Don’t get us wrong. We love a neutral colour palette. But when we spot a home which showcases pattern on pattern and colour on colour?! We are THERE! Welcome to another stunner from The Stylesmiths. A layered, soulful sanctuary that infuses personality, pattern and modern style. Let’s look around!
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Rich in architectural character, this English Tudor home has been completely reimagined.
“This home is in Toorak, one of Melbourne’s leafy enclaves,” says Interior Designer, Julie Godfrey.
“It’s a 1920s–30s English Tudor revival residence, and is home to a mother and her young son. The design was all about creating a nurturing sanctuary that reflected their personalities while honouring the home’s heritage charm.
“With 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, this soulful sanctuary also has generous living and dining areas anchored by a central fireplace and bay window.”
It was important to respect the home’s heritage, while infusing new personality, pattern and modern softness.
“Structurally, the home was in excellent condition. The double-brick and pitched gables gave it a strong, characterful base,” Julie explains.
“Our work was focused on giving each of the inside rooms a distinctive layered personality while still feeling cohesive overall. Previously the home had been styled in a more formal manner. The interiors felt dated and quite traditional.
“It was a blank canvas in some ways, but it lacked the warmth, pattern, and personality our client was craving.”
The brief for this family home was to create a space that felt personal and cosy.
“Our client’s brief was simple but very personal. She wanted us to craft a carefully considered home for her and her son,” Julie says.
“Our client loves blue, green and pattern so this helped guide our design direction. She wanted a place that felt calm, beautiful and layered with personality. Somewhere that truly embraced them both. Our role was to channel that into a cohesive vision that felt like a true soulful sanctuary.
“We’d describe the home’s style as a layered and soulful take on British-inspired interiors, with an Australian ease. It’s eclectic but curated, with pattern and texture doing most of the talking. There’s a sense of old-world charm, florals, geometrics, painterly print all balanced by organic warmth from timber and rattan.
The result is refined yet approachable, with a feeling of comfort that makes it deliciously liveable.
Throughout each room of this home, The Stylesmiths successfully merge clashing prints without spaces looking chaotic.
“It comes down to scale and colour language,” Julie explains. “We mixed different types of patterns such as geometrics, painterly dots and florals. But then we ensure they are speaking in the same tonal palette of blues and greens.
“That consistency creates harmony, even when the patterns themselves are bold or contrasting. We also paid attention to rhythm. Letting certain pieces take the lead while others play a supporting role.
“The fireplace is a key anchor, with its crisp white render allowing the surrounding layers of pattern to sing without overwhelming the room. The gold palm lamp from Florabelle is another favourite piece. It brings whimsy and a bit of sparkle into the space.
Beyond that, the client’s own vintage pieces and art add authenticity. You can feel her story woven into every room.
Credits
Interior design — Julie Godfrey, The Stylesmiths
Photography — Kate Enno
Photographic stylist — Annalese Hay
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