Melbourne Houzz Tour: A Decorator's Christmas in the Suburbs
Eucalyptus blue and soft copper tones make for a special Christmas in this 1950s Aussie home
What does an Australian Christmas in the suburbs look like? For interior decorator Sophie Kost of My Beautiful Abode, it features a nature-inspired colour palette, a handmade wreath and Christmas tree decorations taken from her prop cupboard. Her decorating style has been influenced by growing up as a farm girl … both in the familiar colour palette she’s pulled from nature, and the practicality of the pieces chosen, taking into consideration budget and how the pieces will be used.
Kost loves transforming her clients’ homes with beautiful and practical solutions that work within their tastes and budget. When it comes to celebrating Christmas with her husband, Michael, and their sons she takes those same principles to her own 1950s suburban brick home in Melbourne’s east to make it feel festive and stylish.
Kost loves transforming her clients’ homes with beautiful and practical solutions that work within their tastes and budget. When it comes to celebrating Christmas with her husband, Michael, and their sons she takes those same principles to her own 1950s suburban brick home in Melbourne’s east to make it feel festive and stylish.
Now at the front entrance, the stairs originally came from the side where the driveway is located. “We have recently relocated the stairs to arrive straight up to the front door instead of across from the side … we find this a much friendlier and attractive entrance to the home,” says Kost.
With two young and rambunctious boys, Kost’s furnishing choices have been about durable (and washable) fabrics in rich tones that are timeless as well as warm and friendly. The rug in the living room was chosen as it has a big range of colours, which became the perfect complement for a growing cushion collection.
The smell of a real Christmas tree brings back happy childhood memories for Kost. While the symmetry of a fake tree is alluring to the eye of a designer, the nostalgia the real tree evokes is just too hard to resist. The first of December marks the day for the family to decorate the tree. “The kids always have an opportunity to help decorate … most often with creations made at school as the month rolls on,” she says.
Kost loves how the brown paper packaging of the presents ties in with the raffia and jute used in the styling through the room.
Kost loves how the brown paper packaging of the presents ties in with the raffia and jute used in the styling through the room.
The ribbons on the tree are from the decorator’s props cupboard (she finds ribbons versatile when styling), the raffia/red ornaments are from Ikea and the glass baubles are from a trade supplier. The Christmas tree also features German Browne Kuchen (Kost’s grandmother’s Christmas biscuits) – a crisp biscuit perfect for hanging as tree decorations.
Since moving in, there have been evolutions to the design. The main living space, which was previously four small rooms, allows for seamless indoor/outdoor living for the family.
Leftover Browne Kuchen cookies are a perfect snack to leave out with a glass of milk for Santa.
“My Christmas style, for a long time, has been ‘kindergarten chic’ … lots of glitter and paper craft in the form of homemade creations,” Kost says. This year she has combined eucalyptus blue and soft copper tones to bring out the organic textures and layers she loves.
There are many precious and sentimental objects around the home. “These metal trunks were used by Michael’s ancestor when immigrating to Australia from Ireland,” Kost says. The camels were collected by her grandfather when he was in Egypt during the Second World War, and were given to Kost before he passed away. The timber sphere was made by her father-in-law who is a keen wood turner.
When they had their new kitchen done eight years ago, the couple also had built-in cabinetry made for the length of the living/dining room. “The cabinetry flows on from the kitchen and acts as general storage, bar, buffet and entertainment unit,” says Kost.
The family’s favourite room in the house is the dining/living area, where they all hang out together. “With two young boys, the design choices have been practical,” Kost says. “It’s no mistake that our dining table has a rustic finish!”
‘Swimmer’ photograph: Lisa Atkinson
‘Swimmer’ photograph: Lisa Atkinson
Christmas lunch is always for family; this year that will be an intimate group of six. On Christmas morning, they open gifts from Santa before breakfast. Late morning, the pudding is put on the stove to start warming up while the lunchtime feast is prepared. This year, they’ll be having an entree of prawns, followed by roast turkey and baked ham with traditional roast vegetables. Dessert is always plum puddings with lashings of custard and cream.
“The big sliding doors that open into the garden are opened wide and the kids run in and out playing with their new Christmas toys. Perfect,” says Kost. Christmas Day afternoon is all about a cheeky nap (for some) and a relaxed evening at home, usually snuggled on the sofa while their boys watch a Disney movie.
