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Home Tour: Designer Tracie Ellis

This home is so gorgeous, I simply must share it as I wrap up a week's worth of posts on decor8! It's definitely moody, inviting, warm and very stylish for sure. Owned by Tracie Ellis of the brand, AURA, her country home in Victoria’s Kyneton, Australia, is a real stunner. Especially if you're a fan of grays and blues and a home that feels like a very sophisticated take on Sherlock Holmes. Maybe actor Benedict Cumberbatch (as Sherlock on the BBC) could live here? (And by the way, are you a fan of Sherlock because I totally am...) Anyway, I digress. Let's look at Tracie's fab home, shall we? I also interviewed her for this piece, so you can follow along below to learn more about Tracie and what inspired this space! Unknown-1

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Okay, now that we've had time to drool over her lovely home, let's talk to Tracie a little about it.

What do you do for a living? TE: I am the creative director for AURA by Tracie Ellis

Tell us more about your company? TE: AURA is an uninhibited, stylish range of homewares; including bedlinen, cushions, throws and rugs. Designed in Melbourne, Australia and inspired by years of global meandering, AURA is about extravagant colour, grand shapes and daring patterns.

What do you love about your home the most? TE: The space & the proportions – when we first viewed the house I remember my husband being quite taken aback from the grandness of it all. But now we have created a family house that is warm and inviting. I love that when I arrive I relax straightaway, I don’t do that in the city. I also love my garden, we have a fabulous Veggie Garden & the most beautiful roses.

What are some of the favorite pieces in your home? TE: The lighting, we have a mix of traditional crystal chandeliers, that where in the house when we brought it, and I have added a Dutch brass chandelier in the entrance hall, the stunning Dutch style glass lanterns, and industrial lighting. Also the Portrait in the Lounge room, titled the Academic by an unnamed artist and The Thonet no.16 Settee in the entrance hall. What makes a house a home in your opinion? TE: The family and friends who share your space and the love that is there.

How would you define your personal style? TE: Elegant, with a modern relaxed aesthetic.

How long did it take you to get your home to where it is today? TE: It took us 9 months to paint and decorate the house, and we still aren’t finished it is a work in process.

When you begin designing a room, where do you begin and why? TE: When we began designing the house I made mood boards for each room & the exterior. I don’t think you can do a project without mood boards. I had too many ideas, so I called on my friend and interior designer Amanda Lynn, who helped me turn my ideas into reality.

When was your house built and how many rooms do you have? TE: The house was built in 1857 and has 12 rooms – happy to send you a floor plan if of interest?

Who lives in this space? Spouse? Kids? Pets? TE: Myself, my husband David and our spoilt miniature Schnauzer, Max.

Tell us how to mix in color in small doses in neutral spaces… You do it so well with the ottoman, old books, cushions. Etc. Any tricks of the trade? TE: I’m a colour person, always have been, the colours we have used in the house have been inspired by Belgium interiors. All from the same neutral based palette, we have used tones of the same colour through the house, in and out (all wall paint is from Resene). While we have used quite strong colours in our scheme, it is not overwhelming, and each room flows into the next. We have been able to mix old and new in the same space through light and colour, by using traditional serene colours I believe we have been able to add a feeling of another time to the space.

So decor8 readers, do you have a favorite nook in her home? I really LOVE the rustic, inviting living room and that Thonet settee in the hallway because I've always wanted one to pair with my white round table in my workspace.

(images: aura home)