Ever wondered what it's like to live in a space that perfectly blends modern luxury with timeless charm? This week on our Home Life Series we take you behind the scenes of Nicola Rogers' home where she has crafted a dreamy interior that will make you want to redecorate immediately!
From her journey into interior styling to the magic she’s worked on her own home, Nicola shares the story of how she found her perfect space and turned it into something truly special. Whether you're an aspiring designer or simply looking for ways to elevate your own living room, you’ll want to read every word.
Hi Nicola, we’re so excited to be inside your beautiful home today! Can you take us on a little journey and share a little about yourself and how you ended up finding this gorgeous space?
I had been looking for a little while and nothing felt quite right. I had been living in South Yarra for around 8 years and my dream was to be as close as possible to the Botanical Gardens. My sister was the one who eventually found the house online. I went and saw it and was lucky enough to call it home soon after.
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Your portfolio is incredible, and it’s clear you have a deep passion for interior design. Can you take us back to the beginning of your career—how did you get started in interior styling?
My passion for design started with growing up in a creative family. Very early on in my career, I worked at a large multi-disciplinary design company where Interior Styling just didn’t exist - I didn’t know it could be a profession.
I then moved to Melbourne and was fortunate enough to work at one of the top Interior Design studios in Australia where my passion for styling was ignited. I was exposed to a whole new world where furniture, art and objects were considered essential layers to complete the space.
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We're absolutely in love with how you have maintained the original cottage charm, what renovations or structural work have you done to the home, and has it always had this incredible aesthetic?
Whilst the home had great bones, it needed work. I began by re-stumping a couple of rooms, removing oddly placed joinery and cupboards in both the bedrooms and kitchen, sanding the floors to remove the dark stain and reveal light Victorian Ash, adding new carpet to the bedrooms and updating the plumbing.
From there it was fresh paint throughout, new curtains, adding Anna Charlesworth lighting and making some updates to the kitchen. Not one appliance in the home was working… With every decision, I wanted to honour and celebrate the heritage features whilst creating a calm space for modern day living.
After working with some incredible interior designers, what inspired you to go out on your own and open Nicola Rogers? What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the industry, and what advice would you give to anyone looking to follow a similar path?
Design can be a tough industry to break into and work within, particularly for women, so we all need to look out for and support one another. Since going out on my own, it has been the women within the industry who have championed and connected me the most.
Charlotte Perriand first wanted to work with Le Corbusier, he replied “we don’t embroider cushions here” he then went on to hire her a month later after he saw her exhibition. Hopefully we’ve come a long way since then. There are some incredible female designers (like Perriand) who provide a great source of inspiration and helped forge a path for a more diverse, inclusive practice of design.
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What are your favourite features of your home, and what is it about those particular elements that make them stand out to you?
The front veranda has the most beautiful sunny aspect, I often soak up the sunshine there saying hi to friendly neighbours walking by (we have a street WhatsApp group and a street party at the end of the year).
My favourite part of the home is the front room with the majority of the original features like the fireplace, beautiful ceiling details and French doors leading out to the veranda and courtyard.
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For those of us looking for a quick update to our own spaces, what’s one easy way to refresh a room in just minutes?
Adding in a bunch of flowers, greenery or a plant, rearranging some cherished objects or refreshing bed linen.
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