Just Don’t Call This Home ‘Eclectic’

Homes

Today’s home is one that might just knock your socks off! Although she has only been here since 2017, Yvonne Shafir has truly transformed every corner of this previously white-walled home in St Kilda East.

Take a tour through this unique property, where each room tells a tale: from a day at the beach, to Hollywood glam, Parisian boudoir and Thai temple. We were given only one instruction from Yvonne ‘whatever you say, please don’t label it ECLECTIC!’

10th July, 2019

Yvonne Shafir’s truly fabulous home in St Kilda East. Yvonne spotted this massive Evian poster in a neighbour’s carport. ‘It was pink and had a giant woman on it, I insisted it belonged at my house and we reached an agreement!’ says Yvonne. Water tanks (just visible) painted by street artist Elle. The yucca and cactus were already in the garden when Yvonne bought the house, and she added white pebbles for definition. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Yvonne (holding Violet the cat) wearing some seriously glam Gucci platforms, a jacket by Undercover from the Cindy Sherman collection, Dsquared jeans and glasses by Anne et Valentin. Lounge chairs by Eric Trine and Dusen Dusen from West Elm Online. Lucia hexagonal tiles from Urban Edge Ceramics in Richmond. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The entrance hall. Tiles from terrazzo moss from Urban Edge Ceramics. Custom railing made by Unique Wrought Iron in Tullamarine. ‘I had the railing made to imitate the tiles. I have been wanting to have the same pattern stencilled on to the walls inside the entrance but have been consistently talked out of it’. Sanjeeta & Fuji painting by Kate Beynon from Sutton Gallery in Fitzroy (this piece is currently in ‘Continental Shift: Contemporary Art and South Asia‘ at Bunjil Place. Murano Chandelier from Leonard Joel. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

‘Bromley Girls’ photograph Yvonne ‘scored for peanuts’ at the Leonard Joel Bromley auction. She found it rolled up in the corner. Model H269 chair by Jindrich Halabala from Modern Times. Yvonne purchased the chairs before she moved into the house and they ended up dictating the room and much of the rest of the house, too. Rug from Uzbekistan bought for 100USD and carried with Yvonne in luggage all the way to New York via Turkey (which ended up costing her $5000 in back massages!). Sheer curtains from India. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The hallway. Verner Panton Luna rug from SPACE. ‘Jardin de Reves’ mural by Christian Lacroix. Kartell Bloom lamp by Phillipe Starck from SPACE. ‘Medical Venus’ portrait by Orshi Drozdik. Quan Yin by Lalique on top of antique Chinese rosewood stand. 50s pink Murano vase from Mitta Hirsh. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Pink teardrop mid ceiling chandeliers from Smith Street Bazaar. Large camouflage canvas artwork is ‘Elements’ by Jennifer Goodman from Gallery Smith in North Melbourne. Vase by Kate Rohde from NGV Shop. Yvonne spotted a similar giant flower in the window of a day spa on Glenhuntly road and tracked down the manufacturer (it wasn’t easy!). Ligne Roset sofa from Domo. Etoile coffee table by SP01 from SPACE. Model H269 chair by Jindrich Halabala from Modern Times. Custom neon ‘BASHERT’ sign in Warsaw Deco font by Neon Hart. Next to the TV is painting ‘Lost Dreamer’ by Dianne Gall from Metro Gallery High Street. OMG from Tsherin Sherpa from Rossi Rossi Hong Kong (covering the air conditioner!). Midcentury sideboard by Zoureff from Smith Street Bazaar. Pink Danish rug from top 3. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Wallpaper by Eijffinger based on painting by Dutch master Jan Davidz da Heem. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Eichwald vase from Gibson Auction House. Hiromi Tango Neon Sculpture, ‘Red Tears’ from Sullivan Strumpf in Sydney. Twiggy lamp by Foscarini from Leonard Joel Auctions. Jasper Morrison chaise lounge. ‘Fuck you pay me’ handbag by These Pink Lips for Patricia Field. ‘Expert Lovin Free Sample’ painted plaque by Dirty Bandit. Orange sheepskin rug from Family Love Tree. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Getsuen Armchair by Masanori Umeda by Edra. Miraggio mirror for Edra from SPACE. Indian silk rug. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Eijffinger wallpaper from Verve. Portrait of Yvonne and Raffles the cat by Heyd Fontenot. Moooi Salago Pendant Lamp from SPACE – ‘I bought it on sale online. I’ve had it moved three times. I’m mad’ says Yvonne! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

