Rental diaries: Inside the 'serotonin-inducing' CBD apartment of TikTok creators Wallyparton

• Who: Trent Bartlett and Jemma Alyce, aka Wallyparton
• Where: A two-bedroom apartment in Melbourne, Victoria
• Rent: $600 a week

When Trent Bartlett and Jemma Alyce moved to Melbourne in early 2021, they wanted to live right in the centre of the action – the CBD. “We wanted to put ourselves in the thick of it to let us explore,” Bartlett says. “But also, coming from Adelaide, we were used to our commutes taking no longer than 15 minutes.” 

Both have rented multiple properties previously, but never a high-rise apartment with views across the city skyline. “Jemma and I shared a romanticised idea of living in a high-rise building together. It feels like you’re a part of something bigger,” Bartlett says. 

Alyce adds, “Having lived in quiet old Adelaide our whole lives, the buzz of city living was the welcomed change of pace we were looking for.”

The couple were still living in Adelaide when they began searching for a Melbourne property to rent. While COVID-19 restrictions meant some virtual inspections were necessary, Alyce and Bartlett learned meeting agents in person provided the best chance of success. “We missed out on a few properties we were really interested in simply because we couldn’t get over to inspect,” Bartlett says. 

Alyce and Bartlett booked a trip to Melbourne to inspect 10 properties over one weekend. Most places were uninspiring, until the discovery of a large two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment near Southern Cross station. This property listing had evaded their initial searches until Bartlett narrowed the search parameters to include “views” and “spacious” as keywords. “I started finding apartments that had been buried by more recent listings,” he says.

Bartlett and Alyce were taken with the apartment’s layout, generous open-plan living area, easily personalised neutral interiors and natural light. “Those floor-to-ceiling windows won our heart over pretty quickly; they’re definitely a key feature of this property,” says Alyce. “Nothing had grabbed us the way this place did when we first walked through the door.”

Within two weeks of that inspection, the couple found themselves in their newly rented apartment, eating takeaway on camping chairs around a cardboard box serving as a makeshift dining table.

Bartlett and Alyce are the first to admit they’re not interior designers – they’re simply drawn to items that inspire joy. Bartlett explains, “Our approach to interiors is asking, ‘Do we like it? Does it make us happy? Do we have a space for it in the house?’ If the answer is yes to all those things, we’ll get it.”

In the past, they gravitated towards a more minimalist style, whereas their home today is eccentric, eclectic and maximalist. “I’m sure if you ask us again in a few years’ time our taste will have evolved and changed again. Decorating is too fun to ever stop doing,” says Alyce. 

It’s a philosophy that’s struck a chord, with over 100,000 people following the couple’s decorating journey on TikTok under the name @wallyparton. Their bio reads, “Two homeware lovers without a clue what we’re doing.”

Commenters frequently describe Bartlett and Alyce’s home as “serotonin inducing” with its wacky items reminiscent of a Nickelodeon set. It also serves as a welcome reminder there are no rules when it comes to decorating. 

“We want our house to feel fun and exciting when people walk through the door – something that not everyone has – and I think we’ve achieved it, for us at least,” says Alyce. 

Wallyparton’s most popular TikTok documenting the creation of a four-legged planter wearing Converse sneakers exemplifies this approach to home styling. It’s one of many unexpected statement pieces in the home showcasing bold shapes, wild colour combinations and clashing patterns. 

“Splurge” items include replica Bold Chairs (originally designed by Big-Game for Moustache) made from steel and sponge, and a Coco Republic dining table. 

Inspiration for Bartlett and Alyce’s styling is often drawn from their TikTok followers who share their enthusiasm for colour and out-of-the-ordinary finds. 

Alyce says, “Our house doesn’t look like everyone else’s house, so whether people like our style or hate it, it’s different from what the mainstream would normally see, which is what makes it interesting.”

Bartlett adds, “It’s fun to look at our house now and think, ‘Wow, we’ve created a space that we both love that is unique to us.’”