Real reno: A sophisticated family home in Melbourne

“I gravitate to de-saturated and muted hues that are subtle yet lively – a natural palette brought to life by a splash of colour. I aim to achieve a balance between homely and liveable, fresh and stylish,” says Homeroom Studio interior designer Romy Dankner in what could be a summation of her latest project; a gorgeous family home renovation in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton.

After several attempts themselves, the home’s owners decided to hire a professional which is where Romy came in. “After many attempts of trying to style themselves, they opened their doors to me and instilled a great deal of trust in my designs,” says Romy who approached the home’s interior as a complete blank canvas. And fresh furniture and homewares aside, the main objective for the renovation was to bring as much natural light in as possible given the property is south facing.

“With a focus on bringing in the natural light, I tried to incorporate as many reflective surfaces as possible. Double mirrors redirect light through the space making it immediately lighter and brighter,” says Romy of the gorgeous open plan lounge and dining area that also features a King Furniture dining table and Globewest coffee table. “They were a wonderful choice of material for those spaces as their surfaces bring a variety of tone, depth and movement,” says Romy.

A standout for me is the statement feature wallpaper that adorns one side of the dining room – Kelly Wearstler’s iconic Graffito wallpaper adds texture and character to the space. “I love the texture, tones and layering in the dining room – from the movement of Kelly Wearstler’s wallpaper, to the lines in Carly Williams’ art piece,” says Romy.

And while the home itself is quite large, the rooms themselves aren’t particularly sizeable which is where Romy’s skills were key. “It was imperative that the proportions of each room were perfect. Every product was selected from the heart and with great intention. We also wanted each space to feel intrinsically different whilst still complementing each other with a beautiful flow-on effect. A real story,” says Romy.

The bedrooms were overhauled too with the master bedroom now sporting a navy feature wall, complementary navy rug, glass pendant lights and statement artwork.

“I wanted to bring bolder tones into the master bedroom so that it would feel more luxe. The navy textural wallpaper offers such a crisp contrast to the sheer white curtains, whilst the Jardan pendants pick up on the warm tones and introduce my much loved brass elements. The navy complementary rug by The Rug Collection was a lovely way to define the floor space, and is incredibly soft underfoot which is always important in a bedroom,” says Romy.

“Seeing the home transform gave me such joy, however watching the owners have their breath completely breath taken made me speechless. I still get text messages of happiness!”

Photography: Liane Hurvitz

For more on Romy | Another Melbourne family home renovation