Inside the home of Kelly Thompson and restaurateur Christian McCabe

Who: Creative agent Kelly Thompson and restaurateur Christian McCabe

Where: Abbotsford, Melbourne

What: Architecturally designed modernist townhouse

The residents of this cosy, light-wrapped home show what can be achieved in a rental, through mixing the comfort of clutter with clean architectural lines.

Creative agent Kelly Thompson and restaurateur Christian McCabe moved to this modernist three-level townhouse designed by Melbourne architect Robin Williams four years ago.

They were attracted by the height in the upstairs living area, and the diffused light that streams through shutters into the ground-floor level. While unable to make structural alterations to the building, the couple have imbued the place with their unique sense of style, simply by “filling it with things they love”.

This love is evident, in the way Thompson and McCabe have married the architectural characteristics of the space with their distinctive aesthetics.

The golden, timber-clad interiors give the home a warm, nostalgic feel, which the residents have enhanced with carefully selected furniture and artworks. Vintage gold lamps, pink marble side tables, and cascading ferns contrast with the “perfectly square, considered building”.

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The residents describe how they deliberately “mess up” the clarity of the home’s chic modernist aesthetic, with a warm colour palette, inviting textures and pre-loved finds. Thompson has an eagle-eye for secondhand and vintage furniture, and loves the thrill of the hunt.

“The house has clean lines, but we want to clutter it up a bit and want it to be comfortable,” she says.

Another distinctive feature of this home is the way the interior spaces connect to the exterior streetscape. Tall, narrow and framed by giant plane trees, this home has the feeling of an urban tree-house.

Thompson describes the joy of sliding open the windows to have the room open to the treetops. “It’s so nice being high up and watching the trees change with the seasons.”

The Design Files guide to sourcing vintage

With increasing appetites for unique vintage furniture and homewares, finding op-shop treasure isn’t difficult, but finding real treasures requires tenacity .

Kelly Thompson seeks out secondhand stores in outer suburbs.

• Go it alone – taking a companion can lead to feeling rushed. Send a text if you need an outside opinion.
• Join social media swap-and-sell groups, such as My Stuff, Your Stuff – and list what you’re looking for, instead of waiting for it to appear.
• Don’t be afraid to bargain. If you note any imperfections, see if you can get a better price. And if you’re handy, look out for items that just need a sand and polish.