The Design Files: Inside the fabulous home of interior designer Tigger Hall

Who: Tigger Hall, organiser of Como by Design, and founder of Nine Muses Textiles

What: An atelier adorned with layers of history

Where: Prahran East

Tigger Hall moved into this 1880s Prahran East property in 2012, and spent the following six months renovating the home.

Hall says she took her time sourcing salvaged materials for the building, including old pub doors, a church altar rail and tram light fittings.

It seems appropriate that the celebrated interior designer and founder of Nine Muses Textiles, who has spent a lifetime travelling the world to source materials and inspiration, should renovate her house with the same passion and energy.

“I love the hunt, and pulling the pieces together, I feel it creates a relaxed and eclectic mix,” she says.

These lovingly sourced objects sit alongside a large collection of old family paintings and furniture that Hall has inherited.

Her great-grandfather was the esteemed painter Lindsay Bernard Hall, the longest-serving director of the National Gallery of Victoria. The family legacy is evident throughout the house.

“Everything has a comfortable patina, like diving back into an old book, with so many chapters to the room,” she says.

Hall says her home provides a cocooning sense of being wrapped up in both of her great-grandfathers’ work. (Her other great-grandfather was also an artist of note, Donald Commons.)

The property mixes classic, playful and artistic aesthetics, with travelling flair thrown in for good measure. “Most visitors are so surprised when they first step into the space, often claiming it is a Paris atelier,” Hall says.

The interiors are directly influenced by Hall’s travels to artists’ homes around the globe, including William Morris’ Kelmscott and Monet’s home.

“They all have a sense of freedom in their interiors, a place of one’s own, where authenticity is key,” she says.

“I do feel I have achieved the same in the most natural sense; it is not contrived.”

Hall’s love of tapestries and textiles is evident, as varied textures and colours bring richness to the home.

“To live with treasures and memories is so important,” she says. “It traces our life in a tapestry, threading together family history, treasures and modern-day living.”

Layer up

Melbourne interior designer Tigger Hall encourages others to collect, curate and create layered homes.

Layering is an art form, and there’s a fine line between clutter and decoration. Consider the following:

• Collections should be organised and grouped by style.
• The “salon hang” is an effective way to display a diverse collection of artwork. Start with the largest work as a focal point, and arrange smaller ones around it.
• Textiles are an invaluable finishing touch, lending colour and texture to a room.
• Be discerning with colour. Even though Hall is a “huge fan of colour” in her home, the general palette is neutral, creating a clean backdrop upon which to layer her artwork and collections.