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Dopamine Delights: Inside A Bold and Beautiful Orange Escape
A love letter to ‘The Colour City’, these colourful, design-forward holiday apartments offer the perfect base from which to explore Orange.
Pip has lived in Orange her whole life. It’s home to her vibrant, joy-filled homewares and clothing store JUMBLED, and adjacent to the charming town of Molong, where Pip and her husband Nick’s first renovated accommodation, Sona Molong, is nestled.
“When the chance arose to purchase a run-down 70s apartment block in town, Pip knew it was an opportunity too good to pass up. The result is BonBon — a celebration of ‘The Colour City’ in all its glory. “We love where we live,” Pip explains, “and it felt only right to turn them into our love letter to colour and to the place we call home.”
While the apartments had great bones, the project was a significant undertaking, comprising five two-storey, two-bedroom spaces to design.
A north-facing orientation set the tone, drawing generous daylight through the apartments and giving each space an immediate sense of openness. From there, the husband-and-wife duo leaned on their community of creatives and tradespeople, a collaboration that became one of the renovation’s most rewarding parts.
Whilst renovating a single property is enough to break even the most seasoned of pros, and with each apartment boasting its own individual personality, Pip and Nick had five times the pressure, which naturally evolved into one of the most challenging parts of the job.
Pip shares, “The sheer number of decisions was definitely a challenge, especially as we wanted each apartment to feel different. One practical solution was using five plastic tubs, one for each apartment, to keep all samples organised, including paint, tiles, stone and textiles. It made it easy to take everything with us to showrooms and ensured we were making the right decisions.”
“Layering texture, colour and pattern was incredibly important. It allowed us to really amplify each apartment’s palette. From tiles and stone to carpet and lighting, every element was chosen to create a cohesive and memorable experience from the moment guests walk through the door.”
— Pip Brett
Thankfully, Nick and Pip weren’t working alone. “We worked with Melbourne-based architecture firm Studio Esteta for the fourth time. Felicity Slattery is my high school best friend, and the three of us work incredibly well together. They developed the initial colour concepts for each apartment, and we built on those ideas from there. Once we started selecting stone and tiles, the process became even more exciting, and each palette evolved right through to the final stages. Art, soft furnishings and objects played a big role, as even a vase or artwork can completely shift how a palette feels.”
For Pip, sourcing art is her bread and butter, so it was back to her community of contacts. “All of the artists I represent created artworks for BonBon, and I collaborated with my great friend Bonnie from Bonnie and Neil to design custom fabric for the bedheads”, she shares.
On working with such vibrant hues, Pip explains, “Layering texture, colour and pattern was incredibly important. It allowed us to really amplify each apartment’s palette. From tiles and stone to carpet and lighting, every element was chosen to create a cohesive and memorable experience from the moment guests walk through the door.”
For anyone looking to work with bold, darker palettes, as seen in BonBon, Pip has one piece of advice: “Contrast is essential. It can’t all be dark, and it can’t all be light. You need a spectrum of tones to create balance and keep the space feeling interesting and playful.”
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She continues, “Go with what you truly love and it will never go out of style. People often underestimate the power of colour and how much it can transform the way we live and feel, especially when they are focused on future resale.”
“Contrast is essential. It can’t all be dark, and it can’t all be light. You need a spectrum of tones to create balance and keep the space feeling interesting and playful.”
— Pip Brett
As for her favourite apartment? “It’s like picking a favourite child, it’s impossible. That said, some were easier to design than others. I naturally gravitate towards pink and green, so I found it more challenging working with blue, beige and teal. In the end, though, they all came together beautifully. It was good to push myself and ensure each apartment felt completely distinct.”
The BonBon apartments in Orange are now open for bookings via bonbonorange.com.au. While you’re in town, be sure to visit JUMBLED’s dynamic flagship at The Sonic on Sale Street — a treasure trove of dopamine-inducing homewares and fashion designed to delight.
Project Credits
Architect: Studio Esteta
Interior Design: @jumbledonline and Studio Esteta
Styling: Pip Brett @jumbledonline and Hayley Millner
Built By: Nick Luelf
Cabinetry: Brennan and Co
Upholstery and Curtains: The Interior Collective
Photography: Nat Spada
Loved touring this gorgeous home and looking for more inspo? Be sure to take a peep at this space, designed with slow living in mind, as well as this blushing pink beauty.
