It’s no surprise that The Real Housewives television franchise (and its various spin-offs) has been entertaining viewers for almost 20 years. Since its not-so-humble beginnings as The Real Housewives of Orange County, there have been more than 30 editions produced in the US and internationally. From Athens to Auckland, we’ve been ushered through the large, gilded gates of the world’s most glamorous homes, and witnessed the trials and triumphs of the powerhouse women who live in them.
So, when The Real Housewives of Sydney (RHOS) returned for Season 3 on Binge and Foxtel, many of us were champing at the bit to catch up with the ladies who lunch (and run businesses and raise kids and support charities, ahem). Of course, we couldn’t wait to be invited back into their luxurious houses.
Keen for a closer look? Here’s a round-up of our favourite Real Housewives’ real homes, with a dash of decorating advice from the women themselves.
Nicole O’Neil’s house
In the opening credits of RHOS, former Miss Australia Nicole O’Neil quips, “When you are a classic like me, you don’t need a comeback”. ‘Classic’ is an apt way to describe Nicole’s elegant Eastern Suburbs home, as well. The grand house she shares with her husband, Adam, and daughters Neve and Nawal — both away at college in the US — is a masterclass in timeless, sumptuous decorating. It’s also a comfy and sophisticated workspace; Nicole recently launched her own brand of wearable vitamins, BonPatch.
Originally designed by architect David Phillips with interiors by Meryl Hare, of Hare+Klein, upon moving in Nicole personalised the house with the help of Felton Studio. She added lush Hermes wallpaper to the powder room and hung a glittering Swarovski pendant light over the formal dining table. Nicole’s favourite space is her European kitchen — featuring Wolf appliances — in which she and RHOS cast mates, Victoria Montano and Krissy Marsh, film cooking content for their YouTube channel.
But there’s nothing cookie-cutter about Nicole’s house. “My style has always been about creating a balance of elegance and comfort, with a bit of fun,” she says. “It’s varied slightly depending on the different homes we’ve lived in around the world, but we invested in great-quality key pieces early on, which have moved with us and are pieces we still have today.”
Nicole’s pastel-perfect dining room came together slowly, originally inspired by a multicoloured Limoges dinner set she coveted as a wedding gift. “I had spotted it years earlier in Paris and dreamt one day it would take pride in my dining room,” she recalls. “I then matched the six pastel colours to some linen fabric to create the chairs.” Nicole also pined for the chandelier for years, acquiring it when the family was living in Dubai. “Then, I spotted the gorgeous Rachel Levy hydrangea photographs in a gallery in London and knew they would be perfect.”
With both of her daughters studying overseas, Nicole says the house is much quieter. “I miss hearing music coming from their rooms, the sound of laughter with their friends and the late-night kitchen raids,” she muses. “Our home has always been the place they hang out. The girls’ friends were always welcome to come over, stay for dinner and just chill. That’s exactly how Adam and I always wanted it.”
Nicole laments she doesn’t have space for any more furniture, but she is hoping to grow her art collection. “I can always find a wall or table for some fabulous art,” she says. “At the moment, I’m loving Ebony Russell urns and I’m always on the lookout for a Ken Done artwork. I’m a child of the ’80s, and his work is so reminiscent of my childhood.”
“Your home should reflect who you are. Don’t feel pressured to follow trends — create a space that’s uniquely you, and if that means a splash of colour or an unexpected piece, go for it. It’s your sanctuary! Oh, make sure you like your builder.”
Nicole O’Neil
Victoria Montano’s house
Entrepreneur and mum-of-two Victoria Montano bravely lived in her historic house while it was getting a serious makeover, which she describes as, “hell on earth”.
“I’m married to an accountant, so, yes — we lived in our house while renovating!” says Victoria. And if she and husband Tim, along with their children Xavier and Theodora, put in the swimming pool they’ve been dreaming of, it may happen again. “Renovating can feel never-ending,” she adds.