View into the office featuring beach box painted doors. Calypso Girls wallpaper from Coordonné from Verve. Dreams Cabinet by bd Barcelona from AJAR Furniture. A ‘constantly changing’ salon hang wall. Top right (just out of frame) Tracey Moffat’s ‘Grace Slick’ bought at auction from Gibsons. Two Mirka Mora pieces bought at auction from Moss Green. Wall Porn by Megan Morton mirror from SPACE. ‘I have to thank art installers, Dave at Aesthetic Precision and Russell and co. at Picture Hanging Solutions for their talent and PATIENCE with me’, expresses Yvonne. Thanks guys! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Close up for the ‘mad salon wall hang’ including a hand made slipper sent by a friend in L.A. and a Siamese cat folk painting from another friend from New York. A Japanese cloisonné antique plate from a second-hand store in Newcastle. A monochromatic pink painting (‘because you can never have enough pink’) and a “free” promotional photo Verve Studios ‘featuring a frightened Violet and my platforms.’ Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Glas Italia XXX table from MOHD.IT. Candy rug by Serge Lesage from MOHD.IT. Santa Monica armchair from Poliform. ‘Flowers’ painting by Yayoi Kusama. Cushion by Camilla. Corniche by Vitra from Living Edge furniture. Sid, the Burmese next door who visits regularly. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Planter by Vondom from Ajar Furniture. Turquoise Fox chairs by Sika from Domo. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

‘The deck was in disrepair and I was considering replacing it all together when I hit upon the idea of simply replacing all the rotten boards and painting the whole thing pink.’ Kartell Four table and chairs from SPACE. Lanterns from Bohemio. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Pool based on a swimming pool in the artist Cesar Manrique’s house on the volcanic island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, installed by previous owners. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Lucy Feagins

Wednesday 10th July 2019

‘I see the house as a total art work’ – Yvonne Shafir.

When Yvonne Shafir and her cat violet moved into this St Kilda East property, it was (unbelievably) a ‘blank canvas.’ Everything in the Spanish Mission style home was white, except for the lime carpet. Yvonne immediately set to work, painting the outside deck and fence pink, and introducing her growing art collection, in the pursuit of ‘turning the house into a home.’

While Yvonne may live alone, colour is a constant companion and character that fills this home! The playful residence offers a story in each room, including a ‘fantasy garden Christian Lacroix mural in the hallway’ and an installation in the office called ‘Day at the Beach.’ As you move through the home, narratives unfold – from the Hollywood glam bedroom to 19th century Parisian boudoir bedroom, and Thai temple en-suite. She cheerfully proclaims ‘overall, a botanical surreal thematic is at play.’

Yvonne moved into the home in 2017, after spying it on a newsfeed. She highlights that ‘after decades of apartment living in New York and a stint in Melbourne’s north, I wanted a suburban experience, with a garden and no flight of stairs in sight!’ In a short period of time, she has well-and-truly made this 1930’s built property her own, and has become pals with the neighbours. She highlights that the street is a ‘kitty cul-de-sac’, where her cat Violet has also made ‘made friends (and frenemies).’

Although Yvonne has created a truly personalised home for herself here, she acknowledges that the space is never truly finished. She highlights ‘the house is in a constant state of flux’ where colour ‘is the main character in the house soap opera, which traverses time and places.’ (That is a TV show we would LOVE to watch!). Yvonne enthusiastically concludes ‘at the risk of sounding pretentious. I see the house as a total art work: Gesamtkuntswerk‘. A total gem of a home in our eyes!