Mosey Loves: Chloe Graham and the Pink House

Welcome to the Pink House! Interior designer Chloe Graham has created a home that is every bit as colourful, playful and unapologetic as she is. From its iconic pink exterior to the bold, nostalgic interiors within, Chloe’s Fitzroy North home is a true reflection of her love for colour, creativity and all things a little bit extra.

We caught up with Chloe to chat about her creative upbringing, her love affair with interiors, life at home with her husband Mike, their two boys and three cats, and the inspiration behind her seriously joyful space.

1. What star sign are you? How do you feel it relates to your personality?

I am a gemini, and I honestly feel like my entire personality is based around my star sign. I am super energetic, curious in nature and social. I change my mind like Melbourne's weather, can't stand life feeling stagnant and don't like being controlled or rules in general. Geminis get a bad wrap but I promise we're good people. 

2. What were you like growing up? What were your interests and hobbies?

I was always a bit of a wild child. I am an only child so naturally became a little social butterfly. I loved to play netball and spent most of my time being creative. I was super into millinery, making clothes, shoes and creating art. 

3. How did you become an interior designer? Where did your love affair with interiors begin?

I always had a love for interior design from a very young age. Every birthday I would request something new for my room, whether it was a rainbow chandelier or metallic silver paint to drown my walls in. I actually graduated high school and went to university to study social work. It felt so empty, dark and honestly depressing. I then decided to drop out and enrolled in interior design all on the same day and never looked back.

4. We were lucky enough to come and shoot at the "Pink House". Tell us a bit about this house and how you came to live there.

My husband Mike and I have always loved the inner North, we were renting in Fitzroy before deciding to purchase in Fitzroy North. We were super fresh into our relationship and it felt like the right fit for us to stay local. Pre kids we were party people, you would find us at the local pubs, wine bars or clubs most nights (oops). This house was the perfect hub for our once wild lifestyle.

5. Your home is beautiful. Tell us a bit about how you developed your interior style? And what was the process of turning the house into a home?

I have always been super drawn to colour, I love the impact colour can have on a space, it makes you feel something. I have never walked into a white room and felt inspired therefore I knew this house needed to be a reflection of what I feel like is going on inside my brain.

I feel like pink is the most impactful colour when it comes to interiors, so I lead with this idea as the base of the design. Our first move was to work on the exterior of the house, we wanted it to look like a cosy pink barbie cottage dream home. Everything with the interior followed through naturally from then on. 

6. Where do you draw inspiration from in your work, home and life in general?

I grew up in the late 90's/early 2000's. This was a super colourful time to be alive and I feel like this has always heavily impacted me for drawing inspiration. My home life and work is heavily inspried by this, I feel like visually I still look like I am living in this era too. 

7. Who makes up your home? And where do your family gravitate most to in the home?

I live with my husband Mike and two sons, Salem and Banjo. We also have three cats, Neptune, Jupiter and Queenie. We spend most of our time hanging out in the living room/kitchen. I love to cook, we put some tunes on and spend most our time dancing together.

8. You are a mum to two tiny humans. How has becoming a mum changed the way you view work?

I am! Two very very tiny humans, a freshly 1 year old and a 5 week old baby. Honestly the thought of work right now seems like a foreign concept. My hands are very full, weirdly I didn't think it would be this hard to manage work and children but surprise, it is.

I definitely think about maybe working for myself, as this is not something I have done before, I have always designed for other companies. And as much as I love interiors I am highly considering launching a colourful children's wear brand, stay tuned. 

9. What has been a career highlight for you so far on your journey?

Honestly attempting to sell our Fitzroy North home, the sale didn't quite work out however the home gained a lot of traction. It was the most viewed home in Australia. It lead to a lot of interviews and potential opportunities which is super exciting. It was so nice to see how many people also love colour and then wanted to incorporate it into their own spaces. 

10. How do you fill your creative cup and recharge?

These days it's hard to say, I feel like I am mum 24/7 and being creative and recharging seems to be put on the back burner. These days a glass of wine and scrolling through pinterest planning my next home projects seems to be getting me through haha.

11. What’s your most treasured piece in your home and why?

I have two pieces of art from Billy Lake (@billythebigkidd) and I am so obsessed with them. I adore art and am such a believer in investing in pieces if you can. They are so colourful, super fun, represent girl power and always what it's like to be a bit of a trashy fun girl (basically who I am so they are quite relatable). 

12. What are the specific things you look for when purchasing pieces for your home?

They have to be colourful, inspiring and I need to be able to stare at them and feel like they are not just part of the home but part of me. I am very selective with the pieces that come into our home because they need to fit with the existing pieces... they are a part of a total package.

13. And lastly, what is your favourite piece from the Mosey Me range & why? I have a few mosey pieces but my absolute favourite has to be the Flowerbed towel set. I currently have this in my ensuite and I am planning on painting the space to match the towels. I love the contrasting colours and I am a floral girly, they are the ultimate towel. 

Rapid Fire Round

Sunrise or Sunset?  Sunrise.

Ocean or Country?  Country.

Good Movie or Good Book?  Good movie.

Silver or Gold?  Gold.

Salty or Sweet?  Salty.

Pink or Purple?  Pink.

Wine or Cocktail?  Wine.

3 Songs you couldn't live without?  Gods and Monsters by Lana Del Rey, Thank You For The Venom by My Chemical Romance & Love Is Like Oxygen by Sweet.

Who’s the one person dead or alive you would want to have dinner with given the opportunity?!  Freddie Mercury, he loved cats and has big friendly diva energy, what more could you want.

Read more about the Pink House here.