The Very Special Melbourne Home Of Jason Olive + David Flack
Homes
Walls painted Porter’s Paints White Pepper. Kitchen cabinetry painted Porter’s Paints Timberline. Artedomus Calacatta Viola stone. Custom designed banquette. Cassina Cab Chairs designed by Mario Bellini. Vintage stools. Solid American oak floors. Painting by Travis MacDonald from Niagara Galleries. Sculpture by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran from Sullivan + Strumpf. Plants by Florian Wild.
Vintage kilim rug from Halcyon Lake. King Living sofa. Coco Flip coffee table from Cult. Vintage Nicholas & Alistair side table. Custom designed mild steel credenza. Zaneti outdoor furniture setting. Artworks from left to right by: Dord Burrough from Lon Gallery; Nell from Station Gallery; Lucina Lane from Sarah Cottier Gallery; and Glenn Barkley from Sullivan + Strumpf. Walls painted Porter’s Paints White Pepper. Solid American oak floors.
David Flack and Jason Olive in their Richmond, Melbourne home. Painting by Travis MacDonald from Niagara Galleries.
Walls painted Porter’s Paints White Pepper. Custom designed banquette. Cassina Cab Chairs designed by Mario Bellini. Solid American oak floors. Custom wall light designed by Flack Studio. Painting by Travis MacDonald from Niagara Galleries. Sculpture by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran from Sullivan + Strumpf. Plants by Florian Wild.
Walls painted Porter’s Paints White Pepper. Custom designed banquette. Cassina Cab Chairs designed by Mario Bellini. Painting by Travis MacDonald from Niagara Galleries. Sculpture by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran from Sullivan + Strumpf. Plants by Florian Wild.
Jordan Fleming lamp. Painting by Travis MacDonald from Niagara Galleries. HAY Rice Paper Shade Large from Cult. Painting in foreground by Alexandra Strong. Walls painted Porter’s Paints White Pepper. Kitchen cabintery painted Porter’s Paints Timberline. Artedomus Calacatta Viola stone. Solid American oak floors. Sculpture by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran from Sullivan + Strumpf. Vintage kilim rug from Halcyon Lake. Astra Walker tapware. Bosch appliances. Noble Elements handles.
Kitchen cabintery painted Porter’s Paints Timberline. Artedomus Calacatta Viola stone. Astra Walker tapware. Noble Elements handles. Painting by Travis MacDonald from Niagara Galleries. Stonework by Bluechip Marble & Granite.
Sculpture by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran from Sullivan + Strumpf. Artedomus Calacatta Viola stone. Noble Elements handles.Kitchen cabinetry painted Porter’s Paints Timberline.
Walls painted Porter’s Paints White Pepper. Kitchen cabinetry painted Porter’s Paints Timberline. Artedomus Calacatta Viola stone. Solid American oak floors. Sculpture by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran from Sullivan + Strumpf. Vintage kilim rug from Halcyon Lake. Astra Walker tapware. Bosch appliances. Noble Elements handles.
Vintage Danish chair from Nord. Custom designed stone side table. Akari 24N lamp. Belgian sheer linen curtains made by In Vogue Blinds. Vintage kilim rug from Halcyon Lake. Artwork by Pierre Mukeba from Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. Ceramic by Glenn Barkley from Sullivan + Strumpf. Plants by Florian Wild.
Walls painted Porter’s Paints Donkey Grey. Door painted Dulux Black Caviar. Nepal Armchair by Paola Navone for Baxter. Anibou Stool E60. Vintage lamp. Painting on left by Adam Pyett from Sophie Gannon Gallery. Painting on right by Kaylene Whiskey from Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. Cultiver bed linen.
Original Victorian light. Artedomus Russo Levanto stone. Astra Walker tapware.
Artedomus Russo Levanto stone. Astra Walker tapware. Door painted Dulux Black Caviar. Original Baltic pine flooring. Nepal Armchair by Paola Navone for Baxter. Painting by Adam Pyett from Sophie Gannon Gallery. Flack x Ace Hotel Stool designed by Flack Studio. Mark Tuckey side table. Plants by Florian Wild. Vintage kilim rug from Halcyon Lake. Stonework by Bluechip Marble & Granite.
Life Interiors bed. Cultiver bed linen. Custom designed side table. Artemide Tizio lamp.
Life Interiors bed. Cultiver bed linen. Kristina Dam Studio side table. Flos Parentesi lamp. Artwork by Gregory Hodge from Sullivan + Strumpf. Belgian sheer linen curtains made by In Vogue Blinds.
It’s been almost 10 years since the founding of Flack Studio — the Melbourne-based design practice renowned for their instantly recognisable interiors embodying drama, glamour, and magnetic energy.
The personal home of the studio’s founder and principal David Flack channels this signature style, within an unassuming single-fronted Victorian worker’s cottage in Richmond, Melbourne.
This house was first purchased by David’s partner, Jason Olive, who works as chief marketing officer at Ovarian Cancer Australia.
‘The character and front door appeal of this home was like something I hadn’t seen from other properties I was looking at,’ says Jason. ‘The house is standalone — rather than a terrace — so the abundant light was impressive, as you don’t get this with many homes of this size. I also loved the quiet garden.’
These features were previously added to during a 1990s renovation, that also introduced cathedral ceilings above the kitchen and living space.
All that was needed was a little more personality in the interiors. Enter David Flack!
When David moved into the home last year, he set about designing a renovation. Adding an upper storey was initially discussed, but this idea was eventually scrapped in order to maintain the existing proportions of the home, including its generous ceiling heights, and to prioritise quality of materials.
‘We didn’t want to cut corners,’ explains David. ‘We wanted to keep the beautiful northern light from the clerestory windows that we may have lost in the process of going up, too.’
After deciding to preserve the proportions and general layout of the home, David’s design focused on updating cosmetic elements only. That being said, almost every surface in every room has been touched throughout the project, from the floors to the walls, bench tops, and lighting! The kitchen and bathroom were fully transformed, and a new furniture scheme was also introduced.
‘Jason owned this house for several years. It’s a beautiful house and it was so fun to work on something so personal,’ says David. ‘While I’m not one for words, it was my love letter to him.’
The outcome is a home that feels warm, inviting and ultimately, it feels lived in.
Throughout the space, David has expertly balanced restraint and exuberance, layered understated details with bold design moments, such as the bathroom, which was reimagined as a dark and moody oasis.
‘The over-scaled marble bathing pod is pretty bloody extra. It’s a bit of a pinch me moment when you sit there and think we created this,’ says David.
As you might imagine, Jason and David don’t sit still for very long. The couple recently purchased a new home together, in Brunswick. Stay tuned for an even bigger renovation to come – it’s bound to be another brilliant project!
Jason is nervous…. and David has already conceptualised the whole thing!
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