Artistic, eclectic, and effortlessly chic, this 19th-century Victorian weatherboard home has been given a bold and unexpected revamp, transforming it into a playful yet sophisticated color-infused sanctuary. A finalist in the 2018 Dulux Colour Awards, the residential interior design tells a visual story through colour, texture, and vintage-modern contrasts, ensuring that each room has a distinct personality while contributing to a cohesive whole.
The design ethos of Matlock House embraces colour as a narrative tool, with each room awash in its own carefully curated hue, creating a series of monochromatic vignettes that transition seamlessly from one to the next.
Soft, grounding base tones of pinks and blues serve as a canvas for more dramatic contrasts—deep greens, rich navy, glossy black, gold, and vivid magenta—layered through surface treatments, furnishings, and decorative accents. The result is a home interior that feels both intentional and unexpected, where every space reveals its own chromatic identity while remaining part of a larger, harmonious whole.
The young family behind the transformation drew inspiration from the New York apartment of American-Italian model Carmen Dell’Orefice, seeking a more grown-up aesthetic after their last renovation eight years prior. The Stylesmiths™ interior designers were enlisted to inject a sense of glamour and individuality, bridging the historic charm of the weatherboard home with a bold, cosmopolitan edge.
The mix of vintage and contemporary design plays a pivotal role in defining the home’s personality. Art Deco chairs, lovingly reupholstered in lush bottle-green velvet, take center stage in the living area, a testament to the power of restoration and reinvention. The dining room, equally striking, features a circular table refinished in Black Japan lacquer, topped with sleek black glass, offering a refined yet dramatic counterpoint to the home’s playful energy.
With a passion for posters, prints, and kitsch collectibles, the family’s curated art collection serves as a vibrant, ever-evolving layer of storytelling. Bold colour choices in the home interior design act as a backdrop to their visual narratives, allowing each piece to breathe while remaining an integral part of the overall design language.
Furnishings and lighting are equally expressive, mirroring the dynamic energy of the colour palette. From mid-century silhouettes to sculptural pendant lights, every selection has been carefully considered to create an immersive, visually rich experience—a home interior design that is as stylish as it is deeply personal.
