6 Rental Homes We Loved In 2024
Homes
Featherston Numero IV modular sofa. Rug bought in Morocco. Steelotto Chubby Bench. Large artwork by Julia Trybala. Small artwork by Dorothy Napurrurla Dickson. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Sarah Hendriks.
Untitled portrait (1969) of Elle’s aunty Vic by Elle’s grandmother, Rose Ross. Vintage red and white striped chair. The pendant was hung at a very low height a previus tenant! Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Sarah Hendriks.
Hem side table. Chair by Holly White and Matthew Tambellini of More Studio. Featherston Numero IV modular sofa. Steelotto Chubby Bench. Rug bought in Morocco. Large artwork by Julia Trybala. Small artwork by Dorothy Napurrurla Dickson. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Sarah Hendriks.
A Stylish Inner City Share House Filled With Mid-Century Furniture
Finding a desirable place to rent in inner-city Melbourne increasingly feels like hitting the jackpot.
Indeed, Elle Ross, interior designer at Studio A.mi, thanks the ‘the share house gods’ for sending this apartment to Elle and her housemates!
It’s a large apartment by any standards, but especially for the inner-city, and it’s been styled with mostly mid-century furniture that perfectly accent its timber ceiling beams and exposed brick walls.
Ceremonial long wrap skirt (hung on the wall) handmade by Kuba peoples in Congo. Dykarklocka pendant light from Ikea in the dining room. Cylinder side table from Fenton & Fenton. Trap Candle Holder stainless steel lamp by Nick Aylward from Ma House Supply Store. Mask on shelf sourced from Ma House Supply Store. Replica Tulip side table from Temple & Webster. Replica Wassily chair. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli + Sarah Hendriks.
Dining table purchased from Facebook Marketplace. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli + Sarah Hendriks.
The sunroom turned dining area. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli + Sarah Hendriks.
A Shared South Yarra Apartment With An Eclectic, Parisian Feel
Howard Lawson was an architect not appreciated in his own time.
100 years later, however, his buildings are coveted by those in the know — particularly those in South Yarra, including the Beverley Hills complex.
Photographer and visual director Nicole Williams lives in one of Lawson’s more under-the-radar buildings, which she instantly recognised as ‘magic’ when inspecting the property for lease.
She found a housemate, Ethan Wairau, who shares a similar personal style, leading them to create the eclectic, Parisian-inspired apartment you see today.
Vintage lamp from Jolie Laide. Tokyo Pop sofa by Driade. Apollo bust from Facebook Marketplace. Round Barstool by Thonet. Second-hand iron side table. Akari UF4-L8 and Akari 36N. Blue Murano glass vase. Vintage burl coffee table. Wall relief replica from Facebook Marketplace. Vintage American rocking chair. Georgian-era bookcase from Facebook Marketplace. ’70s lipstick mirror from Tyabb Packing House Antiques. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.
The kitchen is made entirely of reclaimed pieces Ben sourced on Facebook Marketplace. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.
Column from Facebook Marketplace. Mona Lisa replica from The Establishment Studios. Vintage No. B9 Le Corbusier armchairs. Akari 31N. Rocchetto Stool by Kartell. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.
This Quirky Fitzroy Home Is A Masterclass In Eclectic Styling
Curator and collector Ben Mooney’s unique Melbourne home serves multiple purposes.
Downstairs, the quirky Victorian is dedicated to Ben’s homewares store, Ma House Supply Store, and upstairs, you’ll find Ma House — Ben’s unique apartment and photoshoot space, all rolled into one!
It’s a wonderland of second-hand treasures, where everything looks like it’s been there since the building was constructed in the early 1900s. In reality, it’s a manifestation of Ben’s lifelong love of collecting ‘things’, his inimitable knack for styling, and more than two years of renovations.
Vintage Byron Botker Palo Alto Chair. Rattan cabinet from IKEA. Vintage lamp from on Facebook Marketplace. Artwork by Jennifer Tarry-Smith. Ceramic from the Coburg Pottery Collective. Vintage armchair. Photo – Dylan James.