When Victoria, founder and director of fashion label, Sport Luxe, bought her harbourside Eastern Suburbs home almost a decade ago, it had been updated by interior designer Thomas Hamel, with the landscaping designed by Paul Bangay. Its Mediterranean influence, period details and pink facade caught Victoria’s attention. “It’s easy to find big, luxurious homes in Sydney, but what’s rare is finding a home with charm. That’s what attracted me to this house, and that’s what I love about it.”
Victoria’s family has a property business and styling homes is in her blood, so she deftly redesigned her home’s interiors herself, calling on global influences. “I’m naturally artistic and have a completely creative mind,” she explains. “The interiors were loosely inspired by a hotel I love in Positano; the blend of Italian and Moroccan is unusual, but it worked so well in this house that I couldn’t resist.”
She added “a huge dash of Sydney style” by incorporating white and coral hues and subtle nods to Sydney Harbour. “While I’ve designed rooms here and there for clients, it was nice to let my imagination run free in my own home,” Victoria says. Her plans were executed by In Vogue Kitchens & Joinery, Wynn Build and Simply Stone.
Much of Victoria’s home feels old-worldly, but she’s not obsessed with vintage. “I just like things to be different and original,” she explains. “Plus, I hate anything that looks too new! If you go to any major city outside of Australia, you’ll find areas or streets dedicated to small furniture and design stores — creative, independent spaces that aren’t part of massive businesses. Unfortunately, we don’t really have a market for that here, which makes it difficult for small interior designers to have their own shops and sell unique creations.”
“My tip for renovating: do as much of it yourself as possible. I designed my entire house — every colour, tap, arch, slab of marble. It’s not the biggest, fanciest or most luxurious home, but it’s mine. When someone says, ‘I love your home,’ I wouldn’t feel comfortable citing an interior designer’s name.”
Victoria Montano
Martine Chippendale’s house
As Victoria Montano’s close friend and neighbour, it was only a matter of time before Martine Chippendale joined the Real Housewives of Sydney cast. Her tagline is, ‘My life is a fairytale, but this princess does not need saving,’ and her home? Well, it’s certainly fit for royalty. With sweeping harbour views and a redesign by renowned architect Luigi Rosselli, the Spanish Mission-meets-Hollywood Regency mansion is what dreams are made of.
It was also the childhood home of Stephanie Conley-Buhre, who enlisted Luigi to bring the beloved house into the 21st century after her father passed away. “I wanted to keep the house intact, as it was the place I grew up in, yet make it new and contemporary, more suited to family living,” Stephanie told Belle magazine in 2018. “[Luigi] came up with amazing plans to give the house a new face without destroying it.”
Today, the grand home is Martine and her family’s to enjoy, and the Perth-born mum of two and former HR executive has made some stylish tweaks to its interiors. In her son’s room, she added a blue Ligne Roset sofa and a Ted Baker rug, while a cloud pendant light freshened up the casual dining room. A dynamic Colin Pennock painting, hung above Martine’s bed, reflects the twinkling harbour views out the window. Perhaps this is where she indulges her guilty pleasure: snacking on strawberry Freddos?
Martine revealed on Instagram that she incorporated a Nespresso coffee machine station into her husband, John’s, walk-in robe, so a jolt of caffeine is never far away.
One of Martine’s favourite features is her baby grand piano. “I just started to relearn to play after a long time, my husband [John] is learning,” she told News.com.au. “So special to have this in the home.” As for the item Martine can’t live without? That’s her pug dog, Ernie.
Krissy Marsh’s house
When Krissy Marsh and husband, Johnny, first cast their eyes on this picture-perfect mansion, it had been in the one family for more than 50 years. On a sprawling estate of more than 2300 square metres with a pool, double garage and croquet-style lawn, the 6-bedroom family home was perfect for their three kids, Billy, Nicco and Milana, and four dogs (a puppy has since been added to the brood).
Having lived in a contemporary house nearby in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, as well as in Shanghai, Krissy just had to adjust to the quirks of owning a 100-year-old house. “I’m not a perfectionist by any means, but I like things to work, and I like things to be fixed,” she told Home Beautiful. “I’ve had to relax a little bit on that because with an old home, nothing’s ever perfect.”
