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.
