Elle Decoration UK, May 2014

ECO ELEGANCE

Furnished with curios from around the world, this former fashion designer’s Australian home has a cool interior that mixes sharp sartorial style with a subtle bohemian feel Words CARLI PHILIPS Photography DEREK SWALWELL Styling RACHEL VIGOR

Exterior The cantilevered deck is the most-used space of this family home.

A rattan hanging chair by HK Living (The Conran Shop sells a similar version) sways seductively from a tree branch. Patterned cushions and a patchwork rug add to the laid-back vibe Stockist details on p221 ➤

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’I LOVE THE COMBINATION OF RUSTIC, VINTAGE AND MODERN STYLES’

Living room The sunken seating area has a calming yet colourful scheme.

Banquettes upholstered in a striking Aztec print (try Lorca’s collection for Osborne & Little) are layered with clashing cushions from Spacecraft.

The quilt is vintage (for similar, try the Antique Textiles Company) Stockist details on p221 ➤

‘M

y girls feel as if they’ve walked into Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree,’ says stylist Arabella Wilson of the eco-friendly home that she shares with her husband Chris, who is a yoga instructor, and their daughters – Marlowe, three, and Lottie, 16 months. A former fashion designer, Arabella grew up on a sheep farm in the country, then lived in Melbourne before uprooting her young family to Jan Juc, a coastal town in Victoria. ‘I wanted my daughters to have an upbringing like my own – with open spaces, horse riding and muddy gumboots.’

The family’s straw-bale house remains cool in the hot Australian climate, runs on solar panels and processes waste water for irrigation via a worm farm. A chicken coop and a vegetable garden provide produce-to-plate meals for the entire family. ‘We fell in love with the house at first sight, but it was in need of some TLC,’ says Arabella, whose immediate instinct was to soften the rugged bones of the building and its utilitarian spaces.

The house has a tranquil feel, enlivened by exuberant flashes of colour and pattern. At the heart of the home, Arabella has created a comfortable atmosphere in the concrete seating area, teaming an alpaca shag pile carpet with daybeds and cushions covered in a clashing Aztec print. The walls – once distracting terracotta – are rendered white. ‘I saw the potential to transform a hippie-style house into one that feels more like an Australian-Moroccan riad,’ she says.

A lifetime of travel is evident at every turn: beaded African armchairs are juxtaposed with bird posters picked up in Italy, fabrics from Palm Springs and curios from Arabella’s days studying textiles in Paris. There’s also a subtle nod to Australiana, seen in the antique botanical boards, porcelain opera-house

souvenirs and wildlife-themed cushions. Her father’s endearing illustrations and brother’s photographs grace the walls, while cherished heirlooms, such as her grandparents’ console, add further personal touches.

Inspired by her childhood, Arabella has dotted animal motifs around the house. Porcelain fish vases peek from counters, while equestrian paintings and tapestries unearthed at local markets are displayed on the walls. ‘I love the combination of rustic, vintage and modern styles,’ she says.

An avid collector of retro fashion since her teenage years, Arabella has an interior aesthetic that reflects her sartorial style. In the same way that she customises clothing, she has reworked tea towels and fabric swatches into quilts, cushion covers and canvases.

The home’s natural surroundings set the scene for her collection; recycled local timber pole supports, wooden treads and a dining table made from reclaimed hardwood and birch connect inside with out. Yet there’s a nostalgic, childlike spirit throughout, accentuated by whimsical pieces such as an oversize cactus sculpture, hidden bunny rabbit lights and playful artworks. ‘And there’s so much more to come,’ says Arabella. ‘I’ve barely scratched the surface.

I’ll always be a collector and the interior will continue to evolve.’

As the house is very close to the beach, the couple have added a large, cantilevered deck. Tucked beneath a canopy of trees, it’s the most-used space of the house – in winter for gathering around the fire pit and in summer for watching films on the projector, accompanied by a calming soundtrack of koalas, kookaburras and cockatoos. ‘It feels like nowhere else in the world,’ Arabella says. arabellaramsay.com

Living area Homeowner Arabella is pictured with baby Lottie. An alpaca carpet adds luxurious texture underfoot; the painting is by Australian artist Michael Muir Dining area The casual eating space epitomises the home’s mix of old, contemporary and rustic pieces, and its abundance of tactile finishes. A vintage pendant light hangs above a solid Mark Tuckey table, which has silver-birch legs and is teamed with grey felt ‘Metropolitan’ chairs by Jeffrey Bernett for B&B Italia. The bright red floor light is Marc Sadler’s ‘Twiggy’ design for Foscarini: this and the chairs are available from Chaplins Stockist details on p221 ➤

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‘I SAW THE POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM A HIPPIE-STYLE HOUSE INTO ONE THAT FEELS MORE LIKE AN AUSTRALIANMOROCCAN RIAD’

Left and above Modern art, including quirky prints and a cactus sculpture, is on display throughout this home ➤

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THE FAMILY’S STRAW-BALE HOUSE STAYS COOL IN THE HOT AUSTRALIAN CLIMATE AND RUNS ON SOLAR PANELS

Bathroom Flexible furniture and vast, bare windows create a relaxed, indoor/ outdoor vibe in the bathing area Bedroom Shots of yellow give the space an uplifting feel. The cast-iron bed is from Melbourne boutique Scout House (for a similar one, try Feather & Black).

A table light from Ikea sits on an upturned vintage basket, which is used as a side table Stockist details on p221 E D

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