A Sophisticated Inner-Melbourne Terrace That Embraces Colour
Homes
Explorer Table designed by Jaime Hayón for Bd Barcelona. Cab Chairs in Bordeaux leather designed by Mario Bellini for Cassina via Castorina. Self portrait painting by Piero Clemente Garreffa.
Aleksandra Harsic, Jamie McHutchison, and their baby daughter (10 months) Nadja.
Artwork by Stefan Wirihana Mau. ‘We love the way that he uses shade and line to create space and movement within his work,’ says Aleksandra.
CCSS lamp. Custom made burl table by Bricolage. Maker & Son sofa. Baxter side table. B&B Italia Camaleonda Sofa from Space. ‘It’s usually not this put together – the coffee table will have toy cars, blocks, and children’s books everywhere!’
Oranges painting by Piero Clemente Garreffa.
The renovated by a previous owner by Flack Studio.
Custom bookshelf and record cabinet made by Bricolage in the record room. Ceramic mushrooms made by Jamie’s great grandmother. ‘At night, we love sitting in this room listening to records and enjoying some wine.’
Self portrait painting by Aleksandra Harsic. Custom bookshelf and record cabinet made by Bricolage. B&B Italia Camaleonda Sofa from Space.
McMullin & Co bedhead. Oluce Atollo Lamp Designer designed by Vico Magistretti.
The bathroom with pink terrazzo tiles and marble.
Ultrafragola mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova. Self portrait painting on table by Piero Clemente Garreffa. Just Adele marble console. Jahnne Pasco-White painting on wall.
‘My grandmother who is no longer with us had made me lots of different pillow cases as a child, hand embroidering them with different animals. I love to rotate them on Nadja’s bed as a little decoration piece in her room.’ Vintage Swedish rug purchased on 1stDibs. Dinosaur Designs side table.
Aleksandra Harsic and Jamie McHutchison’s home is located on a busy street in Melbourne’s inner north, but walking through the front door for the first time they experienced the ‘most warm and cosy feeling.’
‘It instantly felt like home, which I’d never really experienced walking into a property before,’ says Aleksandra, vice president of sales at Vudoo.
The couple rent the home from Jamie’s parents, who purchased the property following an extensive renovation designed by Flack Studio.
The renovation significantly elevated the Victorian home’s features, introducing unexpected materials and a sophisticated colour palette that transitions throughout the home. The front door is pink, the front room is aqua, whilst the family bathroom contains pink terrazzo tiles and textured marble.
‘It’s definitely pushed us further into experimenting with colour,’ says Aleksandra of the interiors. ‘By having it on the walls and finishes, we’ve ventured further into using colour in furniture, rugs, and soft finishes.’
This exploration of colour is immediately evident on entry, where Aleksandra and Jamie have positioned an Ultrafragola mirror (designed in the 1970s by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova) that emits a warm pink light. ‘It is both functional and an art piece. It lets off the most beautiful pink glow that lights up our whole hallway during the day and night,’ Aleksandra says.
Aleksandra used to describe her style as minimal, but this home, and Jamie, have encouraged a more playful approach, where colour is embraced and items are on display.
‘When Jamie and I started dating, this started to evolve, as he was the opposite. His books were on show, he had a huge record collection, he had lots of houseplants,’ Aleksandra says. ‘We [now] have books throughout the whole house; our furniture is a balance of vintage and new; and most importantly, I’ve gotten over my fear of colour.
‘We’re trying to create a space that isn’t precious, that can be lived in, that feels warm and inviting, but still has very special pieces throughout.’
The furniture is the result of daily back and forth Instagram messages between the couple, to arrive at pieces they equally appreciate.
Aleksandra explains, ‘Jamie and I made a pact early on that we’d only buy things that we both liked. We have pretty different styles, so finding things that we both like hasn’t always been too easy!’
One of the most used spaces in their house is the west-facing front bedroom turned ‘record room.’ Aleksandra says, ‘It’s the room that we both work from, we listen to records there, we read Nadja books there, and I paint there.’
Jamie and Aleksandra love their Fitzroy North neighbourhood. They can often be found in the front garden, where Jamie (who is a landscape architect and senior associate at Spiire) has planted a variety of flowers to interest Nadja and attract bees.
‘It’s really nice to have this sense of community that you don’t often get when you live in the inner city,’ says Aleksandra.