A passionate art collector shows off her exuberant style.
![“My doctoral work was on [Spanish surrealist artist] Salvador Dalí, who embraced OTT displays of regal splendour – or baroque nuttiness,” says Shafir. The sculpture of the pink lion is by Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante, and the rug was purchased in Uzbekistan.](https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.119%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/1c206248e7567c42151d4375a31b42abe6759362)
“My doctoral work was on [Spanish surrealist artist] Salvador Dalí, who embraced OTT displays of regal splendour – or baroque nuttiness,” says Shafir. The sculpture of the pink lion is by Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante, and the rug was purchased in Uzbekistan.Credit: Armelle Habib
The home
A three-bedroom 1930s Spanish Mission-style house in Melbourne’s south-east.
Who lives here
Art collector, interior designer and scholar Yvonne Shafir and her cat, Violet.
What I did
“While creating a playful living environment, I teased out references to Mexico, Hollywood and Spain,” says Shafir. “I’ve decorated every surface, vertical and horizontal, hung rosecoloured chandeliers, renovated my ensuite and installed a sauna in the backyard.”
My favourite room
“The ‘Good Room’ because it’s absurdly ornamental and has the greatest concentration of pink content: bold in the velvet sofa, pastel in the velvet chairs, sparkly in the crystal wallpaper and glowy in the neon artwork.”
The ’hood
“I stock up on the chopped liver at Balaclava Deli, which is almost as good as
my late mother’s, and go next door to the social-enterprise cafe, All Things Equal, for a latke Benedict.”
Future plans
“More art! While there’s almost no room left in the inn, the outside beckons.”
Best advice
“Paint one item Yves Klein Blue. Don’t shove everything against the wall. Think of pink as a neutral. Always maintain humour. Revel in the juxtaposition of incongruous tchotchkes [trinkets].”
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