- Carmel Homes
French Provincial Home Living -Guide to 11 Melbourne Interior Designers
Updated: Feb 12, 2023
While there is a lot involved in designing a home, you do not need to go it alone. Whether you are building or renovating, the assistance of a design professional – like an interior designer – can make a big difference. From helping you choose your finishes to making sure you get the most from your budget, their expertise can be invaluable.
This is particularly true if you have a specific design style, like French Provincial, in mind. Getting such a look right requires great attention to detail and more than a little creativity. And nailing the balance of luxury and comfort can take a deft hand.
Here we take a look at some of the leading interior designers working throughout Melbourne. In this list, we are particularly focusing on those with a good grasp of the French Provincial style. We also explore their experience and approach and how it influences the designs they create.
#1: STUDIOMINT
Sitting right at the top of the market is STUDIOMINT, which specialise in ultra-luxurious designs for residential and commercial spaces. With a team spanning architecture, workspace planning, and interior design, they are a true all-rounder studio. And, thanks to their strong focus on collaboration and consultation, they are known for developing unique, bespoke designs.
While the business may have a broader focus, STUDIOMINT particularly positions themselves as French Provincial specialists. Under the direction of the multi-award-winning Ms Alla DeLion, the team creates rich, intricate designs that ooze class and sophistication. They also place a strong emphasis on choosing materials and furnishing that add both character and functionality.
#2: Ferrari Interiors
Since being founded in 2004, Ferrari Interiors has developed a reputation for delivering practical and affordable residential and commercial designs. But that does not mean that the spaces they create are not super stylish and sophisticated too!
The woman behind Ferrari Interiors, Bernadette Ferrari, has an immaculate design pedigree, coming from a family of renowned furniture makers. Prior to founding the business, she built a name for herself in the fashion world, working for many top labels. Now, she uses this unique combination of practical design knowledge and a deep understanding of personal style to tailor designs to her clients’ requirements.
When it comes to the French Provincial style, Bernadette is well-versed. She regularly posts profiles of properties celebrating this look on her blog. She has even shared a piece outlining her tips for nailing the style and a collection of design inspirations.
#3: Grace Interior Designs
One of the better-known studios in Melbourne, Grace Interior Designs is committed to making great designs more accessible. As they generally work with accommodation and hospitality spaces, they understand the importance of balancing beauty and functionality. They also apply this skill to their residential projects, developing deeply personalised designs that are both stylish and highly liveable.
Grace Interior Designs was established in 2013 by Trish Khourey, who was seeking a change after years in the corporate world. This experience had shown her the significant impact a person’s environment could have on their mood and productivity. It also helped her develop the strong communication and collaboration skills that have served her so well as a designer.
As a big fan of European architecture and design, Trish is particularly adept at nailing these styles. She also has a strong focus on merging more traditional influences with the modern Australian interior design sensibility.
#4: TLC Interiors
The TLC Interiors’ mission statement is very clear – it is all about affordable designer style. As they say, they create real homes for real people, but they still have that gasp-worthy moment or feature. This means a strong focus on liveability and the fundamentals that make an interior design great.
Led by Director Chris Carroll, TLC Interiors has become a big name in interior design, mostly thanks to their blog. Here Chris shares his advice on everything from the latest trends to where to source furniture with over 100,000 monthly readers. He also regularly contributes pieces to other major real estate sites, like news.com.au and realestate.com.au.
And, best of all, there is plenty here for lovers of the French Provincial style. From profiles of projects in this style to tips on creating the look, TLC Interiors provides ample inspiration and advice.
#5: Patrick Meneguzzi Interiors
Based in Richmond, but with work right across the globe, Patrick Meneguzzi Interiors has a truly enviable reputation. Their commitment to creating tailored, personalised designs and focusing on delivering excellence in every detail can be clearly seen in their work. It has also earned them too many awards to name and seen them develop one of the strongest portfolios you will find.
Having been in the design industry for over 20 years, Patrick Meneguzzi Interiors is one of Melbourne’s most experienced studios. Many of their projects combine elements of popular European styles (like French Provincial) with contemporary finishes to create unique modern designs.
