Homes

An Ultra Stylish Rented Family Home, That Brings A Little NYC Glam to Melbourne

Interior designer Tali Roth has a knack for turning rental properties into lived-in homes. She’s only done it four times in the past seven years…!

The first of Tali’s three homes were in Manhattan, but the fourth is in Melbourne, where Tali recently returned with her husband, Marcus Jankie, and children Phoenix (5) and Romeo (20 months).

This Caulfield North house was actually built by Tali’s grandma in the ‘90s – who very sadly passed away when the family were in quarantine upon returning to Australia – and subsequently was graciously offered to Tali and family as a rental while they resettled in Melbourne. 

Through decoration alone (mostly with pieces shipped from the U.S. in a 40-foot container!), Tali has managed to make the home feel lived in and loved, in mere months.

Written
by
Lucy Feagins
Supported by Dulux

Custom marble and steel dining table designed by the tenant, interior designer Tali Roth. Painting by Rhys Lee. Plastered candelabra from Bourgeois Boheme Atelier. Rudolph Wolf vintage dining chairs from 1960 re-upholstered in olive mohair. Mario Milano chairs. Brass pendant by De La Espada. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Custom marble and steel dining table designed by Tali. Painting by Rhys Lee. Plastered candelabra from Bourgeois Boheme Atelier. Rudolph Wolf vintage dining chairs from 1960 reupholstered in olive mohair. Mario Milano chairs. Brass pendant by De La Espada. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Tali in front of her epic lounge room salon wall! Sofa from Croft House LA. Crystal From Crystal World gifted by Tali’s dad. Vintage Constantin side table. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Lounge room goals! French lamps by Dominique Pouchain. Lina Bo Bardi leather chairs. Ash NYC steel arched stool. Judith Wright face art and Adam Pyett bottle brush oil painting from Sophie Gannon Gallery. Robert Malherbe via Contemporary Editions. Luke Chisewell skateboard art from Tappan Collective. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Judith Wright face art and Adam Pyett bottle brush oil painting from Sophie Gannon Gallery. Robert Malherbe via Contemporary Editions. Luke Chisewell skateboard art from Tappan Collective. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Vintage Pierre Paulin groovy chair. Sculpture by Kristiina Haataja from Curatorial and Co. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Mirror from Inventory by Rachel. Face vase by Atelier MVM. White vase by John BornCrystal World crystal gifted to Tali by her dad. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Travertine vintage table. Cane dining chairs from Phantom Hands. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Moebe brass mask hooks from Finnish Design StorePaul Davies painting from Olsen Gruin NYC. Gustavo Bittencourt bench. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Tall vessel from NY ceramicist Danny Kaplan. White sculpture by Fitzhugh Karol from Uprise. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Vintage brutalist black bar from 60s. Vintage Ardex Minoux lamp. Katarina Wells sculpture from Curatorial+Co. Stools from Jayson Home NYC. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

A Gufram cactus and vintage mushroom chair from 1stDibs. Vintage French coffee table. Glass ‘Yumemiru’ sculpture by Amanda Dziedzic.  ‘Sahara‘ Rug in natural from Armadillo & Co. Ash NYC pillow chair. Photograph by Christopher Makos. Ardeux Minoux ‘Style’ chair from Inventory by Rachel. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Vintage French coffee table. Glass ‘Yumemiru’ sculpture by Amanda Dziedzic. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Tali’s mums childhood desk and chair in pink laminate. Snoopy lamp. Murano glass vase. Atley and Co leather tissue box. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Brown velvet and white piped bed by Heatherly Designs. ‘Proportions of Stone’ side table by Sisan Lee. Gatton lamp from FLOS USA. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli

Slim Aarons photograph. Vintage oil painting from Chairish. Bzippy planter and a home made wooden top transformed into a side table. Ferm Living tiger rug.  Vintage chair from Etsy that has been reupholstered a couple of times! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The kids rooms are filled with brighter art, soft furnishings and plush toys. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
9th of February 2021

2020 (and 2021) was not a good time to be in New York City. 

With up to 6300 cases of COVID-19 recorded daily in the city alone, and travel made near impossible, interior designer Tali Roth decided to permanently return to Melbourne alongside her husband, property developer Marcus Jankie, and children Phoenix (5) years, and Romeo (20 months).

Before the move, Tali lived in New York for seven years, where she established her interior design studio. (Have a look at her practice’s stunning former Flatiron Building office!) 

Tali and Marcus lived in various rental properties whilst in NYC, developing a knack for establishing temporary spaces with style and heart. (Tali does note, however, that renting culture in NYC is very different, affording tenants more flexibility and autonomy over their home. ‘It’s completely acceptable to hang all of your art and paint a few walls,’ she says.)

When the family were quarantining in Sydney, Tali’s grandmother in Melbourne very sadly passed away. When the family completed quarantine and finally returned to Melbourne, the house was offered to Tali and her family to rent while they settled back in to Melbourne. 

The Caulfield North house was actually commissioned by Tali’s grandmother in 1999, where she had lived ever since. ‘She wanted to create a home that was easy for a single elderly woman to live in, so it’s one level with generous living spaces, and heaps of storage,’ Tali says. 

Thanks to her grandma’s initial vision, Tali hasn’t needed to make any changes to the property since moving in. Rather, the designer has simply styled the space with treasured pieces collected over many years – all of which recently arrived from the U.S. in a 40-foot shipping container!

‘We are lucky that we had lots of existing pieces, that when we brought them into the space, completely brought the home to life!’ Tali says. ‘When that GIANT container arrived in December, we were ecstatic and a tad overwhelmed… Once we placed all of our furniture [however], it certainly made this house into a home.’ 

Tali’s favourite items are the armchairs, artworks and lights that have instantly elevated the space. ‘I also snuck a few new pieces into the container for good measure, like the terrazzo vintage coffee table and the Pillow Chair by ASH NYC,’ she says. ‘Aren’t panic purchases the best!?’  

It just goes to show – collecting pieces you love is always a worthy investment, and goes a long way to making you feel at home, no matter where you hang your hat!

If you love Tali’s style as much as we do, make an appointment at her new interiors practice in Windsor! 

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