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Real reno: A sophisticated family home in Melbourne

By Amy Collins-Walker •

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“I gravitate to de-saturated and muted hues that are subtle yet lively – a natural palette brought to life by a splash of colour. I aim to achieve a balance between homely and liveable, fresh and stylish,” says Homeroom Studio interior designer Romy Dankner in what could be a summation of her latest project; a gorgeous family home renovation in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton.

Lounge room
By reflecting light, a pair of mirrors make the lounge room feel larger. A navy sofa provides a pop of colour too.

After several attempts themselves, the home’s owners decided to hire a professional which is where Romy came in. “After many attempts of trying to style themselves, they opened their doors to me and instilled a great deal of trust in my designs,” says Romy who approached the home’s interior as a complete blank canvas. And fresh furniture and homewares aside, the main objective for the renovation was to bring as much natural light in as possible given the property is south facing.

Lounge room
Lounge room

“With a focus on bringing in the natural light, I tried to incorporate as many reflective surfaces as possible. Double mirrors redirect light through the space making it immediately lighter and brighter,” says Romy of the gorgeous open plan lounge and dining area that also features a King Furniture dining table and Globewest coffee table. “They were a wonderful choice of material for those spaces as their surfaces bring a variety of tone, depth and movement,” says Romy.

Dining room
Dining room. Brass accents feature throughout the home.

A standout for me is the statement feature wallpaper that adorns one side of the dining room – Kelly Wearstler’s iconic Graffito wallpaper adds texture and character to the space. “I love the texture, tones and layering in the dining room – from the movement of Kelly Wearstler’s wallpaper, to the lines in Carly Williams’ art piece,” says Romy.

Dining room
Kelly Wearstler’s iconic Graffito wallpaper works wonderfully in the dining room

And while the home itself is quite large, the rooms themselves aren’t particularly sizeable which is where Romy’s skills were key. “It was imperative that the proportions of each room were perfect. Every product was selected from the heart and with great intention. We also wanted each space to feel intrinsically different whilst still complementing each other with a beautiful flow-on effect. A real story,” says Romy.

Dining
The artwork echoes the wallpaper in the dining room and gives the space cohesion

The bedrooms were overhauled too with the master bedroom now sporting a navy feature wall, complementary navy rug, glass pendant lights and statement artwork.

Master bedroom
Master bedroom

“I wanted to bring bolder tones into the master bedroom so that it would feel more luxe. The navy textural wallpaper offers such a crisp contrast to the sheer white curtains, whilst the Jardan pendants pick up on the warm tones and introduce my much loved brass elements. The navy complementary rug by The Rug Collection was a lovely way to define the floor space, and is incredibly soft underfoot which is always important in a bedroom,” says Romy.

Master bedroom
Bedside details

“Seeing the home transform gave me such joy, however watching the owners have their breath completely breath taken made me speechless. I still get text messages of happiness!”

Child's bedroom
Child’s bedroom

Photography: Liane Hurvitz

For more on Romy | Another Melbourne family home renovation

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June 11, 2019

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Looking for a little inspo for your 2026 kitchen a Looking for a little inspo for your 2026 kitchen and laundry projects? Look no further than @kaboodlekitchen's free digital download edit magazine. Featuring trends commentary from yours truly!

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I've been meaning to post about getting out of hos I've been meaning to post about getting out of hospital in time for Christmas and spending a magical time with my beautiful family and friends for days now, but I was staying in the moment and off my phone. My wish came true and it really was amazing to enjoy that Santa magic.

Sadly, the day after Boxing Day, I ended up back in an ambulance after an internal bleed where my hemoglobin levels dropped dangerously low. I'm not very good at explaining the medical side, but after surgery and a couple of nights in ICU, I'm now on a ward and recovering well, hoping I get to return home ASAP.

I have so many thank yous to say for the incredible GoFundMe donations and kindness and support I've received. I really am blown away and so grateful. There are so many good people in the world, both strangers and those I'm lucky enough to know.

And having now received 6 bags of blood transfusion myself, another huge shout out to all donors. I felt so good to know I've done my bit donating over the years when I received someone else's life saving donation. Please consider doing the same and potentially saving a life.

Before ending up back in hospital, I was settling in well at home with daily visits from nurses and I'm hoping I can get back to that new normal again soon. 

