Bronwyn Burrows from Ivy + Finch led this interior overhaul, injecting her signature use of bold colour and innate sense of fun into this acreage home.
“Our clients, Patti and Ross, found us on Instagram and loved what they had seen in our previous work and that every home was unique in its own right,” says Bron of the collaborative project.
“Patti is creative by nature and wanted to reflect her unique personality in their home. They both loved an eclectic mix and wanted their home to evoke this, with lots of fun and interesting pops of colour and unexpected pieces,” says Bron. “They also enjoy travelling, so they wanted their home to be a showcase of the special pieces that they collect on their journeys.”
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Ivy + Finch drew on the property’s beautifully landscaped garden, inviting the lush green from the outdoors into the home with a bold choice of the wall colour. “They have lots of windows and big open doors which allows the inside to merge with the outside of their home, so we took a lot of inspiration from that connection to nature,” adds Bron.
Patti and Ross originally had a somewhat random dividing wall in their living area and entry, which blocked off the spaces and felt out of place. The solution? A decorative timber screen that opens up the room. “We, along with the help of their talented builder, Paul Sharman, came up with this screen design to partition the living area and create an inviting entry, without blocking any light and still allowing the beautiful breezes to flow through,” says Bron.
Ivy + Finch used recycled timber for all the new additions, which offers a subtle aged character that blends in seamlessly with the rest of the house. “Then we painted the walls that beautiful lush green to enhance the aspects of the landscaped gardens outside,” adds Bron.
In Patti’s desk area, Ivy + Finch have changed the glass bricks that were previously there, updating the space with functional louvre windows to allow light and ventilation, as well as a view over the garden. “Patti’s workspace overlooking the garden is in the hub of the home, but still tucked away,” Bron shares. “The louvred windows now allow light and the breezes to flow through.”
The dining room is the designer’s favourite space in the finished project. “It opens onto that beautiful garden, which is standout feature for me, but it has a real personality to it as well,” says Bron.
Patti commissioned the original artwork in the dining area, with the bold palette chosen to reflect the rest of colours selected for all of the other pieces Ivy + Finch incorporated in the home. “We sourced some interesting accessories and decor features with soul and a fun and interesting twist,” Bron explains. “The green walls throughout the dining zone and the main living areas also make everything else in this home pop and just sing!”
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A custom-made sofa and armchair with footstool anchor the lounge room, offset by a beautiful Bayliss rug, while in the home’s entrance a colourful rug from Carmine & Teal adds a pop of personality.
“We had a lot of fun working with this home, and the proof is in the pudding,” says Bron. “It’s a beautiful space that evokes the family who lives here. The home is flawlessly transitioned from the outdoors in, and in a clever yet functional way, too.
“This home has many layers, textures and a story to tell, and it’s a colourful, fun story at that. As the designers, we at Ivy + Finch loved working with such special pieces gathered from around the world, like the buffet and entertainment unit in the living area which is such a conversation starter – it holds so much character, and is made from 100-year-old Indian doors,” adds Bron. “This project really proved to us the beauty of making your home something that you love coming home to and one that truly speaks of those who occupy it.”
