Courtney Act’s Sydney apartment is eclectic, colourful, and larger than life — much like Courtney herself!
Last year, the iconic drag queen and performer moved back to Australia and into her first home. At that time, the apartment was a simple series of empty white spaces, like ‘a mother of pearl box’, with a beautiful view of nearby Bondi Beach and headlands.
‘I didn’t have any furniture as I had moved from overseas, so I needed to start from scratch,’ Courtney says. ‘And I knew that I wanted a drag room, fit for a queen.’
But the real catalyst behind this renovation was Courtney’s comment on an Instagram post by furniture brand, SARAH ELLISON. She shared that she’d fallen in love with their luxurious FLOAT sofa and its retro-inspired silhouette, reminiscent of the sunken lounges and conversation pits of the 1970s.
It didn’t take long for this comment to quickly evolve into a collaboration between Courtney and the SARAH ELLISON. team, who helped not just with the furniture, but with a whole apartment redesign, turning the home into a ‘periwinkle palace’!
‘It started with the brown-chocolate velvet FLOAT sofa, and everything went from there,’ Courtney says. The surrounding interiors complement its rich chocolate hue with various shades of Courtney’s favourite colour — purple — using lavender, periwinkle, and hints of gold.
‘We covered almost every surface and brought warmth in with new oak flooring, textured seagrass wallpapers and linen drapes in a warm oatmeal tone that really make the space feel like a warm embrace,’ SARAH ELLISON. co-founder and CEO Leigh McKeown says.
‘Courtney is larger than life, and we were determined to create a home with her that reflected her and how she lives.’
The addition of a custom-made bouclé banquette created a functional corner to showcase Courtney’s whimsical objects and bold artworks. But Courtney says the sparkling, crown jewel of the two-bedroom abode is her drag room.
‘Most people would have made the largest room their master bedroom, but I actually made it the drag room,’ Courtney adds. It’s part walk-in wardrobe, dressing room, and YouTube studio, featuring walls lined with wigs, an enviable shoe collection, and a colourful wardrobe most can only dream of.
Courtney describes the completed apartment as her own tongue-in-cheek take on the traditional ‘bachelor pad’. We can’t get enough of it!
Watch the full home tour in the video above!
