At the first meeting with her clients, interior decorator Katie Riddell was talking to them about their interests. “It was obvious they loved nature given that their home is located in in the verdant Dandenong Ranges. As we spoke, my client remembered how much she enjoyed hiking and being outdoors. That helped spark the design direction of the home.”
Like many people, they had lived in their home for years but had never put their stamp on it. “The dull walls, outdated fussy patterned kitchen tiles and old curtains were remnants of the former owners. Being retired and spending a lot of time at home due to health reasons, meant it was now time for them to feel more at home,” Katie says.
The brief started to take shape. They wanted the three-bedroom house to be more minimal and casual. “I suggested the use of warm natural, earthy and natural materials. And to connect to the surrounding forest, ‘biophilia’ through colour and patterns of trees and the round shapes of the wattle.”
In terms of budget, initially $50,000 was mentioned, but it was soon increased to $70,000 (excluding design fees) to take into account furniture, new carpet, painting and changes to the kitchen. “It started to creep up. So we needed to be strategic with where to spend and where to save.”
As there is one main, open plan living area, money was invested in beautiful, locally made items. A custom green sofa in James Dunlop Staunch ‘Moss’ fabric was made to gently envelop the open plan area and soften the rectangular lines of the room. A custom timber side table from Momo sits into the sofa. And while they looked at some ready made furniture for the dining area to keep costs down, when Katie’s client saw the beautiful handcrafted furniture from Tide Design, she knew she had to have one of their oak dining tables! A new sculptural pendant light from Beacon Lighting was installed over the dining table to define the area and provide more light.
More timber finishes were added with the Plyroom coat hook, Touch Handles Chicama wave timber handles on a cupboard door and a bookshelf from Kave Home.
A fresh coat of paint in Dulux White Starlight Quarter was applied to walls and doors to freshen up the home. In the living room, patterned Louvelite blinds were installed and replaced old curtains so the view of the garden and nearby forest would not be interrupted. The pattern subtly echoes foliage.
“In the kitchen, my client was keen to make changes,” Katie says. “She wanted to change the cooktop from gas to induction, remove the dated tiles, incorporate her freestanding freezer into the kitchen and find a solution for the corner overhead cupboard. A new kitchen was too costly and potentially too disruptive. So a kitchen facelifit was carried out.
“My client achieved what she wanted without the price tag of a new kitchen. The old tiles were replaced with sage subway tiles from National Tiles, standing upright like tree trunks. And the tired benchtops were replaced with timber look tops. Coordinating shelves were installed in place of the clunky corner cabinet, new timber knobs installed, a new cooktop and the freezer was integrated into the cabinetry. My client was even able to get a new hideaway bin under the sink.”
In the second and third bedrooms, they tightened the budget. One room was made into a multi-purpose sitting/exercise/guest room with a sofa bed, lamp, a wooden tree stump side table and art. In the other spare bedroom, office supplies were hidden in two green IKEA Idasen cabinets. A chair and wooden side table from Kave Home sit in the corner next to the window.
“The hallway was dark, being in the middle of the home. The lack of light was embraced by installing wallpaper by Milton & King so there was a little forest as you walk down the hall.”
In the main bedroom, although it was small, Katie brought in some burgundy to warm up the space and contrast with the greens. A narrow custom headboard attached to the wall was made in burgundy fabric and this was echoed in the strip of colour along the new wave curtains. Globewest bedside tables and touch bedside table lamps from Beacon Lighting finish off the room. A new ribbed glass pendant light from Beacon was also installed.
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Photography by Natalie Jeffcott
