CULTIVER & Colin King Studio
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DESIGN | Edwardian Family Home
UK-born, Sydney-based Chloe Brookman, co-founder of beloved children's brand Olli Ella, opened the doors of her newly renovated Edwardian family home in Coogee, Australia for CULTIVER. The children's bedroom designs are an ode to joyful experimentation, with whimsical touches and rounded curves - and slightly different elements in each room, from deep rich blue to whimsical wallpaper. In the light-filled kitchen, the floor is clad in 150-year-old Serbian roof tiles that have been repurposed and just off it, under the spiral staircase, is a playful yet sophisticated mashup of reupholstered vintage armchairs and sofas. Take the tour.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?
I am a mother to five children, wife to Charlie (we met when I was 21 at a backgammon tournament and have lived in three countries before settling in Coogee, Sydney) and co-founder of Olli Ella.
What does creativity mean to you and where do you source your inspiration?
I like to think of myself as a creative thinker, I wouldn’t actually describe myself as a creative person in the typical sense (I’m not crafty or particularly artistic at all) but I love to take on challenges and enjoy the process of possibility.
Who lives there?
I live here with my husband Charlie, and our five children, two dogs, a cat, and 9 chickens.
How would you describe the aesthetic of your home?
Our home is playful, there's a lot of color, surprises and fun, but also reserved in a lot of ways. You'll be hard pressed to find many right angles, there’s lots of organic shapes.
Tell us about the renovation process, what design features you wish to incorporate? The garden was an important part of this, tell us about that.
It started with color palettes for each room, and shapes, and just built on from that. I knew I wanted it to feel open and fun, while still keeping cozy, lots of rooms to retreat to so that there is a sense of privacy.
I love our garden so much, we started planting it during the renovation as there was so much rain to take advantage of (which also happened to stall our build a fair bit!). We have 22 fruit trees and 10 veggie gardens. The chickens sit alongside this, and we have a little permaculture setup, it's very rewarding, our little slice of urban paradise.
What architecture and design styles are you inspired by?
Georgian architecture, and am a huge fan of classical, bauhaus and brutalist movements too.
What makes a house feel like a home to you?
Food, family and fun.
“Our home is playful, there's a lot of color, surprises and fun, but also reserved in a lot of ways. You'll be hard pressed to find many right angles, there’s lots of organic shapes.”
What does the term ‘luxury’ mean to you?
A comfortable bed, space, delicious food, love. What more could anyone ask for?
What are your daily rituals?
Making time for gardening, coffee with Charlie, tucking the kids into bed.
