Eclectic, bold and filled with colour: Inside the home of interior design gun Chelsea Hing

It’s generally the case that an interior designer’s own residence yields unparalleled insights into their personal style – and the subject of this week’s column is no exception.

The combined home and studio of Chelsea Hing in Albert Park, just south of Melbourne’s central business district, exemplifies key aspects of the designer’s aesthetic – most notably graphic artworks in bold colours set against a backdrop of white-painted walls.

The vivid greens, reds and pinks of the designer’s art collection serve as a starting point for additional bursts of colour throughout the overall neutral interior.

“One of the strongest elements is the drama of the artwork in the space, which really works in a classic Victorian terraced interior,” says Hing. “They provide the starting point to really play off the colour.”

One of the key pieces of art in the house is a large canvas by Melbourne-based artist Paris Tremayne, featuring a multicoloured starburst pattern intersected by a yellow cross.

This motif is repeated in the weavings of the Moroccan rugs used throughout the interior, while the bright vermillion shade in the painting is picked up in the Tom Dixon coat stand.

Hing describes the Victorian terrace as a place to live and a workspace for clients to visit.

“Clients really love to come into my own personal space, and see how the designer lives,” she says. “Part of it is a bit of a representation of my work.”

The studio is dominated by a large steel and cable chandelier – a 20th century design classic created by Gino Sarfatti for Italian lighting company Flos in 1958 – a much-loved piece that Hing has taken with her from house to house over the years.

In the living room, a classic white sofa and ottoman, paired with white-shuttered windows and pendant light, lend a timeless feel.

The gilt Louis XV-style chairs, a second-hand find on eBay that Hing upholstered in neon-green velvet, lend an unexpected pop of colour, as does the gold lamp (another classic, designed by Vico Magistretti in 1977 for the Italian lighting company Oluce) and the artwork by Minna Gilligan.

“[The interior] really is an eclectic assembly of pieces sourced from various different places. I really like the idea of mixing styles and periods, contemporary and vintage, with strong bold artwork. It works so well in a traditional home,” she says.