Meet Aimee Tarulli

Aimee Tarulli is a Melbourne based interior stylist and firm friend of King. She's been styling clients homes and running her own business, Archer Interiors, for just over eight years. She’s also a mum to two beautiful children, and that’s important because while Aimee flatly refuses to compromise on style, she is ruthlessly practical, making sure that the homes she designs and styles work for busy family lifestyles. 

”I describe my style as minimalism with a touch of luxury,” says Aimee. “I like to bring a really sophisticated polished look to a home while still making it very liveable. As you walk through a home, it should take you on a journey.“

Aimee recently styled the formal living room in her home, choosing a selection from the King Collection in a range of natural fabrics and finishes. Aimee applied her signature style and love of layering rich textures and natural materials to create a space that is at once luxurious and relaxed. 

Aimee’s tips for styling a luxe living space 

For Aimee, creating a space starts with careful consideration about what the room is going to be used for. With a formal living space, it's all about creating a room where everyone can relax and enjoy themselves but also feel a little special.  

Aimee uses her expert eye to combine carefully selected designs and luxurious natural materials that achieve that perfect level of casual elegance.  

“I like a formal living room to beckon you in. It needs to be a nice open space with lots of seating options. So if you're having the girls over for a casual drink, this is a really special room to spend time in because all the elements work harmoniously together."    

Start with the sofa 

Furniture selection is key, and it all starts with the anchor piece. For a living space, Aimee always begins with the sofa, as it's usually the largest and most frequently used piece in the room. While she loves the modular design of the King Plaza for her family room, Zaza is Aimee’s pick for a more formal space. 

 

“The Zaza three-seater with its sleek arms and beautifully structured profile gives a formal luxurious look to the room. It doesn't block off any aspects of the room. It keeps everything open."   

And when it comes to size, Aimee's tip is to fill the space; a larger sofa will make the room appear bigger. 

Anchor the room 

Let's talk rugs. Like the sofa, the right rug anchors a room. Aimee chose the Bicheno  rug in Silver and handwoven in 100% Art Silk - it’s safe to say she’s a big fan. 

“I love that silk rug! Bicheno has such a wow factor. Your eyes are instantly drawn to it. It's like a piece of artwork on the floor. And it's just so pretty and soft under your feet. Walking on the rug barefoot is pure luxury."    

When it comes to choosing the right size rug for your room, Aimee again says go large.  

”Choose the largest rug possible that the room can hold. That way, you're maximising the space, and visually, it will make that room feel bigger. Even if you're living in an apartment, and you think - I've only got a small living room - choosing a big rug will naturally make the space feel much bigger.” 

Create a focal point

Aimee fell in love with the Monument Coffee Table  centring it as a focal point in the room and styling the piece with seasonal flowers, unique books and treasured ceramics. 

“One of my favourite pieces in the room is the Monument. A big coffee table grounds the room, and the stone finish gives a real sense of luxury."  

Monument is made from high-performance porcelain ceramic, so not only is it low maintenance but it can also be used outdoors. 

A large rectangular coffee table is also easy to style. As Aimee explains, ”add some books and a candle, and suddenly you've got a stunning coffee table." 

Making space for conversation

A formal living space is where we come together to chat and spend time with each other, so extra seating is essential. Aimee chose a pair of Oliver Tub Chairs  and the Cassia Ottoman , both in Bowen Wool , to complement the Zaza Sofa

“The Oliver Tub Chairs are absolutely stunning in this room, and they swivel so we can create a conversation zone by pointing them back towards the Zaza… and then we've got the long, black Cassia Ottoman sitting against the brick wall, adding interest and more seating options." 

Choosing natural materials 

 

If there’s one point that Aimee is passionate about with all her clients, it’s choosing what you love. And this is especially important when it comes to choosing the materials and finishes in your home.  

“No matter what it is, buy what you love. Don't get so caught up in things like it's going to get dirty because it’s a light colour or it won’t wear well. Throw all that thinking out the window. It shouldn't be a barrier to choosing pieces that you really love. If you do that, you'll end up going through life sacrificing what makes you happy just because they might get dirty!”

It's a great point that's important to keep front of mind when selecting furniture for your home, but as Aimee points out, the trick is to choose the right finish for the specific area. As she explains, "when you're choosing fabrics, focus on how often that piece is going to be used. What might be a great choice for a formal living room might not work for your everyday sofa." 

The same advice applies to rugs. For instance, Aimee loves the Bicheno Rug , but she's mindful of where she places it. It works perfectly in a low traffic area like her formal living space, but because it's handwoven in 100% Art Silk, it may not work as well in the family area. 

Linen

 

When it comes to fabric, Aimee loves linen, "It's one of my favourite fabrics to work with. Linen is tailored and polished but still has that very relaxed, inviting feel." 

When you're choosing linen, it's important to look at the quality. As Aimee points out, opting for heavy linen with a robust weave like Hamilton  will not only achieve that relaxed tailored look but should also wear better, ”The King linen, Hamilton has a nice thick weave, so it should stand up against a bit more wear and tear." 

 

Wool

 

With the ability to keep us warm in winter and cool in summer, wool is one of nature's most extraordinary fibres. For Aimee, bringing a wool fabric into the room is an exciting way to add an unexpected layer of texture that is both sophisticated and inviting. 

 

“I am obsessed with the King Bowen Wool Boucle. It's absolutely stunning. It works beautifully on a smaller piece like the Oliver Tub Chair, and I think it would be amazing on any of the King Beds" 

 

Neutral palette and luxurious textures 

 

Aimee chooses to work with a neutral palette for larger investment pieces adding pops of colour through smaller furniture, cushions and artwork. “As we know, the quality of the King furniture is incredible and will last for years and years,” says Aimee. “Using a neutral palette on your larger pieces means you can add and change colour as you like.” 

The key to achieving Aimee’s luxe style with a neutral palette is working with texture, and nothing adds texture like natural materials. 

“I don't think there's any such thing as too many textures. The more textures we add to a space, the more interesting and visually appealing it becomes. The linen is sleek and polished. The wool adds depth, as does the pop of black wood veneer on the day bed and Issho Side Table. Then we've got the beautiful chunky stone coffee table and the amazing silk rug. There are quite a few elements in the room, but they all work together." 

The rooms’ neutral colour palette is soft and calming and works to bring all the elements of the room together. And Aimee's not afraid to mix neutrals. She works with soft greys, different whites and even the muted green of the Hamilton Linen in Cool Mint.

“Cool Mint is a really interesting colour. Initially, I thought it might be hard to style, but it's very soft, and it goes with a lot of different colours and other textures."  

Aimee’s top tips

   

1. Don't sacrifice style for practicality. Whilst things do need to be practical, always choose pieces that you really love.  

2. When styling a living space, start with the sofa and build the room from there.  

3. For sofas and rugs - go large and fill the space. It will make the room feel bigger. 

4. Keep the larger pieces quite neutral but mix up the textures - add interest through natural materials and finishes. 

5. Use artwork to bring in pops of colour. Then pull out one of the unexpected secondary colours from that artwork and bring it through in a feature piece, like an armchair. 

Aimee’s Edit

 

Zaza Sofa in Hamilton Cool Mint

Monument Coffee Table

Oliver Tub Chair in Natural White

Cassia Ottoman in Bowen Domino

Bicheno Rug in Silver

Issho Side Table