Home Tour: Inside Rachel Donath’s Curated & Calm Caulfield North Home

As one of Australia’s most in-demand furniture designers, Rachel Donath has carved a successful career out of her curated collection of timeless antiques and contemporary classics. 

And it’s a vision that has trickled down into her own personal passion project, too — with the interiors queen recently putting her trademark touch throughout her gorgeous Caulfield North home in Melbourne. 

OLD WORD MEETS NEW

Embracing the old aspects of her original heritage-listed double-fronted Edwardian home, which is more than 120 years old, while injecting purposeful new additions was a very conscious choice for Rachel. 

“We have kept the facade of the original home intact and have also retained the front bedrooms with their beautiful high ceilings, ornate fireplaces, and generous proportions. I love that the house is a mix of old and new and I like to think that the ‘new’ has been sensitively added, flowing from the original homestead instead of looking like a brand-new addition,” Rachel explains.

Rachel and her husband Michael, who share four children, renovated their home in 2021 before Rachel got to work on the styling aspects. 

“We added two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a rumpus room, and also extended our living area and kitchen to make these areas more spacious,” she says.

A SLOW BURN

For Rachel, the styling process was a slow, behind-the-scenes burn with the Melbourne-based creative admitting she’s a measured and thoughtful curator. 

“Many pieces in my home have been collected over the years and have finally found their space. Every piece that I add is precious to me, and there is nothing in my home that I don't love. I prefer empty space and white walls compared to second best. I’d rather wait for the perfect piece," she admits of her strategy. 

CHILD'S PLAY

The couple’s home also manages to nail the perfect balance of curated and stylish while still feeling homely and practical for their four children.

Rachel is a firm believer that you can indeed have ‘grown-up’ pieces alongside little ones. It’s an incredibly refreshing approach and one that no doubt will inspire other families to give that cream couch a go.

“Life is for living and to me, living has to mean living beautifully. I love to surround myself with beautiful pieces and refuse to turn my house into a plastic playroom while my kids are young,” she says. 

“I think there is great value in raising children around collectible design and artworks, introducing them to concepts like taking pride in your space, appreciating art and sculpture, and living with pieces that aren’t disposable, quality pieces that are timeless and need to be treated gently and respectfully.”

ZONING OUT

The home has been broken up into designated zones with an upstairs rumpus room for the kids to play and more adult spaces downstairs. 

“It’s a little less precious and a lot messier than the rest of the house! I have used colour quite intentionally throughout the homes’ zones, focusing on colourful artworks upstairs where the vibe is higher energy with the kids playing and running around,” Rachel notes of the rumpus room. 

Reflecting on the result, Rachel says she loves the calm, minimal, and detail-focused aesthetic of her home.

“I feel like I have created a beautiful grown-up space with timeless, high-quality details and have really listened to my own vision in every aspect of the home.” 

PROJECT CREDITS

Interior design and styling: Rachel Donath @racheldonath_
Build: JT Dodd @jtdodd
Photography: Elise Scott @elisescott.studio
Architect: Elements of Home @elements_of_home
Words: Bella Brennan @bellarosebrennan
Home of: Rachel Donath, husband Michael, and children Toby, 13, Luca, 10, Hamish, six, and Grace, three

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