Reupholster, repair and repaint: Tequila Kola founder’s home illustrates her eco-friendly approach to decorating
‘It is crucial to breathe life into old things whenever possible rather than mindlessly throwing them away simply because you want something new,’ says Michelle Koller
What Michelle Koller doesn’t know about decorating with colour probably isn’t worth knowing. The founder and creative director of homeware store Tequila Kola has more than 28 years of furniture-buying experience under her belt.
“Colour is my DNA, it’s my raison d’être,” says American-born Koller, a former fashion designer who has lived in Hong Kong since 1991. “I’ve always been drawn to colour and while I’m occasionally tempted to go neutral I know I’d end up changing it within seconds. I get my flamboyance from my Italian mother but my sense of aesthetics and precision come from my German father [the photographer Robert Koller].”
Koller and her husband, Geoff Fuller, bought their 2,800 sq ft Parkview flat in 2003, then renovated it, opening up the living spaces and turning four bedrooms into three plus a television den-cum-guest room, but they have since changed the decor multiple times. Over the years, the couple and their two now-adult children have entertained a kaleidoscope of colour schemes, from saffron to sea hues, and the once-pale timber flooring has been stained darker with each incarnation.
The inspiration for the flat’s latest look came from a Rajasthani rug made from shredded silk saris that had been unpicked, sorted into colour groups and rewoven by hand on an enormous loom. Koller based her palette on it, picking out orange and raspberry as dominant shades in the living, dining and outdoor areas.
“My favourite colour is red; orange and raspberry are on the same side of the colour wheel,” she says. “Most people wouldn’t put the two together but I’ve never been afraid of mixing unlikely colours and textiles.”
Add to that black-and-white striped walls, reminiscent of an old-fashioned circus tent, a large yin-yang symbol cut into a sliding cupboard door in the entrance and vibrant lime green and deep purple accents for good measure. The vibe is uplifting, quirky and fun.