HOME SNOOP : MARIANA'S MID-CENTURY HOME IN MELBOURNE
I'll be posting another home snoop before the end of the week and I'm going to post a few snaps of our own little space before too long. If you’d like to have your place (or even just one room or a favourite corner) featured, please email me and I’ll let you know what to do! I’m really keen to have some Irish gaffs included so don’t be shy!
Mariana, her husband Mark and their children Josh [12] and Madeleine [10] have lived in their bungalow in Melbourne for the last three years. Mariana describes her decorating style as "comfortable, warm and hopefully inviting". She has a strong personal bond with her home, saying that her heart and soul lie within the walls. As such, Mariana isn't keen on interiors that lack a personal touch: "Much of the time I see houses rather than homes. Our home is an extension of our personalities (thankfully Mark and I have the same taste!) and I’m disappointed when I see very sterile, bland, perfect houses that don’t give away anything about the occupant."
One thing that I love about Mariana's home is the sense you get of her personality and I can tell from it that her mid-century sensibilities go deeper than just home decor, which she confirms: "If I were granted a wish to live in the 50’s I think I’d jump at it! I love the architecture, the furniture, accessories/textiles, the fashion, the hairstyles, the music, the movies, the innocence of that era. I don’t know if it’s a retro influence, we do question a lot of what’s going on around us today and try not to buy into it too much. Even though the mid-century post war era was extremely forward thinking, the decisions, designs and opinions of that time, to me, feel balanced and considered."
Like a lot of us, Mariana cites budget as a constraint she faces when decorating, but that creativity is the best way to overcome that "Of course there were/are things we’d like to buy and budget was/is a constraint… everything is relative. You do the best with what you have, and for me, creativity comes into play… where a part of nature can sit along side a design piece and something exciting happens. That can often be better than someone else’s creation in your home." The beautiful twig light shades Mariana made "in memory of a fig tree we used to have in the back yard" are my favourite examples of her creativity and flair for juxtaposing nature with design.
"Nature inspires me, twigs, branches, pods, seeds…colours around me… I love repetitive shapes, organic shapes, lines, interesting objects. Good design, Charles and Ray Eames, in particular Ray, for her design aesthetic."
The open plan living, dining and kitchen area is Mariana's favourite part of her house: "It faces north, and for us in Australia, it’s the perfect orientation. It feels warm, inviting, open and spacious, and now especially in winter, the sun filters through, it’s stunning. I love it. This area also looks out to our back yard, I could sit and watch our chickens all day!"
Mariana sources furniture and accessories wherever her eye for design leads her - whether buying from specialist Melbourne stores or rescuing pieces from rubbish collection: "Inner city Melbourne people have a keen design aesthetic and there are some amazing stores around here specialising in mid-century furniture. Stores such as Plasma, Tongue and Groove, 20th Century Design and Great Dane are raising awareness in quality international furniture pieces and good design in general. They would have to be my favourites. Having said that, I am definitely a sucker for flea markets, charity stores, garage sales and even hard rubbish days, where unwanted items are left on the nature strip to be collected… I often collect! The last item was a TV circuit board, (it’s green and I love green!) It now sits above the cupboards in the kitchen! Many of our home accessories that are complimented are from these sources, you’ve just got to use that keen eye!"
