Home Tour: Bohemian Charm Infiltrates this Barwon Heads Terrace

One of the more tried and tested ways of opening up a space in a home is to opt for an all-white colour palette. However, interior stylist Julia Green of Greenhouse Interiors is a firm believer that colour can work just as well, if not better, to make a room feel bigger.

Julia worked closely with a family of three to update their all-white, open-plan kitchen, dining and living in the coastal town of Barwon Heads, Victoria. While the stylist admits the space already had great bones with high ceilings, plenty of natural light, and bohemian overtures, the overall vision was to transform it into a colourful and welcoming oasis.

“We wanted to make it feel less like a holiday rental and more like a welcoming family home,” Julia explains.

A Journey into Colour

Enter the gorgeous Journey palette from Dulux’s 2024 Colour Forecast, which was Julia’s secret weapon for this undertaking.

“The Journey palette was the perfect source of inspiration for this space, with endless mid-tonal hues to select from. Yellow-greens, rich reds, plums and blues are all key to this palette, which takes influence from travel, cultural differences and bohemian charm,” Julia says.

The first decision the team made was to use Dulux Lilac Light as a neutral shade for the walls and ceilings. “It’s an adaptable colour that will easily allow for the introduction of other colour and styling changes over time,” the stylist notes.

“We then worked through some more bold Journey palette colours, such as Dulux Swedish Blue and Dulux Carmen, referenced through custom-made furniture and décor pieces to create a cohesive look and feel for the home,” she adds.

While the thought of leaning into colour may be daunting to many, Julia has a few game-changing tips from this project that will help anyone wanting to dabble in it for their next home glow-up.

“Keeping the majority of the space to neutral, mid-tone colours and then injecting bright bursts of bold colour was key in this interior transformation. Adding colour through elements such as the dining table and furniture allowed for soft, natural light to seep in and make the home feel larger than it is,” she shares.

“If you are lacking colour confidence, then opt to introduce paint in small amounts and live in the space to see how it makes you feel before completing the entirety of the space,” she recommends.

Around the World

Another note of inspiration for this project was the client’s love of travel and adventure. This was something the space needed to reflect and a briefing note front of mind for Julia.

“We wanted to show influences from travel and cultural differences. This transformation celebrates the art of storytelling, where mythical iconography and cherished folk aesthetics find their rightful place, adding layers of depth and colour to the space,” Julia says.

A Touch of Fun

Texture also played a significant role in helping complement the Journey colour palette with Julia introducing fun tassels, woven fabrics, colourful handmade vessels and wicker lighting fixtures to inject extra excitement into the home.

“The fabric choice for the banquette seating was particularly special, as I love the way it acts as a contrast to the soft Dulux Lilac Light colour that we selected for the walls. I also think that our client’s eclectic art choices show extra personality,” she muses.

Reflecting on the refreshed space, Julia says the homeowners have fallen back in love with the room and it’s become the beating heart of their home.

“The end result of this transformation reveals a cohesive, open-plan space bursting with colour and texture that intrigues the viewer and cocoons them in warmth. Colour is emotive. And the goal is to make people feel good wherever it is they experience it,” Julia beams.

PROJECT CREDITS

Styling: Julia Green, Greenhouse Interiors @greenhouseinteriors

Photographer: Armelle Habib @armellehabib

Colours: Dulux Colour Forecast 2024, Journey palette

Words: Bella Brennan @bellarosebrennan

Loved our home tour of this Barwon Heads terrace and want to keep perving some of the most stylish places going around? Take a tour of Black Diamond in Mosman, then check out this Curl Curl living room, which defines laidback luxury.