NATURAL TOUCH

A FRESH AND TACTILE RENOVATION REJUVENATES A DATED CALIFORNIA BUNGALOW IN MELBOURNE

- LAUR A BARRY

When interior designer Jacqui Koska first visited this home in the inner Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, the interiors were painted a beige shade that gave the impression of tobacco-stained walls. The timber floor was an overpowering orange tone and the kitchen and bathroom were finished with outdated salmon-hued tiles and laminate cabinetry.

“The overall brief for the house was to create a warm, lived-in feel with understated yet thoughtful design,” says Jacqui, the principal of Jacqui Koska Studio. “The aesthetic had to work with the California bungalow-style architecture and the client’s existing vintage furniture and artwork. Once the decision was made to use American walnut, we designed around the tone of the timber.” Persian rugs and colorful artwork were already a feature, so Jacqui incorporated them with a clean palette of Dulux Snowy Mountain Quarter white. “This fresh backdrop also maximises the light in the space, allowing the neutral warm whites, dark timbers and hints of grey to harmonise,” she adds.

MAXIMISE SPACE