with mud on their shoes,” says Margaret. “I want them to go, ‘Wow I feel really comfortable here.’ That’s my top priority.” And if they get a little extra-sensory explosion while they’re there, she couldn’t be happier.

“I WANT VISITORS TO GET A VISUAL explosion. I LIKE WHEN PEOPLE WALK IN AND HAVE TO DO panoramic A VIEW TO GET THE WHOLE STORY” ~ MARGARET

TILES ‘Santiago’ encaustic cement tiles, Tera Nova.

KITCHEN Inspired by darker, brightly tiled European kitchens, Margaret (pictured opposite with daughter Kit’s cavoodle Whoopi) opted for dazzling blue Tera Nova ‘Santiago’ encaustic cement tiles for the floor and partial splashback (top right & opposite), and a moody shade of indigo for the cabinets (try Taubmans Daring Indigo). “With open-plan, you need each area to have its own individual style, yet work seamlessly with each other,” she says. The floor tiles work like an imaginary wall, while the recycled wood banquet table and stools by Bisque Traders connect the dining room’s French oak floorboards. The black Belling cooker is from Harvey Norman and the dark rattan pendant light is from Bisque Traders, with contrasting white in the ceiling (painted with Dulux Lexicon), subway tiles from Byron Bay Tiles and the light-coloured Caesarstone ‘Alpine Mist’ benchtop.

DINING ROOM There’s a touch of whimsy in the dining room (above), anchored by a solid recycled table sourced from Bisque Traders which is then allowed to run free with bi-fold doors that invite the garden in, a playful pink rug from Marr-Kett, and the delightful David Bromley artwork from his Children’s Series. While an original Bromley can go for $30,000, Margaret cleverly hunted down one of his painted quilts at Bromley & Co and framed it – all for just $3500. “I wanted arm chairs with the same blue that’s coming out of the picture,” she explains of the unexpected pairing of the dust-blue ‘Daphne’ chairs from Globe West with the black Thonet ‘Bentwood’ dining chairs from Apex. LIBRARY Who says libraries are dull and musty? Margaret’s favourite space – once a garage, no less – is bursting with eccentricities (opposite), including an eye-catching peacock, flamboyant Moroccan mirror and Louis XV-style armchairs (try Living Styles for all). The chairs are softened with pastel pink cushions and plush sheepskin throws – you can find similar at Bonnie And Neil, Big W or Jumbled Online. The clay beaded slash chandelier is from Fenton & Fenton and the low coffee table an upcycled family gift. “Just buy a plain wooden table and paint it any colour you like,” says Margaret, who advises painting shelving “a dark moody colour so the books pop”. When all else fails, she just adds a brilliant rug.