IN BLOOM

A FLORIST’S PASSION FOR PLANTS, NATURAL MATERIALS AND BURSTS OF COLOUR HAS CREATED A HARMONIOUS FAMILY HOME WITH A LIFE OF ITS OWN

- ANNA McCOOE

Sweetness meets strength at this vibrant home on Victoria’s Surf Coast. Owner Jodie, a florist, is adept at balancing the elements – adding and subtracting until the mix feels right. “I go by feel,” says the mother-of-two (pictured), who started her business, Flower Bowl in East Geelong, 15 years ago. “When I might be heading too far in one direction, I add in something out of left field to even it out.”

Her approach to the home she shares with her two little ones, Annie and Tommy, takes a lot from her fancy-free way with arranging flowers. In both fields, she subscribes to the usual rules of proportion, colour, texture, harmony and balance, but also adds in an element of surprise. “I like to shake it up,” she says of her fearless blend of eras and influences. Here, concrete, brick and steel are her structural base, just like the foliage to a bouquet, while pops of dusty rose, sage green and teal bring the pretty. Plant life and artwork provide the X factor that sparks the home to life.

Back in 2012, when the house became Jodie’s home, it was a humble but charming three-bedroom, one-bathroom beach cottage. A two-storey extension in 2018 saw the house grow to include an open-plan kitchen and living area out the back, which flows through to the deck and pool.

A guest bedroom, ensuite and laundry were tucked along the side of the ground-floor addition and the new upstairs area was turned into a main suite. Jodie worked with interior designer Melanie Hustler from MHI Studio to fine-tune the vision, while Geelong Building Co took care of project management and the build.