State Of Play

THIS INNER-CITY MELBOURNE ABODE OFFERS FUN, FLEXIBILITY AND A TRULY ORIGINAL PLACE TO CALL HOME FOR A CREATIVE COUPLE, THEIR NEWBORN AND ADORABLE DOG

- Jessica Bellef

When Leah was a young girl growing up in Auckland she would spend her days building cubby houses. “I was the cubby queen,” laughs the interior designer and woodworker. “I would rearrange the furniture to create massive forts that would go through the rooms.” While other children created pop-star montages on bedroom walls, Leah, now a senior interior designer at design firm Hassell, was reimagining entire spaces and, much to her engineering father’s delight, revealing her early interest in architecture. Today, in the welcoming home she shares with her partner, Wally, a musician and tour manager, and their baby boy Sonny in the inner suburbs of Melbourne, it’s easy to see the couple have created a home that is the result of Leah’s thoughtful approach to planning spaces and is inspired by their need to see the bright side of life. “It’s quite important for Wally and me to keep elements of our lives light and fun, and to stay spirited,” remarks Leah, who, with Wally, loves to entertain and travel. “I personally don’t want to gro