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The Mediterranean is a bucket list holiday for most of us; but for Romi Weinberg, it’s part of her daily life.
Tucked away at the end of a secluded driveway in Sydney’s Bellevue Hill, Weinberg’s Mediterranean house is an oasis for her and her two daughters, Bo and Tatum. The eight month renovation brings together elements of Greek, Sicilian, and Spanish interior decor, all with a contemporary touch.
“The house had quite a classical French feel and I wanted to make it a little bit more modern Mediterranean,” Weinberg told Vogue.
Weinberg’s house was inspired by her travels overseas, as well as images she found on Pinterest and Instagram. While the changes are mainly cosmetic, they’ve completely transformed her family home into an exotic retreat that wouldn’t feel out of place in a cliffside property in Santorini or Sicily.
Crisp white interiors also provide the perfect backdrop for vintage wooden furniture and shutters – all of which give Weinberg’s house that subtle holiday vibe, which is elegant and modern at the same time.
“It was really important to me that it didn’t look like a Greek house or a house in Ibiza,” she says. “I wanted it to have all those elements that I love without being too themed.”
Rather than creating a dedicated Mediterranean themed room, Weinberg used subtle touches to bring Mediterranean interior design to life in the property. The kitchen and bathrooms have an irregular tadelakt finish, a Moroccan plaster effect that was lovingly hand painted over four months by Peter Holmes from Tadelakt Sydney.
The front door was also stripped back and left raw, and antique shutters give her house the feeling of a coastal retreat. Weinberg also used a combination of white timber floorboards, tiles, and carpet throughout her house to give it that eclectic, rustic look.
Outdoor spaces are central to Mediterranean house decor, and Weinberg worked with The Hoskings Partnership to give her surrounding gardens a resort-like vibe.
Palms and bougainvillea greet guests at the entranceway, and succulents and cacti add touches of the Mediterranean to Weinberg’s outdoor seating area.
Although the property is filled with Mediterranean design colours and furniture, almost every detail is locally sourced: Weinberg purchased second-hand wooden furniture from The Country Trader, a vintage furniture and homewares store in NSW, as well as African-inspired pieces from Orient House (a nod to her South African background).
Now, Romy Weinberg’s vision is almost complete – and it’s all about taking it slow with the finishing touches.
“You have to take your time, then you can really appreciate each element as it’s added.”
As Weinberg proves, you don’t have to travel far to get that holiday feeling in your home. For more home design ideas inspired by beachside escapes, take a look at our tips to create your own Hamptons-style house here.