A Melbourne Terrace With Perfectly Eclectic, Italian-Inspired Interiors

The kitchen is painted in Porter’s Paints Whisk.

The cellar is accessed via the hatch in the floor. Second-hand Marenco Arflex sofa from Curated Spaces recovered in mohair velvet. Alky armchair (far right) by Giancarlo Piretti from CCSS, recovered in Dedar ‘A Soft Place’ fabric from South Pacific Fabric. Forma AML stool (beside coffee table) from Finnish Design Store. Odessa rug in Arborio from Armadillo & Co.

Johansen table from Great Dane. The vase on the table was a flea market find in Paris.

Hallway walls painted in Porter’s Paints Whisk. Arches and baseboards painted in Porter’s Paints Popcorn.

Artwork by Ryan Hoffman from Sophie Gannon Gallery. Charlotte Perriand Applique à Volet Pivotant Plié wall lamp in aluminium from Finnish Design Store. Second-hand Marenco Arflex sofa from Curated Spaces recovered in mohair velvet. Sideboard from The Vault. Custom designed stainless steel coffee table by Tali Roth.

The library. French 18th-century Verdure tapestry from the Vault. Sofa from Maker & Son. Coffee table from Modern Times. Noguchi Akari UF3-Q floor lamp from Finnish Design Store. Acacia rug from Armadillo & Co. Walls painted with Porter’s Paints French Wash in Victoriana.

An antique palladian bookcase from Martin Allen Antiques sits at the other end of the library. Mario Milana Despostura dining chairs. Custom designed dark burl kidney bean desk by Tali Roth, made by Lowe Furniture.

The parlour room/sitting room. Noguchi Akari BB3-33S floor lamp from In Good Company. Second-hand chairs restored with Squiggle fabric from Colefax and Fowler. Walls painted in Porter’s Paints Safari.

Ned Kelly signed print artwork by Sidney Nolan. Shelving painted in Dulux Linseed. Little Petra armchair from Cult.

Noguchi Akari BB3-33S floor lamp from In Good Company. Second-hand chairs restored with Squiggle fabric from Colefax and Fowler. Walls painted in Porter’s Paints Safari.

Main bedroom ensuite. Walls in Venetian plaster.

The main bedroom. Walls in Venetian plaster, in warm beige. Custom bedhead designed by Tali Roth, produced by Heatherly. Ines Stripe Tabouret side table from Worn Store. Skirting boards painted in Dulux Knapsack.

The downstairs bathroom.

The kitchen, living and dining extends out into the garden, designed by Florian Wild.

The owners of this home in Melbourne’s inner-east reached out to Tali Roth in 2021, in hopes of ‘making something’ of their Victorian terrace’s beautiful bones.

‘The house is amazing… but the renovations done by previous owners over the years were daggy and outdated,’ Tali explains.

She was tasked with creating new spaces that were a better reflection of her clients’ personal style, and the property’s 1889 Victorian facade. Being well-travelled, the couple had ‘super sophisticated’ taste and already knew what they liked.

The brief was simply to make the interiors feel ‘elevated and chic’, in addition to furnishing the home from top to bottom.

‘The inspiration came from the house itself. We wanted to embrace the history of the Italianate Victorian terrace while adding modern touches and bringing to light the clients own unique tastes,’ Tali says.

She and the owners looked to their mutual favourite designers, like LA-based Studio Shamshiri, and Italian-born, Paris-based architect Fabrizio Casiragh. These international influences helped influence the eclectic and luxurious feel of the revamped home, which Tali says references both English countryside styling and modern Italian aesthetics.

The open-plan kitchen and living space features timber floors with new painted cabinetry and an enormous marble benchtop, while the bathrooms reveal a ‘calm base’ of travertine. Venetian plaster also brings as an elegant, textural touch throughout.

‘I love the custom cabochon floors we cut using whole slabs of travertine and then lay them piece by piece. There are so many gorgeous hand details in the stone work and in the painting of the cabinetry,’ Tali notes.

‘We went with really timeless materials that could reference both old-world and new. We wanted to lean into the architecture of the space, but also ensure it felt fresh and not too stuffy.’

Another highlight is the library. It has its own distinctive vibe to the rest of the house, thanks the warm pink-washed walls and vintage finds like a golden 18th century tapestry from France and an antique bookcase.

Tali’s expertise in eclectic styling is what ties these unique spaces together, noting ‘the furniture is super special’ in her Victoria House project. It’s made up of equal parts contemporary, vintage and pieces from her clients’ existing collections to create something that’s the perfect balance of intriguing, without being too over the top.

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