This Melbourne Artist’s Apartment Is the Perfect Canvas for Her Work

How she made the rental feel like home.
Emma Currie in her living room

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Bed Threads founder Genevieve Rosen-Biller takes us inside the homes of Australia’s top designers and creatives. 

After living in the space for just three months, Emma Currie has already made her Melbourne apartment feel like home. Its large windows and bright white walls offer the perfect foundation for her to style a space that feels comfortable and inspiring. 

Her art is full of vibrant, contrasting colors (think: soft, creamy apricots and muted blue), but her home errs on the side of minimalism, full of lush plants, a few accent pieces (like an Oscar Piccolo lamp), and soft gray textiles, on both her bed and her extra-large sofa. Here, Currie shares how she made the rental a space of her own.  

On Creating an Inspiring Environment

Emma Currie painting
Courtesy of Bed Threads

I wanted to keep it clean and simple but still comfortable. I’ve always leaned toward a minimalist style and have purposely kept it light and airy to support relaxation, as well as to inspire productivity. I was drawn to the apartment’s big windows and the fact that it’s close to multiple parks. I’ve learned that natural light and nature are both essential for my mental well-being.

On Comfort Being Key

Living room with gray sofa and plants
Courtesy of Bed Threads

The lounge room is where I unwind and spend time with my partner and our dogs after a big day. It’s my favorite room because it signifies time for myself. Our last place was tiny and we could barely fit a two-seater sofa, so stretching out on our huge couch feels luxurious. I like to watch movies in my downtime, so a big, comfy L-shaped sofa was a must.

On Building a Sanctuary

Bedroom with bed with gray linens
Courtesy of Bed Threads

Having good sleep hygiene is super-important in order for me to function well, so I’ve kept my bedroom simple and uncluttered to allow for the best possible rest. I like to be surrounded by soft colors and wake up to muted light coming through the curtains in the morning. It’s very dreamy and ethereal. It’s all about understanding what you need from a space in order to thrive and then styling the room around that. For me, an uncluttered space means an uncluttered mind, so that’s why I’ve gone for a minimal approach.

On Making a Rental Feel Like Home

Oscar Piccolo lamp
Courtesy of Bed Threads

We’re renting, so unfortunately there’s a limit to what we can do—it’s not our forever home, but we’ve tried to make the place our own as much as possible while we figure out our next move. This year I’d like to start supporting more local artists and makers, so I’m keeping an eye out for paintings, drawings, and objects to complement the space.

Introducing Domino’s new podcast, Design Time, where we explore spaces with meaning. Each week, join editor-in-chief Jessica Romm Perez along with talented creatives and designers from our community to explore how to create a home that tells your story. Listen now and subscribe for new episodes every Thursday.