Real rooms: blending old and new in a Californian bungalow

Interior designer Jodie Carter helped her client tie together the old part of her house (Californian bungalow) with a more modern extension. The client wanted an overall look which was elegant, classic, comfortable, homely and simple, with a bit of wow factor!

“I don’t think Freda could have imagined in her wildest dreams how incredible her lounge room could look,” said Jodie, who is based in the NSW Sutherland Shire. “I had a vision for it right from the start in my head.” Like all good decorators, Jodie had to persuade her client to let go of some things she didn’t want to, and be brave enough to try others. “Small things like gently convincing her that the existing side table and lamp she had would not work in the new room, talking her into having a set of real butterflies on the wall and also the placement of the artworks one above the other either side of the lounge. She wasn’t too sure about that either!”

She started the process by putting together some mood boards of different feels and looks she thought suitable. Luckily, the client went with her favourite! “Next steps were to draw up the room and start selecting all the bits and pieces to go in there. And that was everything pretty much. She did manage to keep the entertainment unit (to keep her husband happy) but I don’t think it looks too out of place – more like a much loved family piece they just couldn’t let go.”

The client said: “We have total admiration for what she has done for us with her expertise in interior decorating. Jodie had the vision from the start and set about providing us with the mood board, floor plans, fabric selections, artworks and a beautiful range of exquisite furniture. I was very impressed by the fact that Jodie really listened to my ideas but, through gentle persuasion, opened my mind to other ideas.”

Read more about Jodie and her work.