Home Tour: Inside interior stylist Tina Nettlefold's classic Brighton home

When Tina Nettlefold, interior stylist and T House philanthropist and her husband Barclay Nettlefold, chairman of QMS Media and Supercars Australia, purchased a property in Brighton 21 years ago, they knocked down the existing dwelling and built a new one with InForm Design. 

Customising and doubling the builder’s initial floor plan to make it more spacious for the family of five, was imperative when they moved back to Australia after 12 years of living in Jakarta and Malaysia. 

Modern architectural simplicity has stood the test of time over the decades, but a few renovations have taken place since, including a private study added when the couple’s twins went through VCE in 2010, a gym built above the garage in 2012 for Barclay’s birthday present, bathroom and powder rooms revamped in 2020 and new floorboards added. 

“We never anticipated living in this home as long as we have, but here we are,” says Tina. 

“The renovations over the years were done to suit our growing needs and reflect the modern, classic aesthetic we have always liked.”

The four-bedroom and three-bathroom home includes a self-contained guest house with its own kitchen, which is located as a separate dwelling on the property. It is used as a photographic studio for T House photoshoots and where Tina’s parents stay when they visit from Sydney. The Miami-inspired interiors are every bit intentional with white and turquoise accents and ethereal white curtains. 

All bathrooms are covered in floor-to-ceiling calacatta marble tiles to dial in a classic mood, while floating white cabinetry keeps it modern.

“I wanted to create timeless bathrooms and keep the palette clean and modern,” Tina says. 

A dramatic playfulness drives the aesthetic in the powder room.

“I’ve replaced the Laura Ashley feel I had in there with lots of florals for a more sophisticated and elegant theme,” Tina says. 

“As the bathroom comes off our formal living room, the emphasis is on white and black with a tinge of gold. I’ve used industrial reed glass to divide the toilet and vanity to keep it modern and added a statement chandelier too,” she says.

The interior stylist and mother of three has filled the home with sentimental ornaments – some purchased at vintage stores, crystal glassware from France and dinner plates from Italy. There are many antiquities from time spent in Asia, too – a Buddha from Thailand and a dining room table from Sumatra that’s matched with Regency Distribution chairs.  

“We have a Chinese antique glass cabinet filled with antiquities we have collected through our travels from Greece, Egypt, Portugal and Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam,” Tina says.

A green Greg Natale carpet is instantly eye-catching; it sits beneath a white oval-shaped marble table that was made specifically for Tina. 

From glassware and crystal purchased from Christofle in Paris, fine China from Bernardaud in France and ceramic dinnerware from Italy’s esteemed Vietri, Tina loves mixing high-end with low-end to keep the home feeling lived in and loved.  A favourite artwork by Marshall Williams also hangs in the living room.

“Whether I find things in vintage stores, Kmart or buy higher end, it all adds to the eccentricity of the home, and it’s about how you put it together,” Tina says.  

The master bedroom is majestic and dramatic – pinkish mauve tones and a bespoke bed made in France evokes a French boudoir theme. 

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“I wanted an older style bed and had it painted white and padded in purple. It’s regal, and I am all about creating lusciousness. France is one of my favourite countries, so this room really channels that for me,” Tina says. 

Her T House scented candle range fragrances the home, while a limited-edition bespoke glass vase by Melbourne designer Mark Douglass for T House – and inspired by her chosen charity Lighthouse Foundation – is always brimming with fresh flowers. 

Tina’s dedication to raising money for her other chosen charities, EatUp and RCD Foundation, is her modus operandi. A new candle range is in the pipeline, working with Australian glass artists – with one scented in gardenia as a nod to her wedding bouquet.