In January this year, photographer Dylan James and actor Cate O’Connor settled on a Carlton North home in need of some major love.

Likely built in the early 1990s, the house has been renovated and extended circa the 1960s, covering Tasmanian oak floors with grey carpet, and updating the exterior with an orange brick fence and flat-roofed porch.

If not for the high ceilings and few period features retained in the living room, it would be hard to pinpoint the home’s original era.

‘While the extent of the necessary renovations was more than we hoped to bring onto ourselves, the house felt very solid, and gave us confidence that we could turn it into something special,’ says Dylan.

The couple worked with Design + Diplomacy on the first stage of the renovation, comprising the bedrooms and living room in the original portion of the house.

The team executed cosmetic renovations, including removing the carpet to reveal the floorboards (that were sanded and coated), painting the walls and ceilings, adding new window furnishings, updating internal doors, and replacing hardware.

Dylan and Cate’s styling is a reflection of their contrasting tastes and the house’s history, incorporating colourful items designed in the ‘60s and ‘70s (the USM Haller Sideboard and Togo chair) with more antique-inspired pieces (a custom upholstered bedhead by Create Estate). Think ‘European quirky fun’, is how Dylan describes the aesthetic.

‘Together we have developed an appreciation for each other’s styles and developed what we feel is a unique vibe,’ he says.

Design & Diplomacy’s renovations — including a slight update to the kitchen and bathroom to make them more liveable — were completed within two months.

It’s been a big year for Dylan and Cate, who also got married just before moving into their first home. They’re now enjoying living in their dream location, with plans to redo the extension in the coming years!