In a Room is a conversation series where we ask our friends to share their favourite domestic spaces. For this edition we’re joined by ceramic and textile artist Ellie King.
Ellie is a Melbourne-based artist whose work celebrates the joy of small things: a crooked vase, a dusty figurine, a face with one eyebrow permanently raised. Her world is one of cheeky characters, handmade goods, and loose, lovely lines — often drawn from the couch of the flat she shares with her fiancé, Jon. She’s been profiled by Frankie Magazine and has exhibited pieces that feel as lived-in and lovable as the homes they come from.
In this edition, Ellie reflects on the rooms that have shaped her: from childhood bedrooms full of dress-ups and drawer snooping, to the fictional charm of Bridget Jones’s flat. She speaks about the soft power of good lighting, the magnetic pull of someone else’s clutter, and why every room in a tiny flat matters when you use them all, all the time.
Artist Ellie King at Home
Which room are you in today?
I am currently sitting in my living room after a very busy week — looking forward to watching some Top Chef tonight!
Which room is the heart of your home?
Me and my fiance Jon live in a tiny little one bedroom flat so I would say the whole flat is the heart as we use every room ALL the time.
But if I had to pick it would be the living room or even more specifically the couch, I love to sit on the couch.
Is there a room from your past that has stayed with you?
I'm an only child so I remember loving to visit my friends' bedrooms to go through all their stuff.
I'm a sticky beak so it was exciting to see what they had collected and also going through their draws and playing dress ups.
My friend Hannah had a really messy room and I used to love cleaning it up and organizing everything till next time I came over when it would be all messed up again!
What makes a room feel like home and not just a space?
I think a home is a place where you feel like you can relax and put your feet up.
What sort of rooms do you try and avoid?
I don't like a damp room or somewhere with a draft... oh and of course BAD LIGHTING!
Is there a type of room that you’re always drawn to?
Somewhere with someone's special collections, somewhere I can snoop around and ask lots of questions about all the things.
What is your all time favourite room?
Oh good question ... honestly I love my living room but from fiction maybe Bridget Jones flat in the first movie. It has just the right amount of lived-in feeling and good lighting that I like.
