This Melbourne Renter Made an Art Deco Apartment a Bold, Art-Filled Playground
For eight years, interior designer Camilla Molders has rented a stunning two-bedroom Art Deco apartment in Elwood, a close suburb to Melbourne. “Like many Deco-era buildings, mine was designed with a real understanding of scale — the proportions of the rooms are generous, and the high ceilings give everything a lovely sense of spaciousness,” Camilla begins.
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“The first time I walked in, I had an immediate sense of calm and just knew it would be a happy home for me. As a renter, I haven’t been able to do all the things I dream of, but I’ve still found ways to make it my own,” Camilla writes.
For instance, Camilla explains that when the bathroom needed repairs after a leak, she says she was “lucky enough to be given some creative freedom — so, of course, I chose the tiles and added my signature touch with turquoise grout.”
Camilla describes the “before” of her home as having good bones with white walls and plenty of potential. Eight years later, she says the design is still evolving. “[I]t’s full of color, art, and personality, and I love it that way!” she writes.
“It’s a reflection of my design experiments, always shifting as new ideas take shape. As a self-confessed fabric addict, I’m often updating simple elements like scatter cushions, which lets me play with pattern and texture without making big changes.”
Resources
LIVING ROOM
- Coffee table — Upholstered table base with walnut timber top designed by Camilla
- Tub chairs — Purchased 20 years ago on eBay and reupholstered for a design show I was a part of in the most beautiful Misia Velvet and the back in Pollack textiles.
- Rug — Designed by Camilla for a design show I was a part of
- Walnut TV cabinet — Designed by Camilla
- Bookshelves — Designed by Camilla and designed as a piece that can be stacked like it is now, or can be positioned side by side and is at the height of the sofa back
- Mantel piece — “Bed number two” by Sarah Rowe
- Small piece under book sculpture — Treasured piece by my relative Lucca Stapleton
- Over TV — Aboriginal piece “Medicine Leaves” by Jacinta Numina Napananka
- Small canvas with shapes — Experiment done by Camilla
- On mantel — A study by Grant Anthony Cohen I purchased in 2011 and still love. (One of my absolute favorites.)
- Small glass lamp on side table — Hand-blown glass lamp by Leisa Wharrington
- Sculpture — Pawn chess piece part of a full chess set made by my clever aunt Johneen Wood
DINING ROOM
- Dining Table — Upholstered table base (Pierre Frey fabric) with a solid timber top made from recycled timber that was designed for a client’s coffee table years ago and rejected due to some timber veins the client found unsightly. I love them.
- Dining Chairs — Vintage that I gave new life to: sandblasted and re-powder-coated the frames, reupholstered with Pollack textiles to the back and Chivasso velvet to the seat.
- Pendant light — Designed by Camilla from a child’s skirt bought in Vietnam (in traditional Vietnamese fabric).
- Large two panel piece — “Gods contemplating the universe” by Rehgan De Mather
- Girl in pink dress — “Madame Barbie” by Elena Zhao
BEDROOM
- Bed — Designed by Camilla. Base and headboard frame upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric and the inset in the bedhead is a gorgeous velvet corduroy from Misia textiles.
- Bedside tables — Simple tables from Globewest and I have used stone offcuts from a project to add to the top.
- Lamp — Cromwell Alabaster stone base with a silk shade designed by Camilla
- Art over bed — “Bush Melon” by Louise Numina Napananka
- Fish — I cant remember! Bought on Etsy 20ish years ago. They are painted on veneer board
Thanks, Camilla!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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