My Houzz: Shabby Chic Style Inspires in a Live-Work Studio
Bright white rooms and personal treasures help an interior designer feel at home in her snug space in Australia
Interior designer Jane Brown’s live-work studio sits in the middle of quiet greenery in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill. The designer decorated her rented space to feed her creativity. The abundant natural light and fresh air in the studio away from the bustling Australian city help Brown create her magic.
The studio isn’t big, but Brown amplified the space with an abundance of her favorite color, white, accented with other hues. Smooth walls, terra-cotta floor tiles, a fluffy sheepskin rug and a wooden door add layers of texture to the appealing aesthetic.
Mirrors placed around the studio also help create an illusion that the space is bigger than it really is.
The crisp white bedroom looks out to uninterrupted views of the oak tree that stands tall in the backyard, seen through a tall sliding door.
When it gets too sunny, a bamboo curtain can block the heat without sacrificing the breeze.
When it gets too sunny, a bamboo curtain can block the heat without sacrificing the breeze.
They say that less is more, and Brown has demonstrated this inside her home by creating this comfortable reading corner beside the sliding door, featuring white furniture and accessories paired with a luscious fern. The corner is Brown’s ultimate spot for reading in the afternoon.
A living area between the bedroom and kitchen is where most guests sit when they visit. Brown created her own pillow covers with fabric she purchased on her world travels. Each one tells a story, giving the studio a personal touch.
Brown loves to read and displays this passion by creating a bookshelf out of books. The rows of books have been carefully arranged according to their height, and are stacked on top of one another with a glass panel between each layer.
The bookshelf forms a backdrop for Brown’s dining table, which she also uses as a reading desk.
Design Debate: Should You Use Books for Decoration?
The bookshelf forms a backdrop for Brown’s dining table, which she also uses as a reading desk.
Design Debate: Should You Use Books for Decoration?
The oven in the L-shaped kitchen doubles as storage when it’s not in use.
Brown’s Shabby Chic style carries through to the sunny little deck. The sliding door leading out from the kitchen is the magic gateway to a great breakfast spot in the sun or a space for a client meeting.
Brown shares the backyard with the owners of the house in front of her studio.
Back inside, the bathroom also serves as a laundry. Although space is tight, all the essentials are included with the help of vertical stacking.
Instead of completely blocking the view from the backyard, a semiopaque screen allows the tree outside to cast its shadow, creating a natural artwork on the walls.
Vertical stacking again maximizes the small space without making it feel too cramped.
Vertical stacking again maximizes the small space without making it feel too cramped.
Brown created this makeshift shelf by hanging a secondhand mantelpiece on the back of the bathroom door. This is where she puts on her makeup every day.
Sunlight-flooded white rooms, treasured personal items and smart organization make this studio the ideal creative space for Brown.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Designer Jane Brown
Location: Bellevue Hill, outside Sydney
Size: 538 square feet (50 square meters)
Walking down the stairs to reach Brown’s studio feels like going down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland, as the stunning studio is hidden behind and underneath another property. It is set, somewhat like a granny flat, at the back of the main house, on the same plot of land but detached and private. After reaching the bottom of the stairs, you’re greeted with a tall stool and a hot-pink door mat.