Inspired by Studio Ghibli’s film, Spirited Away, Kim Kneipp transforms a Californian bungalow into a soft, layered home that unfolds from morning to dusk.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos LISA COHEN Interior Design & Styling KIM KNEIPP
Softly rendered walls frame the open-plan living space, where existing joinery has been resurfaced and finished with custom brass handles.
The original kitchen was resurfaced, not replaced, and finished with custom brass handles, set against mineral-rich stone and softly rendered walls.
Along the back wall, bespoke joinery with roller doors can be opened to reveal the shelving or closed completely.
The kitchen bench doubles as a place to sit, with open shelving set into the alcove above.
Natural light pours into the space through large windows, which frame the landscape outside.
“With a palette of rendered gentleness, the language of colour and detail is revisited in each room, leading to a meandering sense of discovery and a luxurious invitation to self care.”
Soft limewash covers both walls and ceiling, lending the room a cocooning feel.
Drawing on the landscape outside, the palette softens the architecture and draws the trees into the room.
A custom mirror is set into curved rendered walls in the pastel bathroom, paired with brass tapware and a green vessel sink.
A clawfoot bath sits beneath the window, framed by handmade tiles and brass tapware.
Dip-dyed curtains and layered textures give the master bedroom a calm, sensory feel.
A built-in window seat is tucked into the main bedroom, where the walls are washed in soft pink and peach.
A geometric custom mirror trimmed in gold brings a touch of Hollywood glamour to the bathroom
The work of local makers and artists can be seen throughout the home.
Curved rendered walls, handmade tiles and a dreamy pastel palette shape Dawn To Dusk, a home on the banks of Melbourne’s Merri Creek, reworked by Kim Kneipp for a creative mother and her teenage son.
two-storey postmodern extension had left the house disconnected from its bungalow roots, ‘feeling cold, masculine and strangely voyeuristic (hello glass wall to ensuite!)’, says Kim Kneipp.
Kim was initially brought on to furnish and decorate, but the project quickly expanded to a redesign of every bathroom and the laundry, bespoke joinery, and the curation and styling of the whole home.
The concept took its cue from a much-loved scene in Spirited Away, the 2001 animated film by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, in which a train glides across water as the scenery slowly changes outside the window. Moving through the house follows a similar path, from an eclectic family room to a pastel bathroom, through a calm open-plan living space and up to a main bedroom wrapped in texture as the day winds down.
Soft pinks, peach and sage set the tone, warmed by raw brass, gold trims and mineral-rich stone. Curved walls meet handmade tiles, while dip-dyed curtains and hand-painted wallscapes add an artful, personal layer. A clawfoot bath, a pink backlit mirror and touches of Hollywood glamour bring a sense of indulgence to everyday rituals.
Downstairs, the open-plan living space is calm and serene, while upstairs, the main bedroom is layered in soft, sensory textures.
The work of local makers can be seen in every detail, and sustainability guided the renovation too. Mindful of waste, the kitchen and select wardrobe joinery were resurfaced, not replaced, with the hardware updated to custom brass handles.
Shortlisted for Residential Decoration at the 2024 Australian Interior Design Awards, Dawn To Dusk is a home made to be savoured slowly, with an invitation to pause waiting in every room.
Location: Fitzroy North/ Wurundjeri Country
Interior Design: Kim Kneipp
Build: Frizco Shopfitting
Joinery: Mr Joinery
