Katie Riddell’s introduction to her clients was not in the typical interior decorator way. They approached her before they had a property to decorate!
“They were wanting to buy an apartment for family members in inner city Melbourne. As they were from Queensland, they didn’t have the time or knowledge of the area. So I introduced them to a buyer’s advocate that I knew, and the rest is history!
“Being from tropical Queensland and having family holidays in the Carribean, they wanted colour! The art that they had accumulated was bright and colourful and reminiscent of the sunny beach locations, not the art that you would associate with a cool apartment with views of nearby city buildings and coffees on your doorstep!
“For me, the challenge was trying to reconcile the vibrant colours and casual lifestyle of the tropics with Melbourne; a bustling city where people are known to wear black!”
By happy accident, the apartment had a bit of both these worlds. The existing sleek black contemporary kitchen and grey floor tiles were met with large north-facing windows, a balcony and light blue cabinetry.
“Aside from getting the feel right, time was an issue. Settlement was in November with the clients moving in mid January. That did not leave a lot of time to select and have pieces made especially with the looming Christmas holidays! And as my clients were from interstate, they needed the apartment to be turnkey.”
A catalogue of their artwork was provided so Katie could help select pieces that would not only fit, but reflect the feeling of the apartment. They really helped inform the colours of the interiors. Yellow, bright cobalt blue, and a rich red terracotta were the main colours of the interiors. Wide stripes of beach umbrellas and the narrow stripe of a pinstripe were used in each room to reflect the new sense of place.
A large wool rug by The Rug Establishment, suitably called Claremont Sea, was used to anchor the living area and be reminiscent of the ocean. While the silk rug in the adjoining study was of the reddish terracotta tone, named Coral, also by The Rug Establishment.
“The feature of the apartment is the yellow modular sofa custom made by Arthur G. It’s in a beautiful lush velvety material that you’d expect in a luxury apartment but in a vibrant and durable fabric by James Dunlop. Initially, I’d suggested a more neutral sofa, but once they saw it, they said, we want colour!”
Light timber also features to bring in the relaxed beach vibe to the dining and living areas. And punches of black in a desk and bedside tables as well as marble, remind you of the urban location of the apartment.
The study area with two separate desks doubles as a guest room with a sofa bed.
“For my clients, it feels like a home. With familiar colours, artwork and a laidback fun vibe, they can reminisce about their time in the tropics while exploring their new city paradise.”
For more on Katie Riddell Interior Decorator
Katie is running a workshop on 13 November from 10.30 to 1.30 at the Design Trove showroom in Malvern, Victoria. “It’s an immersive interiors workshop that will give participants the tools to create beautiful and functional spaces. They will learn how to create a house that makes you feel at home using my three-step process. It’s set in the exclusive trade only showroom so participants can see behind the scenes where designers shop! It’s a small group workshop and places are limited to 10.”
Photography by Natalie Jeffcott
