The Design Files: Inside the Pascoe Vale home of photographer Lilli Waters

Who: Photographer Lilli Waters and musician Jake Cole

Where: Pascoe Vale, Victoria

What: Two-bedroom art deco rental property

The Pascoe Vale home of photographic artist Lilli Waters and her husband Jake Cole, a musician, is full of character and creative energy. Here, among a jungle of luscious indoor plants and op-shop treasures, Waters’ haunting photographic artworks adorn the walls, alongside paintings and handcrafted objects by family and friends. Waters also has a home studio here, while Cole’s ever-expanding guitar and amp collection slowly commands more floor space.

The house-proud couple have been living in this two-bedroom art deco house for about 18 months.

The pair previously lived in nearby Brunswick West, and were initially a little nervous about venturing into a new suburb.

“We looked at so many houses in the area, and this was the only one we loved,” recalls Waters.

“After a weekend of house inspections, I remember feeling so depressed at the falling-apart shacks we had seen.

“We sent an email to the real estate [agent] begging for them to accept us, and they did.”

The pair wasted no time in making their new surroundings feel like home, establishing a vegie garden, and decorating with a varied mix of furniture, textiles and art.

“We are renting, but we love spending time on making our home a beautiful and warm place to come home to, where we can grow things in our garden, create and make music,” Waters says.

Waters and Cole are also big collectors of local artwork, and have amassed a huge collection of paintings and photographs by talented family and friends.

Among these are works by Waters’ sister Camille Moir-Smith, her mother Mali Moir’s botanical paintings, as well as paintings and prints by Melbourne artists including Bobby Clarke, Sarah Hendy and Lisa Sorgini. Alongside these is an ever-growing collection of op-shop furniture, and a few restored artworks too. “I love finding old things and giving them life again,” says Waters.

“It reminds me of how something abandoned and broken can always be fixed and loved again.”

This couple have created a warm, eclectic, multi-layered home that reflects their many passions – art and photography, music, food and friends.

The Design Files guide to styling a rental

• Carpet, seagrass matting and even cheap lino can be cut to size and finished at the edges.
• Hang artwork using stick-on 3M hooks – surprisingly reliable if you follow the directions carefully, and use two hooks for heavier pieces.
• Lighting can be a huge factor when it comes to making a house feel welcoming – change light coverings to suit your taste, with the help of an electrician where necessary (hold on to old fittings for easy replacement later). If a light fitting can’t be removed, try installing a cheap, oversized paper lamp on top of fixed pendant lights.
• Plant a garden. Nothing says “home sweet home” better than plant life.