Jess’ Colorful Melbourne Townhouse

Name: Jess Viscarde, partner and Peg the rescue cat.
Location: North Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia
Size: Two bedroom, two story townhouse (square feet unknown)
Years lived in: 18 months, rented

An interior stylist by trade, Jess also started and curates the popular #pocketofmyhome hashtag on Instagram. A sucker for a great vignette, she loves nothing more than changing up her living space to reflect her interests and aesthetic. Her ability to transform a plain rental into a vibrant home is obvious when you see how she uses color, light, patterns and her green thumb to give the space personality.

Jess, her partner and Peg the cat have lived in this two-story, light-filled town house for 18 months. Long enough to get frustrated with the paint-chipped walls and rental carpet, but Jess hasn’t let that squish her ambitions for the space. Nearly every wall has a feature, from woven hangings to artwork, photos and wooden crosses, everywhere you look there is something to feast your eyes on.

Her Danish heritage is also clear, with reminders around the house, while a recent trip to the States has meant a few Texan treasures have crept into her collection of largely locally made decor.

A keen gardener, Jess has poured time and love into their verdant courtyard, which is just big enough for Peg the cat to explore without getting lost or running away. Full of succulents and shade-loving plants, it’s an oasis in the city.

My Style: Eclectic/ Industrial/Vintage

Inspiration: Travel and years spent living abroad during childhood, colour and thrifted vintage finds.

Favorite Element: I love the lounge room and the open plan design with the kitchen and dining area.

Biggest Challenge: The fact that we are renting and any permanent changes can’t be made such as painting, updating kitchen doors etc.

What Friends Say: Love the layout and all the natural light and the personality that comes through.

Biggest Embarrassment: The state of the walls – chips, dents, peeling paint – but hey I’m renting and I didn’t do that!

Proudest DIY: I’m not a huge DIY’er – I love the concept and idea, perhaps it would be different if I owned a house, but at this stage my biggest DIY project has been spraypainting old furniture or painting terracotta pot plants!

Biggest Indulgence: Our dining table. We chose an industrial style timber top design that could last us many years and would fit with our eclectic interior style. We love it!

Best Advice: Your home should tell your story and be filled with the things you love – your home should reflect your personality and lifestyle. Don’t buy too much into trends, instead choose things you adore and cannot live without – this allows you to have your own individual interior style, and one like no other.

• Home/studio with peg board inspiration board
• Vintage green lamp from thrift store
• Sheepskin from Queen Victoria markets, Melbourne

Thanks, Jess!

• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE: Check out past house tours here.
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Professional Submission Form.

Follow Apartment Therapy’s board House Tours Apartment Therapy on Pinterest.

Updated daily with fresh tours full of photos for you to pin & enjoy!

Re-edited from a tour originally published March 2015 —AB