Homes and People That Inspire Us
In our Homes and People That Inspire Us series, we’ll be talking to creators who embody the same values we celebrate at LinenBarn: slow living, environmental consciousness and respect for the planet.
Today we’re talking to Melissa from @styled.by.mel. She’s a creative interior stylist who is currently fulfilling her dream of bringing the Mediterranean style to her Australian home. Melissa started by moving her family from a Queenslander to a home from the 1990s that would be more suited to a Mediterranean renovation and has been enthusiastically diving in ever since, documenting her efforts on her Instagram account. She’s doing as much of the work herself as possible, only bringing in pros for the aspects that require specific expertise, and we love Melissa's great eye for style as well as her focus on sustainability.
 
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Hi Melissa, tell us about yourself.
1. What drives you to do what you do?
My drive comes from my passion for interiors. I would spend hours poring over magazines before social media came along. I often mentally redecorate everything whenever I enter a room and I'm a busy person by nature, so I'm in my element changing things around, wanting to create the perfect space.
2. What inspires you?
I'm inspired by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. People who just give anything a go, learning new skills to unlock their passions and embrace personal growth.
3. Is there a place in the world that you feel most represents who you are?
I haven't travelled extensively, but I have this strong pull towards the Mediterranean. Something about the textures, materials, and timelessness in the architecture there just resonates with me. Then there's the coastlines, food and culture. It's just a feast for the eyes!
4. When you think about ‘home’, what do you think of?
Home, to me, is a place of comfort and family in a space that is calm and relaxing - somewhere you love to return to at each day's end.
 
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5. What do you love most about your home?
The thing I love most about our home is probably the pavilion-style layout of the home, with breezeways connecting the zones, the calming neutral palette of colours and beautiful natural textures that help to create that rustic, organic Mediterranean villa vibe.
6. What one possession do you cherish the most?
My most cherished possession is probably the beautiful Samsara coffee table we picked up from the marketplace. It's all hand crafted with no screws or glue and is a piece of true craftmanship. The timber is perfectly aged, which fits in beautifully with our style.
7. Do you collect anything?
I don't collect anything specific, but I am obsessed with cushions and stools!
8. If you could do so, how would you change the world?
If I could do any job in the world that made a difference, I'd love to be an advocate in some capacity for the safety of children living in unsafe circumstances.
 
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9. How are you consciously practicing sustainability?
I like to think we contribute to sustainability by recycling as much as possible. We have a bio cycle system, which means everything that goes down a drain is recycled and pumped back out onto the gardens. Because of this, we're very conscious of what chemicals go down the drain, so we try to use nontoxic cleaning products. We also rely on rainwater for the house, so we’re quite conscious about water consumption.
I also like re-purposing handcrafted authentic pieces like the coffee table that I mentioned earlier found in the marketplace. I love pieces that come with a history that continues to evolve as it moves from one home to another.
Our family is also conscious about slow fashion, and we prefer textiles that are sustainable, such as linen and hemp.
10. Do you have any family traditions? If so, what?
We're pretty relaxed and don't have any family traditions other than trying to get together annually as the family are all in different states of Australia - however, once we meet, we try to make as many beautiful memories as possible by cooking heart-warming foods, sharing beautiful stories and playing all sorts of games that involve everyone from the eldest person to the youngest.
 
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Don’t forget to check out Melissa’s journey by following her on Instagram at @styled.by.mel. You can tell how much love and care has gone into every little touch throughout her home – and if you look closely, you might just catch a glimpse of LinenBarn’s Natural Beige Linen Quilt Cover Set, Natural Beige Linen Fitted Sheet and Natural Beige Gingham Tea Towel in some of her photos! We love the way our eco-friendly, 100% certified European flax Natural beige Linen bedding fits in with her relaxed Mediterranean vibe, illustrating how adaptable it is to a variety of room styles.
