At Home With Melissa Leong

Melissa Leong is a tastemaker (in more than one sense of the word). You might know her from her work as a television presenter, former Masterchef Australia judge and current judge on Taste of Art, food and travel journalist, radio broadcaster, podcaster or — most recently — author of the memoir Guts. And those are just a few of her credits.

All this to say, Melissa doesn’t shy away from new adventures. She’s on the record stating that she will eat anything once, and she carries that same confidence into her interior styling. The moment you step inside her colourful inner-city Melbourne home, you know exactly who Melissa is.

When we asked Melissa if she identifies as a minimalist or a maximalist, she smirked and gestured around the room — “gee, I don’t think you could tell”. The living room is comfortable, welcoming and filled to the brim with colour.

A burgundy velvet sofa immediately draws the eye. It’s paired with a cobalt blue armchair and accessorised with cushions of various colours and sizes. Melissa tells us that the choice of colour in this room was highly influenced by the artwork that hangs above the sofa — a painting by Sharon Adamson. “I love that it brings a vibrant quality to this space”, she notes.

For a home as playful as Melissa’s, the space feels calm. Shapes are rounded; textures are plush — this is a home where you can feel at ease. Her cats Ghoul and Ghost (maybe the best cat names ever?) definitely get the memo, spending their day wandering between sun patches, keeping a curious eye on us in between their naps.

Melissa’s dining room revolves around a striking green marble dining table. Lined with bentwood chairs, it’s a meeting of classic and modern design that feels at home here. Striped table linen adds touches of warmth and character, with embroidered touches that feel thoughtful (and a little bit nostalgic, Melissa adds). In fact, she’s the first person to style our new table linen collection. A pretty nice debut, if you ask us.

It’s not hard to picture an incredibly cool dinner or aperitivo hour happening around this table. “It’s funny, a lot of people don’t invite me over because they’re nervous about cooking for me”, Melissa mentions, “but I do still feel the pressure when people come over”.

Over in the kitchen, cookbooks and decorative details line the shelves. From elegant glassware to cheeky novelty salt and pepper shakers (and a collection of “ugly” fridge magnets that we were lucky enough to get a full tour of), Melissa’s personality is on full display here. And in a room that’s often thought of as the heart of the home, it couldn’t make more sense for a culinary pro like her.

“I really love this kitchen for many reasons. One of them is that it looks pretty”, she laughs, “but it’s also such a nice combination of different things”. The room is filled with textures — an exposed brick wall, a stone benchtop sitting alongside stainless steel counters. Sleek timber cabinetry grounds the space, with a nod to mid-century modern design.

A collection of tea towels and oven mitts decorate the room, bringing Melissa’s signature pops of colour and pattern to what remains a very practical space. “I love a good tea towel”, she tells us. The importance of a cute tea towel hanging from the oven handle? You don’t have to tell us twice.

A little bit dark and moody, the bathroom should feel like a departure from the light, airy living room. But through clever styling and design choices, the space blends in seamlessly with the rest of the home.

Emerald green tiles catch the sun under a cleverly placed skylight — the only source of natural light in the room. Paired with charcoal walls and a dark wood vanity, the styling embraces the darker space, making it an asset. “I think what’s great is that it’s leaning into it being cosy”, Melissa tells us, “I wish I could take credit for it … but it was pretty perfect when I moved in”.

Despite winning the bathroom lottery, Melissa’s personal touches still shine in this space. Vintage perfume bottles on the vanity, a monstera sprawling out by the bathtub. Patterned bath towels in shades of pink, maroon and pistachio green are dotted throughout the room, adding an extra touch of playfulness (and maybe just a little bit of rebelliousness).

Left to right: Reilly bed cover in burnt orange. Alden Check blanket in multi. Reilly Stripe Duo quilt cover set in chambray. Tami bolster cushion in ebony. Reilly sheet set in burnt orange and pillowcase pair in chambray.

As we walk upstairs into the bedroom, Melissa tells us that it might be her favourite room in the house. And when you walk in, it’s not hard to imagine why. Windows line almost every wall, bringing in natural light from every angle. There’s a small balcony off the side of the room, lined with potted trees — a little oasis that Melissa mentions is perfect for a morning coffee.

For someone with a schedule as busy as Melissa’s, a restful space is non-negotiable. Retractable block-out blinds and a zero-gravity mattress let you know without a doubt that this is the home of someone who takes sleep seriously. “We spend a third of our lives asleep, so I am very opinionated about what I wrap myself in, what I put my face next to”, she tells us.

Colours that typically lean energetic are made comforting through soft textile choices. The bed is made up with cotton chambray sheets in shades of burnt orange and blue — paired with a colourful wool blanket, orange boucle headboard and pink carpet, of course.

This refusal to compromise on personality is everywhere in Melissa’s home — one might say it’s an approach to interior styling that takes Guts — and after seeing Melissa’s fondness for the home she’s created, it’s safe to say it’s working.