A boldly colourful Melbourne house brought back to life by Anna Spiro

Dining chairs covered in Jeffrey Bulluber’s ‘Fig’ and blinds in ‘Trebizond’ by Caroline Irving pick up on the colours in the kitchen.

Mark Roper

The previous owner had owned the house for about 20 years and used it as a storage facility for his building company. Before that, it had been a boarding house. ‘Everyone on the street was relieved when we bought it – something was going to happen to that poor house that nobody loved’, laughs Anna. Thankfully many original elements remained, including marble fireplaces, cornices and lovely skirting boards. The doors were all original, as were the timber floors. ‘It was a raw, blank canvas, which was what we wanted’.

With the exception of a wall in the kitchen coming down to open up the space, no major structural changes were made. Each of the rooms – including four bedrooms – are spread across one storey and flow off of a large, central hallway. The focus was on carefully restoring architectural features, polishing up the original floors and bringing the spaces back to life with colour and pattern.

In the hallway, a sculpture by Ari Athans sits atop a mirrored plinth, chosen for ‘reflecting the light in a space which otherwise might feel too heavy and traditional’.

Mark Roper

Anna used biscuit-coloured paint to create a sense of warmth and cosiness in the hallway, which is lifted by a bright bespoke rug.

Mark Roper

Unlike Brisbane, which is sunny year-round and whose weather informs Anna’s projects there, Melbourne has seasons. In lieu of endless sunny days, the climate is, ‘moody and cold - with lots of browns and beautiful autumn leaves’, says Anna. This gave her a rare opportunity to create ‘warm and cosy spaces in moody colours’.

‘I enjoy the mix of things’, explains Anna. ‘My style is colour and pattern, but it's grounded in tradition. I always like to throw unexpected gestures into rooms – sometimes antique or modern things or abstract art’. Nowhere is this more evident than in the kitchen, where an aubergine coloured island sits beside pale yellow cupboards and a mint green cooker hood hung with antique plates. The Carolina Irving ikat fabric on the blinds and Jeffrey Bulluber’s ‘Fig’ on the dining chairs balancing the scheme.

Anna’s favourite room in the house, the pink sitting room is a nod to the light colour palettes often found in Brisbane. Above the sofa covered in Jasper Fabrics ‘Nathalie Bouquet Summer’ is a painting by Bronte Leighton-Dore.

Mark Roper

Strongly coloured bathrooms and guest rooms are tempered by the airiness of the sitting room. The room is her ode to Brisbane, and her favourite in the house. ‘I love to mix pieces by established artists as well as up-and-coming names’ says Anna. Dulux’s ‘Dulcimer’ pink on the walls acts as a backdrop for the Australian artist Bronte Leighton-Dore’s ‘Blue after the Rain, Stephens Creek’, which according to Anna, ‘ties the room together and reminds me of my home at the beach in Queensland’, and a rather exceptional 18th-century Irish crystal chandelier bought from Pascal Leclerc Antiques & Art Deco in Melbourne.

The armchair is covered in ‘Dutch Stripe’ from Michael Smith’s Jasper range. Anna bought the 18th century Irish chandelier from Pascal Leclerc Antiques & Art Deco in Melbourne.

Mark Roper

‘In a highly coloured and patterned room, there’s a tipping point where it could feel garish and cheap, but you can tip it back to make it sophisticated, chic and interesting,' says Anna. ‘I think beautiful antiques and collectible art are the key’. She is drawn to the understated, clean lines of Georgian pieces. ‘They often have a very plain silhouette, which I think is lovely when you have a busy, colourful, patterned room’.

The project marries Anna’s aesthetic with a new, muted climate. ‘It’s a fabulous house’, says Anna. Far from the neglected building they bought, plenty of love and Anna’s fantastic eye and brave approach has turned it into a wonderful space.

annaspirodesign.com.au