Maria Thattil's renovated Melbourne home 'feels like an oasis'

At 31, Maria Thattil has already achieved more than most. In 2020, she was crowned Miss Universe Australia and has gone on to publish her first book, Unbounded. She is an award-winning TedX speaker, a regular columnist for several outlets, including 9Honey, and is an avid campaigner for diversity, gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights.

But it was another dream come true when Thattil bought her first home in Melbourne, thanks to advice from her late grandmother.

“She really impressed upon us the importance of buying a home, and it made sense to me that I would do that one day,” says Thattil. 

“My family went through a period of financial hardship and we did lose the family home. It felt like a dream to be able to do this as a single woman at the time, and I would have made her proud.”

Thattil worked with a buyer’s advocate and trusted her gut when she inspected the property. She immediately fell in love with the two-storey terrace, which was built in the ’90s and required renovation but was structurally sound.  

“I was drawn to the house on the day I went to inspect it,” says Thattil. 

“I absolutely loved the natural light in the home, and could also see the city from the upstairs balcony. That in itself gave me a great feeling that I had found the perfect place to call my own.”

She engaged Dosse Studio for all the interior design work, a no-brainer for Thattil, who was keen to work with a woman of colour who ran her own business. 

“I discussed my vision with Dosse founder Jem Juthamat, and her team helped create mood boards of ideas for me.

“I wanted the home to have a calming energy about it and my vision was for a clean and tranquil colour palette that set the tone, while my artwork and other pieces bring in my personality and some colour,” Thattil says. 

Two bathrooms and old carpet were removed, and the existing kitchen was replaced to modernise the home and suit her design brief. 

“The aim was to create more space with the renovation,” says Thattil.

As you walk down the home’s entryway, you’re welcomed by the kitchen, with its large curved island bench and open-plan living and dining space.

There’s an abundance of earthy tones throughout, from oatmeal and terracotta to beige and creams.

“I wanted that feeling like you’re in a relaxing oasis when you open the door,” says Thattil.

 “My life is so busy, and continues to be, that I need home to be an expression of a quieter zone where I can [recuperate].”

Pops of colour in the living and dining zone bring personality to the neutral space: a jade-coloured coffee table from Trit House, a bright pink side table and a large neon pink-framed artwork from House of Orange. However, the talking point in the living area is a commissioned piece by sculptural artist HenryK inspired by her skin tone.

“A lot of the work I do is advocating for body diversity and fighting racism,” Thattil says. 

“I really wanted this piece by HenryK to be the most prized art in my living room and a reminder to never stop doing what I do. It’s about appreciating my roots and where I come from.”

Upstairs are the main bedroom and en suite, guest bathroom and laundry, and an additional living space-home office. Intentional art choices take centre stage in these spaces, too.

A portrait of a female form by Studio Struttura that hangs above the bed is an ode to Thattil’s warrior spirit.

“I am all about embracing my sexuality and loving my form,” she says.

There’s also a cheeky art piece that comes with a profanity, shattering her mother’s suggestion to add her Roman Catholic influences by way of a picture of The Last Supper. Thattil wasn’t having any of that – opting for a rude awakening instead. 

“The art is irreverent and I like it because I spent years in the corporate world where I felt I had to mould myself in the grey version of what a professional woman needs to be,” she says.

“And being able to forge a career where I am self-employed and built on me challenging these outdated ideas of who we can and can’t be is what matters most. Having this in the home is a reminder to not go changing.”