The dining room overlooks the outdoor deck. Photo – Dylan James.
Striped curtains allow dappled light across the interiors. Photo – Dylan James.
A Designer’s Modernist Treehouse Rental
Without Studio creative director Sarah Shinners is the master of making a rental property her own.
We previously visited her Victorian house in Clifton Hill, and she’s once again nailed it in the decoration of her modernist home in Montmorency, shared with husband Patrick and toddler Sullivan!
The family moved into the home in 2022, kickstarting what Sarah calls a ‘personality overhaul’ of the interiors without altering the mid-century architecture.
In Sarah’s hands, the house now embraces its leafy surrounds during the day, and turns its attention inwards at night to form a cosy, heartwarming interior.
Clare can often be found moseying around markets, bazaars, and secondhand stores looking for pieces she’s never seen before, and those requiring a little TLC. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli + Sarah Hendriks.
Bamboo vase from Ma House Supply Store with other vintage finds in the kitchen. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli + Sarah Hendriks.
Photographic print by Sarah Walker (above bookshelf). Hattie Molloy Ixia Vase. ‘Untitled Panel Piece’ by Tristan Davies (on bookshelf). Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli + Sarah Hendriks.
A 1970s Apartment Made Wabi-Sabi Home
Clare Moore appreciates perfectly imperfect furniture and simply-designed interiors, devoid of excess decoration.
These interests are evident in her Melbourne home: a circa 1970s Carlton apartment, styled with an ever-changing array of vintage pieces that impart a wabi-sabi feel.
It’s now a cosy haven for Clare and her housemate, in the heart of Melbourne’s inner north.
Arne Sofa by B&B Italia. Puffy Lounge Chair by Hem. Square Orange Chenille Rug by Double. Chloe Coffee Table by Trit House. Toio Floor Lamp by Flos. Vintage wall lamp and sideboard. Rice Paper Shade by HAY. Art on wall above sideboard ‘The Comfort Of Certainty in an Actor’s Eyes’ by Brett Anthony Moore via Curatorial and Co. Art on sideboard ‘Wind Print’ by Tym Yee. Vintage Philips HP 3202 Sun Lamp. Mondri vase from MoMA. Vintage Aalto bowl. Oil burner by Tsu Lange Yor. Glass vase by H&M Home. Photo – Alisha Gore. Editorial Styling – Jono Fleming.
Arne Sofa by B&B Italia. Puffy Lounge Chair by Hem. Square Orange Chenille Rug by Double. Chloe Coffee Table by Trit House. Vintage sideboard. Rice Paper Shade by HAY. Art on wall above sideboard ‘The Comfort Of Certainty in an Actor’s Eyes’ by Brett Anthony Moore via Curatorial and Co. Art on sideboard ‘Wind Print’ by Tym Yee. Vintage Philips HP 3202 Sun Lamp. Mondri vase from MoMA. Vintage Aalto bowl. Oil burner by Tsu Lange Yor. Glass vase by H&M Home. Photo – Alisha Gore. Editorial Styling – Jono Fleming.
Swing Chair by Tait. Vintage ceramic mosaic table imported from Morocco. Vintage umbrella and vase. PL1 Portable Lamp by Sowden. Photo – Alisha Gore. Editorial Styling – Jono Fleming.
A Charming Sandstone Cottage In A Former Horse Stable
There isn’t a single plasterboard or painted wall in the heritage home of Studio Barbara co-director Ben Selke, and Joep Van De Kruijs. Instead, original sandstone walls give the home its unique character, and an inherently cosy feel.
So inviting was the cottage, that the couple broke their previous lease after just five months to move into the enchanting property — a former horse stable — and bring it back to life.
Inspired by the historic Darlinghurst laneways and streets outside, Ben and Joep have styled the home with unexpected layering and an eclectic use of colour that expresses their individuality and creativity.