“The big sliding doors that open into the garden are opened wide and the kids run in and out playing with their new Christmas toys. Perfect,” says Kost. Christmas Day afternoon is all about a cheeky nap (for some) and a relaxed evening at home, usually snuggled on the sofa while their boys watch a Disney movie.
The dining table has been set with crisp white china and napkins that have been layered against the rattan placemats, boughs of gum, leucadendron and wisps of copper lights. Again, this is incorporating the contrast of crisp shiny surfaces with the natural and organic.
Kost bought these gift tags at the school Christmas fair. They were handmade from clay by a school mum. “I love the details and the imperfections of handcraft,” she says.
From the foliage on the blinds in the kitchen to the sage green curtains and the bottle green sofas in the living room, Kost says the colour green “links the living and entertaining rooms together without trying to be ‘matchy-matchy’.”
When renovating the kitchen, the Kosts relocated the fridge to make for a better work triangle and longer expanses of kitchen countertop. “One of the first design choices I made when we moved in was to put up these Roman blinds with the bold floral design,” she says.
“We have a Shelf Elf named Johnno (named by the kids!),” says Kost. “My youngest son loves to have chats with Johnno, reporting in on how good he has been and how wonderful he thinks the elf is (and Santa too).”
The main bedroom is elevated and faces the street with a pair of east-facing corner windows. “The morning light that pours in to the room makes the mantelpiece my favourite place to create vignettes for styling and photographing,” Kost says.
I found this print at Forman Picture Framing from their in-house collection. The image reminds me of a family holiday to Palm Springs earlier this year.
From room to room, there is a subtle colour theme of green running through the house, such as the grey/greens of the slate hearth in the master bedroom.
This room belongs to Peter. “Both boys love Star Wars and these Studio Cockatoo prints are simply fun. The quilts in the boys rooms were stitched by Michael’s mother,” Kost says.
This is Matthew’s room. “He wanted a sea theme in his room, so I brought in paintings of the seaside that were painted by his great grandfather and his grandmother (my mum). I grew up near Port Campbell, so the coastal views have further significance to me,” says Kost. Her parents still live just out of Port Campbell and she feels lucky to be able to visit them regularly, but the paintings are another way to have them be a part of their family home.
Outside, a large undercover entertaining space is the family’s outdoor dining area, where they enjoy their gorgeous yard.
As well as a family of four humans, they also have four ISA Brown chickens (Shovel Feet, Peck-a-chu, Mrs Brown and Princess Layer) who keep them stocked with eggs and eat the chicken-friendly food scraps. “Our girls are welcomed to free range (but not into our vegetable patch!),” says Kost.
Sophie and her family love their little eco-friendly brood of chickens, including Princess Layer seen here.
“My husband and I love our garden (I do the designing and he does the hard labour!) and turned our backyard from mainly a sloped lawn to the terraced cut flower garden it is today,” Kost says.
Their garden makeover has also included the beautiful brick retaining walls, expertly built by Kost’s father.
“Since moving into the house, my husband (a chemical engineer) has also become an avid brewer of beer,” Kost says. “The garage has been claimed as the ‘brewery’ and parts of the garden currently boast healthy crops of hops, which luckily for me, are an attractive vine that we hope will cast more shade over our deck in the depths of summer.”
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“Since moving into the house, my husband (a chemical engineer) has also become an avid brewer of beer,” Kost says. “The garage has been claimed as the ‘brewery’ and parts of the garden currently boast healthy crops of hops, which luckily for me, are an attractive vine that we hope will cast more shade over our deck in the depths of summer.”
TELL US
What do you like best about this beautiful yet durable family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here: Sophie Kost, 39, Michael Kost, 41, and their sons Matthew, 9, and Peter, 7
Where: Burwood, Victoria
Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
When guests reach the front door of the home, they’re greeted by a very Australian Christmas wreath, which was handmade by Kost using a combination of leaves, native flowers, hessian and some Christmas decorations.
Kost and her husband bought the 1950s yellow brick home over 13 years ago. “On our first inspection, I knew this was going to be my home, despite the house needing a few practical layout changes to make it more ‘liveable’,” she says. The most notable change in the renovation was the flipping of the living areas to the back of the house, which allows them to enjoy the beautiful outdoor spaces they have created and gives more privacy.