The home
A new, two-level, three-bedroom semi in Melbourne's bayside area.
Who lives here
Kerri Wallace, co-owner and creative director of Klaylife, a clay-bead lighting and jewellery manufacturer, her husband Luke and their daughter Sloan, who turns two next month.
What we did
"Nothing, other than painting a feature wall in the lounge and kitchen, and wallpapering Sloan's room," says Kerri. "The convenience of living in a brand-new house – where you walk in and everything just works – is a real luxury."
Headphones clamped to her ears, Sloan dances to her dad’s collection of vinyl albums. “I had the shelves custom-made to fit my records,” says Luke. Photo: Armelle Habib
Favourite room
"Sloan's room. It's the right amount of edgy and girly," says Kerri.
“We recently wallpapered a wall in Sloan’s room with ‘Seeds’ wallpaper from Jimmy Cricket – it looks amazing with the two prints by Cat Lee,” says Kerri. Photo: Armelle Habib
The 'hood'
"We love the area," says Kerri. "We're on the cusp of Elsternwick and Elwood, so parks, cafes and the beach are just a walk away."
“Luke found a door on the side of the road, painted it white and added trestle legs,” says Kerri. The Mexican skull print is by Melbourne artist Maurice Golotta. Photo: Armelle Habib
Future plans
"Other than buying a new couch, once Sloan has completed her demolition of the existing one, we will turn our front garden into an entertainment area," says Kerri. "We get the best sunsets and would love to spend more time outside."
Luke, a keen surfer, created a lush garden filled with tropical-style plants, which really ups the ante in the outdoor dining area. Photo: Armelle Habib
Best advice
"A feature wall can take a 'nice room' to the next level," says Kerri. "When we painted the kitchen and lounge wall, it felt like we had a new house."
“I bought this painting by Miranda Skoczek back in 2009,” says Kerri. “It looks incredible against the wall we painted Stormy Blue, a shade by Haymes.” Photo: Armelle Habib