Inside drag queen and TV personality Courtney Act's Bondi apartment

• Who: Drag queen and TV personality Courtney Act
• What: A renovated apartment dubbed the “Periwinkle Palace”
• Where: Bondi, Sydney, NSW

Courtney Act’s Sydney apartment is eclectic, colourful, and larger than life – much like Courtney herself!

Last year, the iconic drag queen and performer moved back to Australia and into her first home. At that time, the apartment was a simple series of empty white spaces, like “a mother of pearl box”, with a beautiful view of nearby Bondi Beach and headlands.

“I didn’t have any furniture as I had moved from overseas, so I needed to start from scratch,” Act says. “And I knew that I wanted a drag room, fit for a queen.”

But the real catalyst behind this renovation was Act’s comment on an Instagram post by furniture brand, Sarah Ellison. She shared that she’d fallen in love with one of their luxurious sofas and its retro-inspired silhouette, reminiscent of the sunken lounges and conversation pits of the 1970s.

It didn’t take long for this comment to quickly evolve into a collaboration between Act and the Sarah Ellison team, who helped select the furniture and with the apartment’s redesign, turning the home into a “periwinkle palace”.

“It started with the brown-chocolate velvet Float sofa, and everything went from there,” Act says. The surrounding interiors complement its rich chocolate hue with various shades of Courtney’s favourite colour – purple – using lavender, periwinkle, and hints of gold.

“We covered almost every surface and brought warmth in with new oak flooring, textured seagrass wallpapers and linen drapes in a warm oatmeal tone that really make the space feel like a warm embrace,” Sarah Ellison co-founder and chief executive Leigh McKeown says.

The addition of a custom-made boucle banquette created a functional corner to showcase Act’s whimsical objects and bold artworks. But Act says the sparkling, crown jewel of the two-bedroom abode is her drag room.

“Most people would have made the largest room their master bedroom, but I actually made it the drag room,” Act adds. It’s part walk-in wardrobe, dressing room, and YouTube studio, featuring walls lined with wigs, an enviable shoe collection, and a colourful wardrobe most can only dream of.

Courtney describes the completed apartment as her own tongue-in-cheek take on the traditional “bachelor pad”.

How to add flair

No matter your style, the key to making a home special is to add layers and details that are unique to you.

Banish white

Colour lends so much personality to a home. Look for ways to add unexpected colour. If not an entire wall, consider bold colour on cabinet doors and hardware, tiles and splash backs, bedlinen, rugs and soft furnishings.

Art and artefacts

Display souvenirs, vintage finds and treasured heirlooms on open shelves and surfaces, don’t hide them away.

Feature lighting

Feature lighting is the “jewellery” of interior decoration, the finishing touch, so to speak. Look for vintage pendant lamps, or classic table and free-standing lamps to add character to a space.

Forget about resale value

Obsessing over resale value is paralysing, and prohibits the personalisation of a space. Be bold and make design and decorating decisions that are meaningful to you.