HAPPY PLACE

Interior designer Katie Sargent made light work of transforming a Melbourne semi into a home where her family could flourish.

- Sarah Pickette

A Petal dome pendant light from Bisque Interiors hangs over the Rosetta travertine dining table from En Gold. Large Flamenco bowl from En Gold, small flower vessel from All Fired Up and vases from Etsy. Roman blinds in James Dunlop Textiles 'Envoy' fabric in Angora.

Homeowner and interior designer Katie Sargent in her guestroom. The bay window seat is upholstered in Warwick Fabrics 'Kalahari'. Seat and cushion custom made by Eclectic Boogaloo. Petrified-wood drum table, Fenton & Fenton.

The process of updating a heritage home can require its owners to think on their feet. When there’s a nasty burst pipe in the only bathroom, the renovation of that room takes on an extreme urgency, particularly when you add a lockdown into the equation. “The Covid situation was getting serious,” says Katie Sargent, interior designer and owner of this 1900s home in Melbourne. “We had to get the bathroom done immediately, before tradies became impossible to pin down. We didn’t move out, so for a while there we’d have to jump in the car and drive to the local park when we needed the bathroom!”