Thank you again to everyone for their kindness. And biggest thanks to @damianfrancis for truly spoiling me at Christmas and once again holding the fort at home. Our boys are so lucky to have you ❤️
Edit: the winner of this giveaway is @wholehearted Edit: the winner of this giveaway is @wholeheartedstudio Congratulations Hayley!

To thank you all for your beautiful messages of support after sharing my very vulnerable big news the other day, I've teamed up with the talented @katenixon_official to give one follower the chance to win this stunning prize worth almost $600.

It includes:

Ines 3-Piece Marble Bathroom Set (soap dispenser, tumbler and tray) worth $169

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Sawar Scalloped Bowl, worth $109

They're all part of NOMAD by KATE NIXON, the Sydney interior designer's considered new curation of beautiful, storied objects for the home.

For your chance of winning, please follow @interiorsaddict and @katenixon_official, tell us the name of the collection and tag 2 friends by midnight Sydney time on Sunday 14 December 2025. Winner will be chosen at random and announced here. 

You can even style the marble trays and bowls elsewhere in the home – why should the bathroom get all the fun?!

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Trigger warning: cancer. Home is SO important to Trigger warning: cancer.

Home is SO important to me, I even made a job out of talking about it. And having been stuck in hospital for 5 weeks, away from my sanctuary and my boys, I've never craved it more. 

I'm going through the hardest time of my life and I'm finally sharing it here in the way I hope you've always known me to; with authenticity, realness and hope.

I've been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It's devastating and life-changing news and feels very vulnerable to share. Sadly it's causing me so much physical pain, I can't manage it at home. Being stuck in hospital, on top of keeping this secret, has been very isolating. 

Our precious boys are our number one priority and we are being very well supported by our medical team and amazing friends and family. I can't say enough about the huge role my husband is playing in keeping us together.

I've continued to work when possible because I love it and it's a big part of my identity. I want as much normalcy, distraction and positivity as possible right now. Some days I put my lipstick on and face the day with gratitude for all the good stuff, like my world class friends and amazing healthcare. But I'm only human and other days, I just can't.

Despite the gravity of the situation, I only have to look at my boys to know I cannot give up hope. 

Thanks for all the love and support I know you'll throw my way but please respect my boundaries by not asking medical questions or making medical suggestions, and know that I won't be able to reply to everyone. 

This beautiful community has supported me for over a decade and I'm sure your kindness will help me no end. And if you want to support me, keep reading the blog so my work isn't wasted!

I'll still be the main point of contact for Interiors Addict but things will look a little different as I continue my chemo (3 rounds down) and get used to my new way of life. 

Right now, my only wish is to be discharged to my family for Christmas. 

Because I can no longer give blood, if anyone would like to make a festive donation of blood or plasma on my behalf and share it with me here, that would really make my day ❤️

PS. Nurses are worth their weight in gold.
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You know what I love? Pink & red together! And str You know what I love? Pink & red together! And stripes! And bows! If you do too, @kmartaus Christmas stuff is starting to drop and you won't be disappointed. It's also largely generic enough that you could use it all year round, if that's your vibe.

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This once 90s kitchen is now reflective of the Mid This once 90s kitchen is now reflective of the Mid Century home it's the heart of, and its stylish owners who love vintage glass and other Marketplace finds.

Head to the blog via link in bio to see more of this transformation by @howardlanedesigns Designer Tamiko Gleeson says: "I love that the kitchen now truly serves Peter and Trish – functionally and aesthetically. While every finish is new, there’s a bold sense of nostalgia and confidence in the selections. I love the Jamaican Walnut joinery with its subtle peek of Botanical Green, and the vertical timber slats in the sliding doors and wall-hung bar.

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Suppliers can be found in the blog post.

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Pix @bridietomkinsphotography
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Amy Collins-Walker

About Amy Collins-Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kamila says

    June 11, 2019 at 11:19 pm

    Beautiful home. Love the navy wall in the bedroom, very sophisticated and elegant.

  2. Jessica Darcey says

    June 24, 2019 at 10:07 pm

    Those mirrors add so much beauty to the room. Love the navy rug in the bedroom. And the lightings, oh the different types of lightings. Amazing job and great article Amy.

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