The owners of this home in Melbourne’s inner-east reached out to Tali Roth in 2021, in hopes of ‘making something’ of their Victorian terrace’s beautiful bones.
‘The house is amazing… but the renovations done by previous owners over the years were daggy and outdated,’ Tali explains.
She was tasked with creating new spaces that were a better reflection of her clients’ personal style, and the property’s 1889 Victorian facade. Being well-travelled, the couple had ‘super sophisticated’ taste and already knew what they liked.
The brief was simply to make the interiors feel ‘elevated and chic’, in addition to furnishing the home from top to bottom.
‘The inspiration came from the house itself. We wanted to embrace the history of the Italianate Victorian terrace while adding modern touches and bringing to light the clients own unique tastes,’ Tali says.
She and the owners looked to their mutual favourite designers, like LA-based Studio Shamshiri, and Italian-born, Paris-based architect Fabrizio Casiragh. These international influences helped influence the eclectic and luxurious feel of the revamped home, which Tali says references both English countryside styling and modern Italian aesthetics.
The open-plan kitchen and living space features timber floors with new painted cabinetry and an enormous marble benchtop, while the bathrooms reveal a ‘calm base’ of travertine. Venetian plaster also brings as an elegant, textural touch throughout.
‘I love the custom cabochon floors we cut using whole slabs of travertine and then lay them piece by piece. There are so many gorgeous hand details in the stone work and in the painting of the cabinetry,’ Tali notes.
‘We went with really timeless materials that could reference both old-world and new. We wanted to lean into the architecture of the space, but also ensure it felt fresh and not too stuffy.’
Another highlight is the library. It has its own distinctive vibe to the rest of the house, thanks the warm pink-washed walls and vintage finds like a golden 18th century tapestry from France and an antique bookcase.
Tali’s expertise in eclectic styling is what ties these unique spaces together, noting ‘the furniture is super special’ in her Victoria House project. It’s made up of equal parts contemporary, vintage and pieces from her clients’ existing collections to create something that’s the perfect balance of intriguing, without being too over the top.
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