Name: Camilla Molders & Adam Meehan
Location: South Melbourne, Australia
Size: 100 square meters [1,000 square feet]
Years lived in: 3 years, Rent
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Located in outer Melbourne in a rented Victoria Townhouse, Camilla & Adam have created a interesting and inviting home. With art covered walls and clusters of objects their home feels very personal and given that they are renting and are unable to make structural changes its a great achievement for it to feel so ‘them’. Camilla runs her own business from home, Camilla Molders Design, as well as her newly established blog which has become one of our favourite daily reads. There were lots of highlights during our afternoon of touring at Camilla’s but a personal highlight was seeing the old Melbourne tram shutters hung in the backyard.
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AT Survey:
My style: Ever evolving eclectic with soul.
Inspiration: No particular inspiration. It evolves and will always do so!
Favorite Element: Literally - Air. Being by the beach, we get a gorgeous sea breeze. It makes everything feel fresh!
I love that I can see outside and light from every room and I love the city glimpse view at night from the window on the stairs!
Biggest Challenge: Being a rental house, we are limited to how much we can change things. I cant paint interior walls, but have ignored the rule about not putting more picture hooks up. Our back garden is love needy, and has an uneven mound of dirt that pretends to be grass. It’s a shame, and I’m hesitant to admit…it’s a bit of wasted space – I do LOVE my blue walls which I painted out there though and feel so peaceful when I look out to the blue.
What Friends Say: It is an inviting place to be in and always has something new to look at! AND I always have fruit and flowers a plenty!
Biggest Embarrassment: I’m not a lover of the grey carpet or the 70’s tiles on the kitchen floor.
Proudest DIY: Radio light box. I saw it a flea market and thought it would be a pretty cool light feature. And extra paintings where had bare walls. I hate a bare wall, so would rather have a canvas with a splash of paint than nothing!
Biggest Indulgence: A recent wooden storage cabinet. I designed it and had it made from recycled timber. My brilliant ‘wood man’ has stained the cabinet using natural eco methods. It’s a piece I will have for ever and it will age gracefully – hopefully like me!!!
Best advice: Surround yourself with the pieces you love. Your home should reflect the personalities of those who live in there. If you just follow fashion trends your space wont feel like you. In the words of Oprahs’ design guru- Nate Berkus “You should love coming through your front door” and “Your home should feel collected over time”.
Dream source: I wish I had the budget to have some of my own furniture designs!
I’d like a different sofa for each season! In the winter months I want velvet, and linen for Summer. As I cant do that, linen is a good all rounder!!
I would LOVE an outdoor light box by Lump sculpture Studio – or anything by them!
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Resources:
Furniture: A lot is thrift furniture just polished up or with a new paint job. We are just starting to buy some of the pieces that we want for long haul.
Accessories: Camberwell market is a favorite haunt for genie bottles and bits & pieces. I like accessories to be unique and interesting rather than the same as everyone else has.
Trevurr the cat makes the most beautiful ‘moving’ accessory. He drapes himself over lots of different surfaces (though he also clashes with a few others – silk curtains and claws are not a great mix!)
Paint: My blue garden walls are “Isis’ by Taubmans
Flooring: Rugs & Carpets by Design – Gorgeous things!
I love designing rugs and will take them a rough sketch of what I want and they take it from there and make it even more beautiful than I imagined!
Window Treatments: I love a sheer curtain and have put on all the windows.
As we live in a rental house, the window treatments that come with the space are nasty venetians! So I have just hooked up my own fabrics, rather than spend money on something that wont necessarily fit in the next house we live in. I have a gorgeous Zimmer & Rhode silk sheer that makes me so happy to look at! I have had these for about 8 years and it is still love! Some of the pieces are starting to look a bit tatty, which makes me so sad!
Beds: 70’s bed head courtesy of Adams’ nana!
I love the shelf it gives us and the convenient reading light, but HATE everything else about it! –the vinyl padding is just too nasty! – One day I will get around to changing or fixing it up!
Artwork: We source from everywhere! We have been lucky to get some great bargains from student auctions as well as interesting pieces at galleries.
Our giant painting by the dining table is called “the gods contemplating the fate of the universe” We have had this for about 7 years and I still find more in it every time I look at it. Our latest piece (over the sofa) is by one of my favorite artists’ Daniel Truscott. One day I will commission him to paint me a giant gold fish –I cant wait!
(Thanks Camilla!)
[photos by Jenny]
OK, Camilla is clearly living the life I should have had. How did this happen?!?
If she ever has a garage sale I'd like to put dibs on the kitchen and bedroom art, that pale green chair, and the cat.
view catspajamas's profile
Beautiful space, perfectly edited collection of stuff, and amazing artwork. Congratulations.
My favorite feature might be your window curtains that turn a lovely home into the perfect little domain. Thanks for letting us peek inside!
view azure's profile
"Keep Calm Carry On"....again!
view tdominey's profile
when do i move in???? or better yet, just move all into my 400 square foot apartment in manhattan. leave it to me, i'll return the few items which won't fit. :-)
view *heather leaf*'s profile
One word, three letters . . . WOW!
view ChrisToronto's profile
I love how they have put things together on that tray. Everything looks so organized when you use this design trick just by placing stuff on a tray.
view MissL's profile
Oooh! I'm going to become a regular reader of her blog too. It's fantastic.
view PhillyLass's profile
FYI, the artist of her bedroom piece is also represented in the permanent collection of the Seattle Art Museum. Awesome stuff -- totally dynamic.
view artnerd's profile
Love this home! So beautiful!
Camilla, where did you get all of your genie bottles? They're gorgeous!
view J's profile
Ack, this is why one should READ the post before asking questions. I see you addressed mine in the survey already!
view J's profile
Beautiful use of reds and blues mixed in with other colors not always easy to do but you did it with ease. I love love your dining area with the wall to wall art fabulous! Lovely home and your cat looks happy!
I hate seeing the Keep Calm poster with all your uniqueness its so pedestrian and tired at this point but in any case to each is own and as long as you like it thats all that really matters anyway.
Thanks for sharing.
view LoriSF's profile
tdominey & LoriSF - the "Keep Calm" posters are only just starting to appear in Australia. Camilla's is the only one I've ever seen in person & only a handful have been seen in Australian magazines.
So while these posters might be a bit common & over used in homes in the USA, Camilla is quite unique over here!
view Jennyb's profile
Lovely house Camilla, I particularly love your various lamps, were these found at the camberwell markets as well?
view Jodie's profile
Schucks!! Such lovely comments from people! Thank you!!
Jodie - the lamps are from random places all over! My green number is from Camberwell Market, but the rest not.
As for the Keep Calm poster - as Jenny B commented, they arent such common place over here in Australia! It is in my office area - & on a stressful day when I am about to tear my hair out, I look at it & it has a calming influence over me! I also have the poster "Tea revives You" and that has a whole other type of influence over me when i see!!!
Thanks all again!
view Camilla Designalogue's profile