#6: Camilla Molders Design
A real residential interiors specialist, Camilla Molders Design works on everything from single room updates to major renovation projects. Taking the lead from their clients, they carefully craft their designs to suit the individual requirements and aspirations. As part of this, they can assist with everything from project planning to furniture selection and final staging.
The business was set up by the eponymous designer Camilla Molders in 2004 and has since gained national recognition. Camilla brings with her over 20 years of design experience and vast knowledge of materials, features, and fixtures. Both her creative spirit and clear understanding of what makes a good design is evident in all of her work.
An extremely versatile designer, Camilla’s work spans an array of styles, pulling on multiple influences to create truly unique spaces. As such, she is extremely adept at marrying traditional French Provincial touches with more contemporary elements.
#7: Alexander Pollock
The Alexander Pollack aesthetic is all about refined luxury, but always with a little bit of a twist. This makes for spaces that are extremely dynamic and exciting and always fun to experience. With experience across a wide range of commercial and residential projects, they have mastered adjusting their look to suit any style.
Led by Founder and Principal Designer Aaron Wong, Alexander Pollock has become a staple of the South Yarra design scene. As he is self-taught, Aaron is extremely flexible in his approach and adjusts his service to suit the client. He is also very well versed in injecting their personality into every single design choice.
While Alexander Pollack is definitely not a French Provincial specialist, influences can be seen in much of their work. Their ethos of marrying traditional sophistication with modern convenience and comfort also rings true to the style.
#8: MR. MITCHELL
The team at MR. MITCHELL firmly believes in the power that great design has to bring people together and create connections. This underpins everything they do and has led them to establish a strong network of contacts across the design industry. From leading artists and renowned craftspeople to hard-working and highly regarded tradies, they all work closely with MR. MITCHELL.
Led by director Andrew Mitchell, the MR. MITCHELL team is a true collaboration, drawing inspiration and insight from many industry professionals. Andrew founded the studio in 2000 with a clear focus on the role relationships play in the design process. Since then, the business has grown to deliver a multitude of designs spanning residential, commercial, and hospitality settings.
#9: Edwina Harris Interior Design
At its core, the French Provincial style is all about seamlessly combining traditional touches with modern comforts. This aligns nicely with the approach of Edwina Harris Interior Design, who have made fitting together contemporary design and tradition their hallmark. This gives their designs a knowing worldliness and more than a touch of eclectic flair.
Founded by Edwina Harris herself, the business benefits from her significant experience and network of industry contacts. Edwina often also pulls pieces and materials from her own collection and combines them with her client’s treasured possessions. This results in spaces that are both thoughtfully designed and truly reflective of those who created them.
#10: My Beautiful Abode
As the name suggests, My Beautiful Abode’s primary goal is to take great houses and transform them into beautiful homes. Working with the unique features of each property – and of each room – they ensure each space is practical and inviting. This helps them create designs that feel true to their location and reflective of the people who live there.
Set up by lead designer Sophie Kost in 2011, My Beautiful Abode places particular focus on how a space feels. Sophie has extensive experience in all elements of design, having worked previously in both retail and wholesale fabric and furniture roles. She also sharpened her skills in a frontline role with another leading interior designer before breaking out on her own.
#11: Moss Melbourne
The Moss Melbourne team believe that beautiful interiors are built in layers that celebrate the past and embrace the future. This gives their designs both a depth and richness and a subtlety that is sensitive to the property’s history. Many of their projects also show off their love of colour and unique textiles and classically contemporary vibe.
Since being founded by Jacquie Pask in 2000, Moss Melbourne has grown into one of the city’s leading boutique interior design studios. Jacquie has since been joined by her former classmate, Anna Lewis, and together they create spaces that are timelessly elegant. Their designs also have a strong focus on liveability, with comfort being the top priority, closely followed by beauty.
Need help pulling your design together?
Whether you are after advice on your interior design or want to discuss the latest design trends, Carmel Home can help. As one of Melbourne’s leading custom builders, we are experts in creating bespoke living spaces that are practical and beautiful. We also provide free design consultations – contact us to book in yours today!
