Along with her business partner Mel Oliver, Bronwyn Turton has run her boutique Hamilton interior design firm, Turton Oliver, since 2006. They offer a huge range of design services covering new builds, renovations and conceptual planning down to finer details such as bespoke furnishings and custom joinery.
How would you describe your home and style?
My home has a warm, textural, relaxed style and uses mostly natural materials. I want people to walk in and feel instantly comfortable.
What inspires you about living in your region?
The many differing landscapes and skyscapes.
What’s the last thing you bought for your home?
The natural quartz stone for the courtyard. It was our last outdoor space to complete, and the most exciting.
What was one of the memorable first items you bought for your home?
Gizelle, a large statement piece by artist Andrew Barns-Graham that hangs in the passageway.
What’s your favourite room in your house?
My kitchen, as I love to cook, and my library, because I love books. The kitchen is a very generous one, and reminiscent of the large European farmhouse kitchens.
If you were renovating, where would you spend the bulk of your renovation budget?
On a stone benchtop for the kitchen, and on lighting. An island benchtop can set the whole design scheme. As for the lighting, engaging with a lighting designer is well worth any penny spent.
If money was no object, what would you splurge on for your home?
Most definitely an interior designer! Choosing a good interior designer can save the client money and stress. We envisage the spaces with the end result in mind and set about putting together the concepts to make the spaces both beautiful and functional. The end result is always polished.
What would you go budget on?
I wouldn’t. I design the fitout to suit the client’s needs and wishes. Location and architecture are also considered.
You’ve got a day to refresh your house. What do you do?
Replace some soft styling items with new seasonal textures and colours. Add some living plants into the scheme. Consider colours and textures to add more layers into the interior. A floor plant could be the missing ingredient that completes the room, while bringing a new sense of freshness to the decor.
What should every home have?
Love. Always remember to design and furnish your home with the things you love. The perfect home is the not-so-perfect home.
If you could have a ‘house tour’ of any home in the world, whose home would you choose?
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ new home in Los Angeles, which was designed by architects Backen & Gillam. And also Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya, a boutique lodge and giraffe sanctuary set in indigenous forest.
