Restoring period homes is always a joy and an adventure. When social media influencer Carla Salsone moved into her 1920s weatherboard home in Melbourne with her husband and daughter around 8 years prior, she knew it was due for a major renovation.
“The kitchen, laundry, and bathroom were last renovated in the early 2000s, so [they] were outdated and badly designed. Updating these spaces formed part of a whole renovation,” Carla shares.
A weatherboard house is an Australian classic. Introduced in the country in the 1850s, it enjoyed popularity because the weatherboards – overlapping horizontal boards that covered the home’s exterior – were affordable, lightweight, weatherproof, easy to install, and provided excellent insulation. In renovating their family home, Carla made sure to preserve the house’s period features, including the exquisite stained-glass entry and windows.
The Kitchen
A stunning pendant chandelier by Lightning Collective is the centrepiece of this bright and airy kitchen. Carla’s choice of cool white cabinetry combined with the warmth of wicker, wood, and brass materials show that English interiors greatly influenced her. “I took huge inspiration from traditional English kitchens like deVOL Kitchens and Humphrey Munson, and America’s Studio McGee, who, for me, nail a kitchen in terms of design and functionality,” the mom notes.
To break the monochromatic space, Carla opted for natural stone benchtops, brass taps, zellige tiles, and custom shaker-style cabinets. Accents like Armac Martin’s Cotswold Cup Pull and Ball Knob in a burnished brass finish inject warmth and texture into the room.
The Laundry Room
Flowing seamlessly from the kitchen is the beautiful laundry room, which shares the same classic palette as the kitchen, and doubles as a butler’s pantry when the family entertains guests. Burnished brass cabinet knobs – Armac Martin’s Cotswold Ball Knob and Cupboard Latch – and the elegant drying rack provide a striking contrast to the white cabinetry.
The Bathroom
In renovating the bathroom, Carla notes they kept the original footprint but moved the door to extend the shower and keep the toilet out of view from the corridor. They also continued with the marble and brass accents found throughout the house. “I’m thrilled with the result,” she shares.
Adding a vintage feel to this chic bathroom is a 20s-inspired mirror, a nice contrast to the geometric cabinet panelling on the vanity. Carla also opted for a Carrara marble top with a cool blue undertone to complement the Spanish Olive hue of the cabinetry. Brass, wall-mounted taps also matched the Armac Martin Cotswold Ball Knobs in a burnished brass finish, tying the overall look of this aesthetic space to the rest of the rooms in their lovely home.
See the rest of Carla’s weatherboard home by following @casasalsone on Instagram.
Looking for more design inspiration? Check out The Modern Grandeur Aesthetic by Randi Garrett, Classic Country Design with a Twist by Laura Hammett, and A New Way to Do Neutrals by Cella Jane. Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest from Gregory Croxford Living.
