At home with Elise Boreham

Elise Boreham is a photographer, stylist and visual merchandiser based in Melbourne. She brings a distinctively minimalist visual language to her work. The compositions she creates are paired back and often feature simple shapes alongside natural textures and forms. We admire her ability to balance minimalism with interiors that are both warm and human.

Elise lives with her partner Alex in a one bedroom apartment in the inner city suburb of Kensington. Their apartment is brightly lit and full of beautiful textures and objects. We love how she layers multiple shades of timber to create a sense of warmth and cohesion. We caught up with her recently to talk about her treasured collection of ceramics, her obsession with rearranging her home and her experience of lockdown in a compact, open plan apartment.

‘Our place is quite new. In fact I think we were the first ones to move in. It’s open plan so everything is essentially in one big living space. It was interesting in lockdown!

I was at home, and Alex was working full time, from home. It was a bit tricky sometimes, sharing the space with Zoom meetings and other activities going on. I was lucky because I didn’t have to worry about homeschooling or anything like that. So unlike a lot of other people I had the opportunity to take advantage of the time. So I did plenty of walks and photography and rearranging of the house. Basically, all those lockdown things. I actually got to enjoy that time.’

'I'm always rearranging things and changing the configuration of our place, much to my partner's frustration. That’s my version of ‘me time.'

'I’m a massive homebody. I would happily spend the majority of my time at home if I could. For me, I love the little rituals like sitting down with a cup of tea. As soon as I'm in the door the kettle’s on. And the oil burner is always going in the kitchen.

I've also started dabbling in painting. I’ve been working on a few canvases in an abstract style. We had a lot of blank walls to fill when we moved in. I’ve also developed a bit of an obsession with portable lamps. We’ve gathered a bit of a collection here. They’re great in rentals because of course, you can't control what the power points are so it’s great to see these USB rechargeable ones becoming available. I love them for cozy, warm lighting.

I've got a couple of ceramic pieces and a framed drawing that I really treasure. My uncle is an artist, his name is Shane Kent, he has a ceramics school in Brunswick. My family gave them to me on my 21st birthday. I honestly love the ceramic pieces more every year. The older I get, the more I love them. So whenever I'm rearranging, they're always the first things I reach for.’

‘Our apartment building is right on the Maribyrnong River so we've got some great walking tracks near us. It’s so pretty and I love the way it changes through the seasons. And we’re not far from Macaulay Road in Kensington, it's a really lovely little strip. We’ll often walk up there for a coffee or to get something from the bakery. It has a quiet, village feel even though you’re really only five minutes from the city.’

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Photography and styling by Elise Boreham

Interview and introduction by Amy Snoekstra