The creative duo bringing back mid-century decor

Domestic Fantasies is the type of place where you can pick up a pair of Italian-made polished wood and brass cranes for the good room. Or bag yourself a set of International Klein Blue velveteen bedside drawers from the ’70s. If you’ve had your eye on a lipstick mirror in the style of Roger Lecal, the chances of taking one home are pretty high.

There’s chrome and lucite aplenty on the floor. And a smattering of (the good) vintage Ikea. Locals Courtney DeWitt and Corine Auzou are to thank for this St Kilda showroom: a boldly hued treasure trove of mid-century and post-modern design housed in a grand architectural icon that’s been around since the 1800s.

Housed inside St Kilda architectural icon The George, the showroom indulges mid-century and post-modern design devotees with retro luxe furniture, lighting and decor.

“Maximalist, Eurocentric and democratic” – this is how the duo describe their store. A space for customers to indulge deep decor desires and nerd out over Marcel Breuer chrome-framed armchairs, Eero Saarinen tulip chairs poised on pedestals, or perfectly restored Eames loungers.

Where the world of antiques was once stuffy and inaccessible to many, Instagram accounts and spaces like Domestic Fantasies have revived interest in the irony, irreverence and eclecticism that dominated the mid-to-late 20th century. It’s something of a swift slap in the face to the homogenised grey minimalism that’s become the go-to in our modern age of fast furniture and flat packs.

DeWitt conceived the idea for Domestic Fantasies during her own home renovation. With a background in film and media, and a CV that includes tenures at Vice and trend forecasting agency WGSN, she has always had an interest in design. “That’s when I sort of went turbo. My kitchen is orange – which is the brand colour – I’ve got an orange Smeg fridge, a few Kartell pieces and a Guzzini trolley in there,” she says.

The bold citrus hue that accents both DeWitt’s home and the shop floor speaks to a renewed thirst for playful and idiosyncratic design that has driven the “grandmillennial” and ’70s revival interior trends. You might have noticed the resurgence of avocado green kitchens and dining tables laid with just the right amount of chintz. Rich browns, deep mustards and dreamy blues have become favourites in living rooms again. And bathroom renovations feel less clinical than ever as organic textures and earthy materials take over. Basically, the strategy is to decorate like a worldly grandma’s lounge room with a dose of self-aware style.

For Auzou, the magic in a space really comes from lighting; she cites a Venini Murano glass shade and Bocci lamp as two favourite pieces in her home. “I’m very into shapes that look organic or feel planetary. I like to honour craftsmanship and things that people just don’t do any more, especially with glass and mirrors or anything done by hand,” she says.

“They bring me joy, but they also finish the room.”

In April, the lease at The George became available as part of Renew Australia’s Fitzroy Street project. This is when Auzou came on board as a partner, bringing her background in visual arts, retail and fashion-buying to the team.

First built in 1857, the space on Fitzroy Street is part Renaissance Revival style, part classical grandeur. Originally named the Terminus Hotel, the heritage site has also been known as The Seaview Hotel, which came to house iconic music venue Crystal Ballroom.

DeWitt and Auzou happily moved into the home of St Kilda’s legendary post-punk scene, where show bills included local acts like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Rowland S Howard and Dead Can Dance, plus interstate and overseas bands INXS, Midnight Oil, the Go-Betweens, Iggy Pop, the Cure, and Echo & the Bunnymen.

“St Kilda is filled with creative heads – and it always has been. Artists, musicians and writers have always gravitated to the area,” DeWitt says. “The neighbourhood was also the original hub for vintage furniture in Melbourne and people were really happy when we opened. They had a lot of nostalgia for shops that used to be in the area.”

Enzo, the showroom’s resident Italian greyhound, keeps an eye on things. His current preferred perch is a sunny spot on a blue velvet modular sofa. “He’s a St Kilda icon,” DeWitt laughs.

The proprietors – both St Kilda locals – admit that deciding whether to sell or keep certain items is sometimes the hardest part of the job. “Nothing stays in here for very long. The showroom is always changing because some things are only on the floor for a couple of hours or a few days and then they’re gone,” DeWitt says.

The thrill of finding potentially one-off items is coupled with the agony of parting with pieces the duo might never see again. And while there are some things they become emotionally attached to (and sometimes purchase for themselves), there is trust in the process that something equally good or better is just around the corner. “There are things that we buy as store fixtures that we end up selling because people will keep coming back and asking, ‘Can I have it?’ until they wear us down,” DeWitt says.

For a more hands-on service, the Domestic Fantasies team offers custom sourcing, home visits and interior styling services outside of the showroom. They draw on a network of collectors, as well as visits to estate sales and auctions, to find envy-inducing pieces. Most of the stock is hunted and gathered within Australia, but some specialist items (including lighting) are sourced overseas.

“People really like when pieces have their own history and story,” Auzou says. “Depending on where [an item] comes from, sometimes we know a bit of the background and the story of the people who previously owned it.”

While some pieces arrive in mint condition, others need a little bit of love put in before they go on sale. “Restoration projects depend on what the piece calls for,” Auzou explains. “Sometimes we’re looking at glass replacements, metal polishing, reupholstering or rebuilding using salvaged parts. Our passionate collaborator [and chandelier specialist] David Young has a wealth of knowledge and is primarily responsible for restoring and hanging many of our truly stunning Italian and German lighting pieces.”

Quality is something that marks all these pieces of furniture and home decor. And while design purists wouldn’t be caught mixing the two, Auzou has no problem with a high-low blend of old and new. “You can have a few killer pieces and then you can mix in other things as well. It’s what brings personality to a space,” she says. This cherry-picked approach takes time, but it’s worth it in the long run. “It’s a process. We like people to live with the things they’ve got and slowly build up their space to make sure they really love it.”

This article first appeared in Domain Review, in partnership with Broadsheet.