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THIS MELBOURNE HOME IS A BALANCE OF SCANDI SIMPLICITY AND PLAYFUL PERSONAL TOUCHES. Here, a white De La Espada “Bench” bench seat with a brown leather seat pad doubles as a display area for ceramics by Yoko Ozawa from Mr Kitly. Above it hangs a pair of Kareena Zerefos prints from Signed & Numbered in Prahran. The RestartMilano wall lamp is both light and sculpture. A

WHEN RICHA AND EDDIE MOVED IN, THEY HAD A CUSTOM-DESIGNED WALL UNIT INSTALLED IN THE LIVING ROOM. It houses not only the TV, but the couple’s treasured books and decorative homewares. Opposite, a three-seater Wilfred sofa from Jardan is deliciously plump. A

RICHA PANT & EDDIE KAUL LIVE IN THIS COOL CARLTON APARTMENT.

“The things that attracted us were the beautiful architecture, amazing location close the city, the Carlton and Fitzroy cafes and the Exhibition gardens just across the road. The interiors were beautifully proportioned and perfectly sized for a couple with no kids, and the finishes were superb,” Richa says.

A DAVID BAND ART PRINT TAKES CENTRE STAGE ON THE SHELVES IN THE LIVING AREA. Beside it sit a pair of antique prints from Brighton Maps. On the two shelves below, Richa has curated her books into a charming display. A Bulb pendant light from Great Dane Furniture hangs over another part of the living room joinery. Here, a vignette of plants and ceramics is displayed in front of a Camie Lyons artwork. Sheer grey curtains complete the scene. A

THE HOME IS A STUDY IN SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN, INCLUDING MUUTO “AROUND” COFFEE TABLES, HAY “KALEIDO” TRAYS AND A VEDEL BIRD BY ARCHITECTMADE. The kitchen features a similarly simplistic design and palette with crisp white cabinetry and Turkish limestone benchtops in Tundra Grey. The painting is by Matthew Johnson. Just off the kitchen is the dining zone, where a round table made by Daniel Barbera is teamed with About A Chair chairs from Hay. Above hangs a Muffin solid oak pendant light by Dan Yeffet and Lucie Koldova for Brokis. The rug underneath the table setting is from Melbourne-based Halcyon Lake. A

CREATIVITY IS AN EVOLUTIONARY process, and often with interiors, the style you originally love isn’t always what you end up decorating with. Such was the case for Richa Pant and Eddie Kaul. The couple bought their two-bedroom apartment in Melbourne in 2012, and both hailing from India – Eddie and Richa moved to Melbourne about 20 years ago – had intended to fill the place with lots of colour and Indian references. But, the style of the building and city location led them down a different path.

Melbourne interior design firm Hecker Guthrie were employed to do the original interior fitout of the building, so Richa and Eddie brought them back to help with the decorating process. In the beginning, the journey was a little confronting – the vibrant couple were stepping into neutral territory – but they love the end result. “It’s light and airy, with a soft colour palette,” Richa says.

The interior has many Scandinavian influences: the palette and simple designs in particular, but its roots are definitely Australian. Key furniture pieces include a sofa from local brand Jardan and a dining table made by Melbourne designer Daniel Barbera. “And it’s full of Australian artwork,” Richa says. “Art is a very important part of our home; without it, our home is incomplete,” she adds.

The professional couple love to entertain in their downtime and do so both indoors and out in their courtyard. This outdoor space is filled with plants, though neither Richa or Eddie profess to being natural green thumbs. Paul Hyland from plant nursery Glasshaus helped them change “from being people who could barely keep a plant alive, to ones who have a thriving garden”, Eddie says. So much has their love of plants evolved that they have now created a few leafy vignettes indoors, too.

It’s been a few years since Richa and Eddie moved in and they’ve hit their decorating stride, even working some Indian elements into their scheme. “Richa’s books, comics from India that only we know about, artefacts from our travels – they are all reflections of us,” Eddie says. “This home captures our essence without losing the beautiful simplicity we have come to love.” R

THE BATHROOM FOLLOWS THE SAME AESTHETIC AS THE REST OF THE HOME, ONLY DARKER. Espresso-coloured timber replaces white joinery, although the floor tiles remain the same as those in the kitchen. A freestanding bath is another luxurious addition to the high-spec home.

A PERFECTLY RESOLVED FLOORPLAN WITHIN 112 SQ M

THE BEDROOM FEATURES SOFT, MUTED TONES AND TOUCHY-FEELY TEXTURES. The relaxed style of the Cloudscape bed by Moroso and the wrinkly linen sheets are a contrast to the minimalist Bulb pendant lights above the bedside tables. The watercolour by Nicholas Harding is from Sophie Gannon Gallery. Sheer linen curtains allow diffused light to shine through while retaining privacy. Roller blinds block light at nighttime. A

OVER THE YEARS THE COUPLE HAVE ADDED MORE COLOURFUL TOUCHES TO THE HOME. In this nook in the living room, the painting by Belinda Fox from Scott Livesey Galleries echoes the colours of the stacking vessels by London designer Pia Wüstenberg.

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STYLE FILE

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1 Wilfred sofa, from $6272, Jardan. 2 About A Chair chair in Remix upholstery with Oak frame, $864, Cult. 3 Vedel bird in Smoked Oak, $69, Great Dane Furniture. 4 Beyond The Menagerie art print by Kareena Zerefos (50cm x 70cm), $110, Signed & Numbered. 5 Alby ottoman in Chalet Tan leather, $1924, Jardan. 6 Hay “Kaleido” trays, from $30 each, Cult. 7 Muffi ns pendant light in Solid Oak/Smoke Grey Glass, $1695, Huset. 8 Muuto “Around” coffee table in Black, $595, Surrounding. 9 Bulb pendant light with Clear fl ex, $195, Great Dane Furniture. 10 Stanley stools, $989 each, Jardan. 11 Ferm Living wire basket in Black, $125, Designstuff. 12 Amanda Dziedzic glass domes, from $230 each, Amandadziedzic.com.au. 13 Crocheted rubber bowl in Pearl Grey, from $90 for 17cm, The Minimalist. 14 Short wall lamp in Brass, $895, Nice Home. For stockists, see page 185.

Colours and fi nishes

FROM LEFT Turko Argento Turkish limestone in Natural Tundra Grey, $275 a sq m, CDK Stone. Redbook Carpets “Radiance” carpet in Grey Metal, $54.50 a sq m installed, Godfrey Hirst. Sherwin-Williams paint & primer in Olympus White, $72 for 3.78L, Masters Home Improvement. Aina curtains in Grey (1.4m x 2.5m), $79 a pair, Ikea.