Everyone loves a sticky beak, and when you’re getting a glimpse into a stylist’s home, well you know you’re in for a treat!
Sophie Gunnersen, creative director of Stamp Interiors, is the owner of this beautiful South Melbourne terrace. Sharing it with her husband and son, she’s a lover of mixing the old with the new, keeping the bare bones of the home and instead adding a modern feel through the soft furnishings and finishes.
“My house is a total collection of my worldly travels,” says Sophie. “It’s an organic, user-friendly space that is very welcoming and homely. I lived in Italy and Argentina for some years and so I have shipped some of my favourite pieces home that are very special. This gorgeous terrace is old and I love that character. The pieces inside are modern and fresh and I think this is a great combination.”
With an eclectic and somewhat quirky style, Sophie is a fan of anything bright and fun. A self-confessed bowerbird, her love of colour can be seen through her favourite space in the house; the open plan living, dining and kitchen area.
“We love to entertain so the open plan space works incredibly well for us and the gorgeous AGA is always ticking along with something slow cooked simmering away inside,” explains Sophie. “It’s the one room I think everyone gravitates to, it has a very warm, friendly feel.”
Also a feature is her custom-made dining table, with custom joinery being a signature in her work. “I design a lot of furniture and my stepfather makes most of the stuff I design. I have custom made pieces such as the dining table, wooden drawers and shelving. We love recycled timber and I am in the middle of getting my little boy Kip’s new bed made from recycled oak.”
Sophie’s approach to designing her own home was very organic: “It wasn’t a very thought out process. I just throw things together and they seem to work. It’s not contrived at all, I actually strung all the pieces together in a very easy fashion.”
While Sophie takes a more regimented approach to her professional design work, having to work to clients’ briefs, she still likes to mix old and new and create something that won’t date too soon.
“For Stamp Interiors it’s not so much about what’s in and modern and happening. Rather, we use a lot of older pieces; antiques mixed with modern finds. I think our stuff is quite timeless and that’s the look I wanted to create in my home.”