Krissy and Johnny, who’s a qualified architect, promptly modernised the house where it was needed. “A lick of paint turned into [Johnny] rewiring the entire house, putting in every audio-visual fandangled thing you can imagine,” says Krissy, who also decorated her digs in hardwearing finishes. “With a house full of dogs and young adults who always have friends over, practicality is key — everything needs to be functional, durable and easy to maintain. That’s why most of my fabrics are external-grade — it just makes life so much easier while still looking great.”
Former real-estate business owner Krissy describes her interiors style as “eclectic and relaxed”. “I like having my things around me; pieces that remind me of places that I’ve lived,” she explains. “I have some beautiful furniture from China that holds a lot of meaning for me. One of my favourite pieces is an antique cabinet with Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) painted on the side of it. I actually climbed Huangshan, so it’s incredibly special.”
Krissy’s art collection is her pride and joy. “I have some stunning pieces from Dina Broadhurst, and from my beautiful friend Dee Smart — who’s a two-time Archibald Prize runner-up,” says Krissy. “Their work brings so much personality and soul to the space.”
While it meets the Marsh family’s needs for now, Krissy plans to futureproof her circa-1920 home. “We’d love it to be our forever home, and we’re looking at extending the house to cater for my aging parents,” reveals Krissy. “We’ve worked with Smart Design Studio to blend the old-style home with a striking new, ultra-modern living area. It’ll include a gym, wellness spaces and new accommodation for the boys.”
“Do not live in the house while you’re renovating! It’s chaotic, messy and can really wear you down. Step away from the dust.”
Krissy Marsh
Sally Obermeder’s house
As a co-founder and director of wellness and beauty brand SWIISH, busy Sally Obermeder doesn’t have much time for decorating. Nor does she have the aptitude for it, she admits. “I don’t know dimensions, I don’t know styling; it’s not my forte, it’s not my strength,” Sally said on Instagram. So when she and her husband, Marcus, along with their daughters, Annabelle and Elyssa, were house hunting, they sought out freshly renovated and low-maintenance turnkey homes. “We wanted to be able to move in and have the whole process just be easy and seamless,” Sally explains.
They nabbed a 3-bedroom, two-storey townhouse in an exclusive European-inspired gated community in Sydney’s east, not far from the beach. It just needed a little ‘je ne sais quoi’. Sally enlisted interior designer Claudia Lambert to elevate the space and reflect Sally’s personal style, which is “relaxed, coastal and refined”. They curated a neutral, layered palette with a focus on natural materials such as timber and stone.
“I love that effortless, lived-in feel but with a touch of elegance,” Sally says. “Claudia was amazing and really helped me stay true to that vision, while also pushing me out of my comfort zone and getting me to consider pieces I wouldn’t have before.”
Sally’s favourite feature is “probably” the Phillipa Riddiford artwork from Studio Gallery. “It really is the hero of the lounge room and I just love it so much; I’ll often lie on the sofa and stare at it,” she explains. “All the art in our home is such a big step up for me. It’s much bolder and braver than my previous choices, but now there’s no going back! I feel very sentimental about the Riddiford, Ollie O and Rick Carlino pieces… they’re a reflection of this moment in time in our family. I just love them.”
Sally says she’d love to focus on the outdoor areas next, and make them feel even more like extensions of the home’s interior. “Claudia and I have a few ideas we’re tossing around, like creating a proper dining space and relaxed lounging zone, so it’s still a work in progress.”
Of course, Sally’s always on the lookout for that perfect statement light or more vintage treasures to add to the mix, as per the fabulous Minotti side table Claudia sourced on Facebook Marketplace. “It was a crazy bargain,” says Sally.
In between Real Housewives commitments, school drop-offs and running SWIISH, Sally can retreat to her home for respite and creative inspo, thanks to Claudia’s styling prowess. “It all came together better than I could have hoped for,” she says.
“Take your time and don’t feel like you need to do everything at once. A home evolves, and some of the best decisions come when you’ve lived in the space for a bit. If you can, working with a great interior decorator like Claudia makes a huge difference.”
Sally Obermeder
