Staging Natasha Skunca’s new rental property for editorial coverage

I met Natasha Skunca at a trade show when she was launching her business, and we hit it off straight away. Australian born Natasha had recently moved back to Melbourne, after 10 years living in London and was full of enthusiasm for her new enterprise. Make me Iconic was set up after Natasha collected lots of stylish souvenirs from the UK and realised there was nothing to buy in Melbourne that represented Australia’s own unique landmarks and icons. She found local artists who helped her design a series of cool mugs, artworks, cushions, tea towels. A wooden tram was the start of a large range of wooden toys, each piece designed to capture the essence of the city, intended for locals and tourists alike.

 I love working with small businesses, so Natasha and I got chatting about how I could create some content and editorial coverage for her. She’d just moved into a spacious rental property, so I suggested styling the interiors, then photographing the house with local photographer James Geer and writing the story. The house was a blank canvas, so I viewed this as a staging job, and set to work sourcing accessories that would make the spaces feel more inviting. I also brought in some furniture pieces, such as wooden stools, side tables and metal outdoor Tolix furniture.

The shoot day was insanely busy, but we worked brilliantly as a team and created some stunning images. I brought a van load of props and Natasha dotted her Make Me Iconic cushions, artwork and accessories around the house. To our amazement the story was bought by both Real Living magazine in Australia and Living Etc in the UK - two of my all-time favourite magazines. The cherry on the cake was when we were told that an image of Natasha standing at the kitchen counter was chosen as the Living Etc and Real Living front covers - a real pinch me moment!

I chose the classic red and white stripy Country Road bowls to tie in with the red kitchen splash back. I sourced most of the crockery and kitchen paraphernalia in these images to fill the surfaces for a more lived in feel. Luscious red tulips spilling out of a vase on the breakfast bar and pretty flowering Viburnum on the dining table help to soften the space too. I created a relaxed breakfast set up with bread, jam, a coffee pot and Make Me Iconic mugs. Natasha’s ‘Candover Street’ sign was a nod to her days living in London.

The laidback feel continues in the living area where I went for relaxed styling to soften the straight lines and hard surfaces. I carried the pops of red through into the living area to echo the red kitchen splash back and tie in with the Make Me Iconic colour palette. The neutral white furniture was the perfect foil for an array of bold red cushions that I’d sourced to co-ordinate with Natasha’s skipping girl cushions and framed Little Aubrey artwork on the wall.  I mixed my ceramics and books with Natasha’s Make Me Iconic mugs on the coffee table. I also added the Globewest round wood side table, wooden tray and Tractor Home cowhide to bring more warmth to the space. I love how Natasha is casually lying on the sofa with magazine in hand, which sets the scene and creates a lazy weekend vibe.

The central courtyard is a real suntrap and the durable sugar gum timber deck is built around a Japanese maple tree. I sourced the Teca stool and Boracay outdoor chair from Globewest. This Make Me Iconic cushion depicts the Nylex Plastics sign, built on top of barley silos in 1961 and is a reminder of Melbourne’s industrial past.

The study was an empty, white space and I added personality and interest with a mix of artwork and splashes of blue. I selected the Nylex Plastics framed print from Make Me Iconic to hang on the wall, along with a couple of other prints that Natasha owned - Barely Legal Queen by James Cauty and a print of Battersea Power Station by Paul Catherall. I sourced the classic black desk lamp and mid-century style, powder blue Eifel Tower chair from Matt Blatt in Melbourne. The desk has been styled with a combination of my Kikki. K storage boxes and some sweet personal touches belonging to Natasha.

Carry on scrolling down to see my ‘Stamped with Style’ feature in Real Living magazine….

Natasha’s favourite spot is the built-in reading nook, where she loves to curl up and read. Here I’ve styled the space with a mix of cushions from The Works - Bed, Bath N Table and Make Me Iconic. The cool blue tones contrast with the warm, rich tones of the spotted-gum timber panelling. The shelves were relatively empty, so I added most of the vases and books to fill the spaces.

I teamed a white powder coated Matt Blatt Tolix table with bright orange Tolix chairs to create an outdoor dining area that popped against the charcoal grey concrete block exterior walls of the house. Here Natasha’s Make Me Iconic Nylex Plastics cushions bring a cool urban edge to the setting.

The bed was really the only item of furniture in this bedroom, so I had free rein to create a cosy, inviting space by introducing some fun elements. The luxurious Ruby Star Traders velvet cushions add a splash of fresh aqua and coral, which I teamed with a co-ordinating throw. The pale oak tones of the sleek Globewest ‘Verve’ lamp table ties in with the quirky Venucci stag head on the wall. Finishing touches include a simple vase of sweet smelling hyacinths, a favourite stack of books and the all-important bedside lamp.