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Having a designer in the family certainly has its perks, especially when it comes to renovating your own home.
Just ask consultant Onochie Obidi and Vivienne Westwood senior designer Sharlene Fleming. The couple had lived overseas for about 17 years before deciding to return home to Sydney, where they purchased an off-the-plan home in an Alexandria apartment building.
It was a clean slate: a three-bedroom property with white walls and oak floors, but ultimately, it lacked any sense of individuality. Luckily, they had Sharlene’s brother, designer, stylist and writer, Jono Fleming on hand to help reimagine and personalise the space.
The vision was to inject character into the ‘blank’ apartment, taking inspiration from the building’s brutalist-style architecture, only with a more homely feel.
‘Even though both Sharlene and Onochie have amazing personal style and incredible taste in fashion, translating that into interiors can be tricky,’ Jono says.
‘It’s easy to look at inspiration images or Pinterest, but finding your own design language — and learning how to bring that into reality — is a completely different process’.
Despite often working with bold colours, Jono leaned into his sister’s love of neutrals for the project, instead using texture and layered materials to create depth.
The biggest transformation came once they painted the walls and ceiling of the living room and main bedroom with a soft lime-wash, which instantly added depth and warmth to the spaces.
‘Sharlene’s mood board also drew from her love of fashion and film, including Blade Runner and Barbarella,’ Jono says.
These edgy sci-fi movies helped set the tone for the home’s moodier elements, like the black-stained timber joinery in the kitchen, hints of chrome, and vintage furniture pieces.
In the open-plan living zone, instead of following convention by orienting the sofa toward the television, Jono arranged it to face eclectic statement chairs and side tables, creating a more ‘conversational’ area that maximised space.
‘This living room layout really changed the energy of the space. It now feels open and welcoming,’ he adds.
The siblings handmade a hotel-like upholstered bedhead for the bedroom, while other personal touches are evident in every corner — shelves showcase ceramics Sharlene has collected from trips to Japan, Jono bought back the Moroccan rug from one of his design tours, and the large featured artwork is by Sharlene’s best friend Magnus Gjoen.
Jono says the refreshed apartment is now ‘a true reflection’ of Sharlene and Onochie, marking their exciting new chapter.
‘It’s been a real bonding experience for us, and a project I’ll always treasure.’
