A Romantic English Cottage-Inspired Melbourne Family Home
Homes
Lamp from MCM House with custom shade by A Blind Pash Interiors. Pendant light from Bisque Traders.
Posey and Marc Broomhall with their children Kit (3), Archie and Dusty (both 7) and Frankie the cavoodle. Dulux Domino paint on house facade.
Posey and Marc began establishing the garden as soon as the moved in in 2017. Mosaic Table from Julian Ronchi. Dulux Domino paint on facade.
The office turned formal dining room. Artwork by Christopher Vine. Artwork above fireplace Layla Milly. Sculpture from Adairs. Pendant light from Beacon Lighting.
The view from the dining room through to the living room and backyard. Sideboard by Canvas + Sasson.
IKEA chairs upholstered in Anna Spiro Textiles fabric. Zellige White Tiles from National Tiles on splashback. Small artwork in kitchen by Carolyne Hallum. Dulux Light Blush paint on island bench. Fruit stand from Provincial Home Living. Lamp by Canvas + Sasson.
‘I have always wanted a pink kitchen but settled on a pink island bench for now. In the next house, the kitchen will be all pink,’ says Posey.
Artwork behind sofa by Gelbell. Custom couch designed with A Blind Pash Interiors. IKEA chairs upholstered in Anna Spiro Textiles fabric. Zellige White Tiles from National Tiles on splashback. Small artwork in kitchen by Carolyne Hallum. Dulux Light Blush paint on island bench. Fruit stand from Provincial Home Living. Lamp by Canvas + Sasson.
The playroom. Framed photo on right from a One Day Bridal photoshoot. Handmade truck by a friend.
‘This chair is so special to me. It was always in my mum’s room for as long as I could remember and when she passed away I knew I would have it forever. With the help of Kris from A Blind Pash Interiors we found the perfect fabric, choosing something a bit eccentric like her,’ says Posey. Wallpaper by Anna Spiro Textiles. Table from Provincial Home Living. Lamp by Canvas + Sasson with custom lampshade by A Blind Pash Interiors.
The laundry. Blackthorn wallpaper by Morris & Co, distributed by Domestic Textile. Dulux Vanilla Ice Quarter paint on ceilings. Porter’s Paints Nordic Blue on skirting and architraves.
The kid’s bedroom. ‘We knocked out two little brick walls to make it big enough for two bunk beds and I had to have storage for all their toys… All three of our kids sleep here and they love it. We also love that there’s a spare bed for sleepovers,’ says Posey. Balloons from Handworks. Mel’s Buffalo Check Wallpaper in Gray by Milton & King.
The main bedroom. Bedside tables by A Blind Pash Interiors. Improvisation 1 Fabric – Pink Ottoline wallpaper, distributed by Elliott Clarke. Lamps by Canvas + Sasson with custom lampshade by A Blind Pash Interiors.
The view to the new en suite from the main bedroom. Improvisation 1 Fabric – Pink Ottoline wallpaper, distributed by Elliott Clarke. Tiles from TileCloud. Tapware by ABI Interiors.
The front patio. ‘We wanted to make this whole space a parent’s sanctuary and an outdoor space to enjoy the sun — having coffee or wine in the evenings,’ says Posey. Custom seat made with A Blind Pash Interiors featuring outdoor Anna Spiro Textiles fabric. Improvisation 1 Fabric – Pink Ottoline wallpaper, distributed by Elliott Clarke.
Posey and Marc Broomhall kept missing out at auctions when a real estate agent alerted them to a 1930s home for sale in Brighton.
The only issue — the house wasn’t in a state to be photographed.
‘It was a real wreck, some of the rooms were almost derelict,’ recalls Posey, who is the founder of Harpo Hair and sleepwear label Bompies.
Regardless, the couple took a chance on the Melbourne property and saw potential in its bones. ‘We put an offer in straight away after viewing the house,’ Posey says.
The couple and their twins (Archie and Dusty, now 7) moved into the home before embarking on a renovation to revive and enhance its original design.
Firstly, the floor plan was reconfigured, switching the main bedroom and living areas so the latter could appreciate backyard views.
The children’s bedroom was also enlarged by removing dead hallway space, and some height was added to Posey and Marc’s bedroom ceiling.
The couple then turned their attention to the interiors, working with A Blind Pash Interiors to create a distinctive English cottage-inspired aesthetic, reminiscent of projects by UK designer Sean Symington.
Colour and pattern are integral to this style, enabling Posey to be bold with prints, feminine hues, and luxurious textiles — something she can’t do in her everyday working life! She explains, ‘I have to wear black to work, but apart from my salon wardrobe, I don’t own anything black — it’s all colour!
‘When we finished the renovation I could take a step back and see wow, I really do have a signature style!’
Both the bedroom and laundry are now drenched in printed wallpaper, complemented by deliberately clashing patterns across the lamp shades, curtains, cushions, and furniture.
The kitchen follows suit with a more subtle, but equally romantic, use of pink colour across the island bench (Dulux Light Blush), upholstered seating in check Anna Spiro Textiles fabric, and floral printed blinds.
Inspiration was also taken from Posey’s late mother’s home and the items she cherished, including a reupholstered chair that now lives in the playroom, and a framed tapestry above the living room fireplace.
Posey and Marc’s home renovation took almost six years — the result of a lot of DIY around a pandemic, and the arrival of a third baby (Kit, now 3) after twins — but the result is truly bespoke, beautiful, and welcoming.
‘It’s fun and colourful and feels like a home should – warm and joyful,’ says Posey.
‘It’s very much a comfortable home too — the kids have the run of the house and we let them eat snacks on the sofa. The toys spill into every room and they always have friends around.’