Brahman Perera
Brahman Perera’s signature opulence and inventiveness combine with a soothing sense of serenity in the country home he shares with his husband, restaurateur Jason Jones.
Interior designer Brahman Perera’s life, in a way, has two sides. During the week, he’s immersed in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, helping to cement the city’s reputation as an innovative design capital through his work crafting immersive retail and hospitality spaces, as well as singular commercial and residential projects. But on Friday afternoons, he moves from a cosmopolitan setting to a bucolic one, retreating to Elm Park, a 1.4-hectare property located in rural Victoria. “It’s where I come for calm,” says Perera. “There are certain lessons, post-Covid, that people talked about for a split second and then it was over. But I am interested in holding onto what we learnt. I think that the people I know who are happiest are the ones who learned how to slow down.”
A simple structure that is set within park-like, almost English grounds, the residence is an ideal setting for living at a more measured pace. Only a decade old, the house was built by an architect as his own home – a history that shows in its meticulously crafted details. “The house is actually quite modest. It feels big because it has this quite incredible ‘ballroom’ space.” Two wings contain the compact bedrooms and bathrooms, but it is this large central room that is the beating heart of the home, with enough room to seat a crowd – as well as intimate nooks for when it’s just the two of them – and even space for Jones’s grand piano. “I love the proportions of this house,” Perera says. “It’s the first place where I’ve felt that the piano isn’t dwarfing everything or isn’t pulling focus from everything else.”
The already-generous main room was expanded slightly by removing dividing doors, which formerly defined a study, to create a dining nook – an example of the home’s push and pull between generosity and intimacy. “I’ve always loved the idea of having different rooms for different times of day,” says Perera. “While this house doesn’t have many rooms, this zone is sun-drenched and such a beautiful spot to work in the mornings or have breakfast and read the paper.” Carpeted, painted oxblood red and furnished with a Carrara marble table and upholstered corner banquette, this nook is one of many soul-rejuvenating moments set up throughout the space.
Though one might expect an interior designer of Perera’s calibre to be able to design his own residence in his sleep, he confesses, “I’m not very good at designing for myself. I find it really stressful. I instantly put roadblocks up in my head about what I’m going to do.” In this, Jones was the perfect partner – creative in his own right, but also swift and decisive.
The pair were also aided in completing the project by their vast melange of exquisite objects. Only minimal changes were made to the house – some walls removed, a bit of painting – with most of the couple’s efforts going towards curating and displaying these cherished pieces, many of which have been gathered over years and idled in storage, waiting for the right place to rest. “The house is just for us. I wanted to shape it around our pieces,” says Perera of the multifarious collection, which ranges from sculptural lighting and modern art to vintage Delft vases – “they kind of Elm Park is filled with curated moments, which allow for entertaining a crowd while feeling comfortably intimate when it’s just the couple in residence. look like funeral urns” – and Grecian busts. “I do like to mix and match the mediums,” he continues. Key artworks range from a realist still-life by Billy Gibney – otherwise known as Billy Vanilli – in the dining nook to the cinematic photo portraiture of Marnie Haddad behind the piano.
It’s impossible to pinpoint a single hero piece in the home, but the enormous Barovier&Toso Murano glass chandelier is a top contender. Purchased from a closed restaurant in Melbourne, Jones had to have it – even though they had nowhere to put it at the time. “It’s this gorgeous, pale grass-green glass,” says Perera. “It’s commanding. It makes the room.” Statement lighting is a leitmotif of Perera’s designs, and his own home is no exception; in addition to the chandelier, the space boasts stunning sconces and a “person-height” BMDO floor lamp, fashioned from archival Liberty fabrics. “I love the simplicity of the shape; it feels very architectural in its scale.”
Colour has been used to masterful effect in the home. With a palette daringly anchored in chartreuse, anchored by a seven-by-seven-metre Milk & Sugar rug, touches of turmeric, punches of oxblood red in the dining nook and periwinkle blue in the custom P0ly tiled coffee table, you wouldn’t malign the space by calling it neutral. And yet, the overall effect is remarkably restful. “I think when you have a lot of different pieces, it’s almost easier to play with colour,” muses Perera.
It’s impossible to pinpoint a single hero piece in the home, but the enormous Barovier&Toso Murano glass chandelier is a top contender.
The garden setting helps to balance the design as well. “The place feels quite eclectic – even I think it’s quite eclectic,” he jokes, “but because there’s all of this beautiful natural light and interesting views out to the garden, nothing feels overly heavy or like it’s pulling too much focus, because you’re constantly looking out to moving trees. It somehow feels quite lovely and still quite simple.” The desire for an established garden such as this was a key motivator in purchasing the property. While the couple share a passion for gardening and are happy to put the work in to achieve their vision, it’s a fact of life that trees grow slowly. To be able to enjoy the beauty and humbling presence of fully grown trees, they found a home with them already established.
“The garden is quite regimented,” says Perera. In addition to the towering elms, from which Elm Park takes its name, there are manicured hedges and topiary, sculpturally trained wisteria and a sea of hydrangeas. The interior designer laughs that the garden is a manifestation of their Jane Austen-esque dreams – albeit with an Australian twist. “We’ll take a turn around the garden, as in Pride and Prejudice, inspect the grounds and look for the wombat.”
“The house is just for us. I wanted to shape it around our pieces,” says Perera of the multifarious collection.
Making their own mark on the meticulously planned garden is a delicate process for the duo. “It’s a tricky thing to personalise a garden like this. It takes time, and I don’t want to be in any rush,” says Perera – though the couple have started already, planting a meadow with 3,000 bulbs, putting in an herb-dominated vegetable patch and planning a cutting garden for fresh flowers. “Jason loves it, but I’m trying to mess it up a bit, adding colour and things.”
Whether it’s just the two of them, pottering in the garden or working side-by-side at the dining table, or if they’re entertaining a rambunctious crowd, the magic of the home lies in its warmth and its ineffable sense of intimacy. “It’s amazing to me that it feels cosy when it’s just the two of us and the dogs, and then it still feels fine when there’s 12 friends over. This house has a huge sense of generosity.”
Architecture by Gary George Design Group. Interior design by Brahman Perera.
