Home Tour: Tracie Ellis’ Style Secrets

“This house was built in the 1850s and over the years it’s had various caretakers – at one stage it was even a veterinary clinic!” says Tracie, owner of textiles and homewares brand Aura. “I’ve always dreamt of creating a welcoming country escape and when I walked in here for the first time I knew that I’d found the perfect house.

My husband David and I lovingly restored and redecorated the entire home from top to bottom – pulling out the old thick carpet and painting nearly all the rooms in various tones of grey. We were inspired by the simplicity of modern Belgium interiors, mixed with Southern Indian colonial style.”

Words and styling Ruth Welsby, photography Armelle Habib. 

“The painting in the dining room is called The Academic. I bought it from David Bromley’s auction at his home a while ago. It doesn’t have an artist’s signature and I don’t know anything about it, but I immediately fell in love with it. It was used as the starting point for the colour scheme in this room – the dark dining chairs and teal pendant light all tie in with it. “

The master bedroom is one of my favourite rooms in our home. It used to be the dining room but it makes a much better bedroom. The amazing chandelier was original to the house and we added the modern pendant lights above the bedside tables – the mix of old and new works really well. The colours are all soft and muted, it’s a wonderful room to wake up in.” Bedding by Aura.

I’ve grown in the garden, like onions, garlic and decorative foliage. A friend gave me the small numbered vases from his homewares brand, This Design & Living. I love silver cutlery and have bought quite a bit of it at auctions over the years – I use it every day.”

“When we moved in, we started a vegie garden almost immediately, and then last year I went over to Tasmania to do a preserving course. My brother-in-law has a vineyard in Bendigo and he knows how to preserve too, so now he comes over and we have preserving days.”

“I really love the process of making preserves from vegetables I’ve grown. It’s a great way to connect with nature. We have big cook-ups and invite all the family over to eat the food we’ve grown.”

This pewter jug and cup were passed onto me from my mum. The jug was won by my great-aunt Ivy, who was a badminton champion, and the cup belonged to my great-great-grandpa, who was mayor of South Melbourne. He won it for breeding bulldogs. I like having that sense of family history around me that heirlooms create.”