Amid the hum of modern life, slow living offers a calmer rhythm. It’s a movement that’s growing, and at its core, tells us to make space for what truly matters. In a world that often glorifies hustle, slow living is rooted in a desire for the quieter path. It values a gentler pace, savouring small joys over striving for more. It’s a lifestyle that prioritises wellbeing and finds beauty in everyday moments. 

In interior design, embracing slow living is about intention. Choosing comfortable furniture, soothing materials, and most importantly, carving out time to immerse yourself in the space. 

The sentiment of slow living is an approach shared by Melbourne-based designer Brahman Perera, carried through into how he curates and styles his own home, Elm Park.

“Our home is our retreat. We come here to calm down from the hectic nature of Melbourne, which I think is important,” he shares. “We decompress, entertain family and friends, work in the garden, go for long walks and do a lot of cooking.”  

For Brahman, making space for what really matters means protecting time for what grounds him, a philosophy mirrored in the spaces he creates for himself and others. With a career informed by architecture and refined through fashion and interior design, Brahman’s work is deeply layered, drawing on his Sri Lankan heritage, an intuitive sense of materiality, and an eye for subtle nuance.

As part of our video series Creative Spaces, we sit down with Brahman to hear the stories, influences, and inspirations, that shape his layered approach to interior design.  

YOUTUBE VIDEO TO BE INSERTED HERE

At the heart of slow living is a thoughtful approach to layout. It begins with an understanding of where you prefer to pause, gather, where the light touches first. For Brahman, his home is a setting for life’s daily rituals. From planning projects in the early light with a tea in hand, to evening unwinds with his partner and pets, conversation flowing by the fireplace. Interior design is a quiet facilitator, shaping rhythm, welcoming movement and making space for personal needs.  

 A modular sofa can become more than a centrepiece when placed to follow the sun, positioned perpendicular to a window to avoid direct glare while still inviting in the breeze. Consider orienting a chaise module to face east to lounge in the sunrise, or west, if sunset naps are more your style.  

“We also tend to look at things through the lens of hospitality, and how furniture can be placed to work best for guests.”  

When designing your space, ask yourself: how often do you like to host? Do you imagine lively get-togethers, or moments solo or with close friends? These simple reflections can guide spatial decisions.  

Place occasional chairs opposite or adjacent to your sofa to encourage visual balance and conversation. Cluster dining chairs nearby paired with side tables to ensure drinks are always within reach. While these layouts support entertaining with ease, they’re also perfect for time alone, spent cosying up with a book in a cocooning atmosphere. For smaller spaces, it’s a good option to style with multi-functional designs that can shift seamlessly from practical usage to additional seating, like an ottoman or sofa with hidden storage.  

At Elm Park, furnishings are placed with purpose, and the layout reflects a lifestyle shaped by connection and creativity. The piano acts as a grand focal point but is thoughtfully positioned to remain open to the room, inviting use rather than display, while a curation of chairs around the room offers multiple seating options for family and friends. 

“It feels really convivial and communal,” Brahman shares, “the placement of the piano, of the sofa. But it also feels intimate, when it’s just the two of us.” 

For Brahman, furniture choices should embody everything a living space has to offer: warmth, adaptability, and room to rest. Modular in design, Haven is reconfigurable to suit both the flow of guests and the quiet of solitude. Brahman’s styling highlights this beautifully, with the chaise positioned in a light-filled corner to catch the sun.

Finished in a tonal pairing of Yowie Natural and Balmain Natural, the sofa blends a soft faux fur-style fabric with a refined neutral weave. The contrast speaks to Brahman’s intuitive approach to texture, bringing together grounded materials that invite touch. Materials like Yowie not only offer visual softness but also support acoustic comfort. Choosing materials that absorb sound helps to create quiet zones and meditative corners within a room, perfect for encouraging a slower way of life.  

King Living crafts with these principles in mind. Modular designs like Haven zone open-plan rooms and adapt to small-space layouts, all while prioritising comfort. Flexible armrests and backrests adjust effortlessly, while luxurious ultra-soft foam cushioning delivers a cloud-like feel that responds to your body and returns to form with ease.  

