A Modern Melbourne Townhouse’s Beautiful Plant Collection Includes a 16-Foot Tall Fiddle Leaf Fig

Written by

Natalie Jeffcott
Natalie Jeffcott
Freelance photographer, lover of all things vintage and travel.
published Sep 1, 2020

A Modern Melbourne Townhouse’s Beautiful Plant Collection Includes a 16-Foot Tall Fiddle Leaf Fig

Written by

Natalie Jeffcott
Natalie Jeffcott
Freelance photographer, lover of all things vintage and travel.
published Sep 1, 2020
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Bedrooms
Square feet

1744

Sq ft

1744

Name: Aaron and Andy
Location: Bentleigh East — Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Size: 1744 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years

If you’ve ever had questions about which kind of plants should go in which rooms of your home, how to keep them happy, or how to style them, Aaron and Andy can help. Plant enthusiasts and collectors for many years, they turned their passionate hobby into a career when they created Interior Jungle—an online retail shop specializing in interior styling and indoor plants, based in Melbourne, Australia.

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Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

Their home is a modern townhouse, split over two levels, with the ground floor housing the master bedroom and a second bedroom used as an office. The upper level is open plan with high ceilings and has the kitchen, dining, and living space. Filled with plants (obviously) and modern vintage furniture, it’s a lovely example of how to fill a home with leafy green life.

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Mid-century modern and lots of plants!

Inspiration: Frank Lloyd Wright—American architect, interior designer. Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment. He used a lot of natural materials and plants in his designs. Also Fred Lowen and Ernest Rodeck—European migrant founders of Australian furniture company The Fler. Lowen and Rodeck made a huge impact on modern interior design and adopted the use of simple and open interiors.

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

Favorite Element: Walnut finish. The mid-century modern style has the iconic, classic walnut brown. It is such a modern, stylish look. We incorporated a lot of that color in our interiors as a key theme. When we selected furniture for our home like the media unit, dining setting, and kitchen stools, the main element we considered was walnut finish. 

Biggest Challenge: As we have a ceiling of approximately seven meters high, the biggest challenge for us was definitely finding a statement piece that is proportionate to the ceiling height. And what could be more of a wow factor than a five-meter tall fiddle leaf fig? 

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

What Friends Say: “Wow, you really do live in a jungle!” “Is that a real tree?” (reference to the massive fiddle leaf fig tree we have.) “How on Earth did you get that tree up the stairs?” “Are all your plants real? They all look so healthy!” “Where did you find those blue chairs?”

Our friends love our styles and despite visiting often, they are always so amazed at how many plants we have. Commonly, we spend the first 10 minutes discussing the plants when they first arrive!

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

Biggest Embarrassment: A couple of months after getting Arlo, we were very proud that he was a very well-behaved, non-destructive puppy. We were always telling our friends how good he was. On one particular occasion, we had visitors coming over for dinner. We were running a bit late, so we arrived home at the same time as our visitors. They couldn’t wait to meet Arlo. We opened the front door and found black paw prints on the floor and up the staircase. Arlo was nowhere to be found. We walked up stairs and found that Arlo had somehow escaped the doggy gate! He completely destroyed a huge devils ivy and dragged it through every room of the house! There was soil all over our brand new rug and couch! Suffice to say Arlo was very proud of himself after having ‘re-decorated’ our entire house!

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

Proudest DIY: Restoring our own mid-century furniture. Mid-century pieces are simply well-designed objects with a timeless look. They immediately show modern styles after a little TLC. We found some gorgeous Fred Lowen Fler recliners and restored them to original condition. We chose a dark blue velvet with a walnut stain for the timber. They really complement our styles. We always get asked by everyone who visits: “Where did you get these from?”

Biggest Indulgence: Travel! We both love to visit new places and experience new things as often as possible. Tropical locations are our favorite for obvious reasons… PLANTS! We always make a point of visiting the botanical gardens. Last year we spent Christmas in Japan and fell in love with Kyoto. The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove was a very memorable trip. AND… FOOD! We love, love, love eating out. We prefer to wander the streets and find a little cafe or restaurant tucked away rather than looking at online reviews. It’s quite special when you find that amazing one. 

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

Best Advice: You can never have too many plants. The greatest reward of setting up your home aesthetically is to improve your mental well-being. Plants are just artwork! 

Dream Sources: Grand Designs, Selling Sunset, and Realsestate.com.au (Yes, we often find ourselves browsing the app.)

Resources

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

ENTRY

  • Plant Stands — Amalfi
  • Artwork — Manga Chairs by Oki Sato, as exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria 
Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

LIVING ROOM

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

DINING ROOM

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

KITCHEN

  • Stools — Restored Gerald Easden 1970s pieces 
  • Marble Splashback — Beaumont Tiles 
  • Stone Benchtops 
  • Coffee Machine — Delonghi
  • Franke sink and a full complement of Bosch appliances (including dishwasher)
Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

BEDROOM

Credit: Natalie Jeffcott

STUDY

Thanks Aaron and Andy (and Arlo)!

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