If you’ve ever dismissed punctuality as overrated, then perhaps Cameron Kimber will change your mind. The interior designer was early for a meeting in the Southern Highlands’ town of Exeter and had some time to kill. ‘I thought I’ll just have a drive around the village,’ he says.
This quick drive to pass the time led to the discovery of a vacant block of land. ‘I had been contemplating building a house and when I saw it, I knew right away this was the block for me.’
Cameron takes us through his good room – the living room his home is anchored around – filled with antique treasures… and exceptionally comfortable seating!
Interior designer Cameron Kimber’s glorious living room. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The room is full of sentimental pieces collected over the years. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.
One of Cameron’s most prized possessions, an 18th Century mirror hanging above the fireplace. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Plush textures combined with plenty of table lighting. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The house, which Cameron built from scratch, is anchored around the living room. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Cameron suggests plenty of indirect lighting via table lamps for a comfortable, cosy space. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Amongst Cameron’s most prized possessions in his pair of 18th Century wheelback chairs. One is pictured here. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.
‘I’ll have plenty of options for comfortable seating, somewhere to put my feet up with upholstered ottomans and always indirect lighting at night with a lot of table lamps.’ – Cameron Kimber.
Before interior designer Cameron Kimber decided to build his dream home from scratch, the block of land it sits on was empty for 30 years. If you have high expectations for what was to come next, given Cameron’s reputation as one of Sydney’s most in-demand interior designers, you won’t be disappointed. When a designer turns their skills inwardly onto one of their own personal projects, magic happens.
The proportions of this block of land allowed Cameron to design with flexibility. ‘I wanted a weatherboard, single storey house centred around one large living room,’ he says, of what was to become his ‘good room’.
Cameron also wanted his good room to become the backdrop to his epic collection of antique furniture and objects. ’I’ve bought these things over many years, and they always find a place in my house no matter where I live.’
It’s a special skill to unearth these relics of the past and give them new life, but one which comes naturally to Cameron. Some of his most loved discoveries are the 18th Century mirror with its fish filled basket that hangs over the fireplace, and the paintings, especially an old English one with a river running through a valley, and his pair of 18th Century wheelback chairs.
When creating his own good room, as he has done for many others, Cameron prioritised comfort above all else. ’I like comfort a lot,’ he says, seeking opportunities to introduce it everywhere. ‘I’ll have plenty of options for comfortable seating, somewhere to put my feet up with upholstered ottomans, and always indirect lighting at night with a lot of table lamps’ the celebrated designer muses.
Layering all of these pieces together with a fastidious eye has resulted in the most warm, inviting room. A room so comfortable that most guests always linger and outstay their visit! But for any interior designer, this outcome inevitably means a job well done.
