Some people know how to make a rental property feel distinctly ‘them’, and one of these people is Ana Piteira!
The founder of Sueno Communications agency and Reliquia Collective (which encompasses Reliquia Jewellery, Blanca Studio, Valet Studio, Aeyre Home and Respiro) moved into this Coogee home with her husband Jonathan McFarlane three years ago, and it’s been slowly evolving ever since.
‘After moving quite frequently in the last 10 years, we wanted to find somewhere we could feel settled and spend time making our own,’ she explains. ‘It has been a gradual process – it’s never a quick transition – but we continue to dabble and rotate and move things around as part of the process.’
Usually Ana and Jonathan travel regularly for work, but the events of 2020 forced them to slow down and better finesse their living space. In turn, they’ve created an interior scheme full of colour, texture and bold shapes, lending the property a distinct personality, without having to make structural changes.
The furniture edit includes a balanced mix of statement designer and vintage pieces, the latter of which Ana enjoys playing with, and recreating as her own. ‘I’m particularly drawn to interiors from the 1970s at the moment, so I have taken bits here and there to sit alongside our collection of pieces,’ she says. Current favourite pieces include the vintage Italian sphere and black poodle lamps!
For Ana this is a ‘joyous space of dinner parties, lazy evenings, and slow weekends with family and friends.’ Her favourite feature is the elevated position of the home, looking out over treetops, and the abundance of natural light, that streams in through skylights and glass doors throughout the home. ‘It makes us feel like we are in our own little world, tucked up in a private tree house,’ says Ana. ‘We even get ocean views when the tree sheds its leaves in winter, which makes the scene even more special.’
Vintage poodle lamp. Throw by Slowdown Studio. Chair by Sarah Ellison. Mirror by Life Interiors. Market prints by Astrid Wilson. Framed artwork by Christopher Zanko. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Ana Piteira at home. Dress from Blanca Studio. Prints by Adam Bryce. Chair by Sarah Ellison. Shell cushion from Tamar Mogendorff. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Chair and coffee table by Sarah Ellison. Mirror by Life Interiors. Market prints by Astrid Wilson. Framed artwork by Christopher Zanko. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Chair by Sarah Ellison. Artwork prints by Adam Bryce. Shell cushion from Tamar Mogendorff. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Chair table by Sarah Ellison. Tray, coasters and scented candle from Aeyre Home. Incense by Dutchie. Small white vessel by Alana Wilson. Textured candles by Black Blaze. Vintage bananas. Stool was a DIY lockdown project inspired by Flex Mami. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
P0ly Designs console is custom made in Melbourne. They also made the display cubes that Ana uses in the Reliquia store. Sinatra scented candle, taper candles and incense from Aeyre Home. Incense holder from Maison Balzac. Vintage candlesticks and glass bowls. The vintage Italian lamp is one of Ana’s favourite pieces! Posters by Food For Everyone. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Chair by Sarah Ellison. P0ly Designs console. Vintage Italian lamp. Homemade stool. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Sinatra scented candle, taper candles and incense from Aeyre Home. Incense holder from Maison Balzac. Vintage candlesticks and glass bowls. P0ly Designs console. Vintage Italian lamp. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Side table from West Elm. Vintage vase and tea set. Candlesticks from Aeyre Home. White dish by an unknown Japanese ceramicist. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Table and chairs from West Elm. Candlesticks from Aeyre Home. Tablecloth from Etsy. Large artworks by Klara Laba. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Table and chairs from West Elm. Candlesticks from Aeyre Home. Tablecloth from Etsy. Large artworks by Klara Laba. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Lamp from West Elm. Candlestick from a museum in Athens. Dish by Mosser Glass from Coming Soon NY. Side table by Future Collective. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
Lamp from West Elm. Candlestick from a museum in Athens. Dish by Mosser Glass from Coming Soon NY. Artwork by Sisters Village. Side table by Future Collective. Photo – Jacqui Turk for The Design Files. Styling – Jono Fleming.
