When interior designer Michelle Macarounas, of Infinite Design, first laid eyes on this family home, in the Sydney suburb of Russell Lea, it was desperately in need of those all-important finishing touches. “The client had initially used a draftsman to design and build the house which left the environment very stark, with not much character. We were asked to bring all the elements together to make the space a home,” says Michelle.
![Lounge room](https://staging.theinteriorsaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Russell-Lea-lounge-room-640x427.jpg)
With two young children living in the home, Michelle was tasked with creating a series of family-friendly spaces with a particular focus on ensuring flow between them. “While the home features the best of open plan living, the owners wanted each zone to have a specific use,” says Michelle.
![Kitchen & dining room](https://staging.theinteriorsaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Kitchen-dining-russell-lea-640x427.jpg)
![Dining room](https://staging.theinteriorsaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Russell-Lea-dining-room-640x960.jpg)
“I feel there is great connection between all the living area spaces, and particularly from inside to outside. We worked with consistent tones and textures to add a cohesive feel to the home,” says Michelle whose favourite space is the living room.
![Open plan living room](https://staging.theinteriorsaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Russell-Lea-open-plan-640x427.jpg)
“The main living space is a beautiful area. The flow and the casual feel between indoor and outdoor areas makes a gorgeous entertaining space. We used a very pared back, neutral palette with small hints of muted blues,” says Michelle.
![Looking out to the pool](https://staging.theinteriorsaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Russell-Lea-pool-640x429.jpg)
Aside from creating this gorgeous project, Michelle has been busy working on the opening of her new Woollahra studio – a space that has a street-level window that features a monthly curation of Michelle’s favourite products.
![](https://staging.theinteriorsaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Michelle-Macarounos-640x427.jpg)
“This is a very important and exciting step for us – it’s about being more connected to the public. We are not a retail shop as such but what we do is use the windows to promote products using Australian and international suppliers. This is very concept driven and there is a lot of buzz around it at the moment,” says Michelle.
![](https://staging.theinteriorsaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Michelle-macarounos-shopfront-640x800.jpg)