“Curating this beautiful Haven Sofa was really exciting to me. Having two different fabrics was a very fun, experimental way to play with a design.”  

The Haven Sofa provides ultimate customisation at your fingertips. From over 200 premium fabrics and leathers in the King Living collection, removable covers can be refreshed with the seasons, evolving aesthetics, or simply, for easy cleaning. Inspired by Brahman’s styling, consider experimenting with contrasting fabrics across different modules, mixing textures or tones to create a layered, personalised expression that excites you.  

“It’s really verdant. We always wanted to celebrate the fact that there are some incredible views, and work with them rather than against them.” 

And when stood outside looking in, Brahman shares, “all the windows open to a piece of artwork.” 

Design like this is often named biophilic, where features like skylights, archways and layouts with indoor-outdoor flow draw focus to natural elements. Where architectural features are few, thoughtfully positioning furniture can shape a similar connection, like placing a sofa or dining table in line with a window. This offers an effortless immersion into nature whenever you lounge or dine. When interiors align with these cues, a sense of balance settles which supports holistic health and well-being.  

At home, consider framing the outdoors by styling occasional chairs around a coffee table, facing out to a garden view. Position a bed opposite a balcony door to catch a summer’s breeze. Arrange florals in a vase and foraged fruits in a bowl to invite scent, sight, and taste. As a mindful styling cue, carve out tech-free zones within your living space. A corner for reading, journalling or meditation, away from screens to reconnect you with your senses and breath.

When it comes to the details, make space for your story. Slow living is personal, and every object in Brahman’s home is intended to hold meaning. 

“I’m definitely a hoarder, well, a collector is probably a kinder word. But so many treasures are in this room from people in our lives. It’s authentic and I think that’s really special.”  

Designing an interior that tells your story means taking the time to reflect. Who in your life taught you the most? What places have shaped you? What objects do you own that hold value, not materially, but from meaning? Finish styling your home with feeling. Mix family heirlooms with travel trinkets, hand-me-downs with handmade crafts. Choose pieces that are sentimental, then give them room to speak.  

“I’ve been enjoying exploring more of my heritage in design,” Brahman says, “my family are Sri Lankan and Geoffrey Bawa is a huge influence.”  

That sense of personal history informs the way he approaches not only his own home styling, but his residential and commercial projects, including Hopper Joint, a Melbourne eatery shaped by his subcontinental background and cultural connection to family, food, and place. 

“I often take a lot from my own history. My parents, my grandparents, the things they taught us. A level of understanding on how to be hospitable, how to welcome people to your home. That sense of togetherness keeps me grounded and continues to inform the design principles I want to work with.”  

At Elm Park, this is felt in the smallest of gestures. The piano, which Brahman describes as “the backdrop music to life here,” was the first thing placed in the space. Nearby, gifts from friends and biographies of inspirational figures sit on the coffee table.  

These are details that hold space for what matters, that have been lived with and loved over time. They remind us of the beauty that comes from being present, paying attention and slowing down.  

1. Design a layout around your lifestyle 
Let your space support your day-to-day. Think about how you move, gather or rest, and plan your layout to match. 

2. Choose a sofa for comfort and flexibility 
Invest in modular seating that invites rest and adapts over time. Comfort isn’t just a luxury, it’s essential to slowing down. 

3. Style for softness with texture and tone 
Layer natural materials, gentle colours and organic shapes to create warmth without visual noise. 

4. Invite nature into your home 
Add life through greenery, sunlight and raw materials like timber or stone. Even small moments of nature can shift the mood of a space. 

5. Finish with a personal touch 
Surround yourself with what matters and style with decor that holds meaning, offers comfort and brings joy. 

• Explore the styling of Hopper Joint, with 5 design tips for a bold and neutral balance. 
• Discover Brahman Perera’s design projects. 
• Interior design tips for a modern eclectic style. 
• 14 simple ideas to makeover your living room. 

DATE PUBLISHED 

5 August 2025

WRITTEN BY