What began as a decorative update for a 1930s/40s home straddling the Deco era soon evolved into a full-scale design transformation for our studio. Our brief from the wonderful, trusting clients was to reimagine the home—once unsympathetic to its surroundings—into a welcoming family refuge, offering respite from their busy work lives.
Perched high above the Yarra and cityscape, our South Yarra project gives little away from the street, thanks to its uniquely shaped and graded plot. Ascend through the stepped front garden, where the entry opens into a generous hallway from which the front rooms unfold. The salon-like formal sitting and music room is bathed in natural light, playing off the chameleon-like grey walls swathed in petrol-toned mesh curtains. The modest ceiling heights are forgotten amidst the moody richness of the furnishings. Our clients embraced rich colours, organic curves, and plenty of texture, with furniture and art sourced from local and international designers, makers, and artists.
Opposite, the study features a striking, custom-designed desk made from green quartzite, alongside bronzed display joinery. Warm and inviting as both an office and meeting space, it is now unrecognisable from its former palette, with original architectural details once again able to shine through.
Working largely within the existing footprint and without significant structural changes, we delicately reversed a monochromatic 2000s renovation. The existing floorboards were sanded back from their dark grey-brown to a rich, natural oak, infusing warmth and lifting the home’s spirit. The kitchen at the end of the hall required only a handmade tile facelift to align it with the overall update. We re-painted the black-framed doors and windows throughout in a soft green, seamlessly connecting the indoors to the garden.
Mud Office Landscape Design fully realised the clients’ wish to embrace lagoon-esque curves in the garden area, creating an unusual mosaic pool in the courtyard. Bold contrasts in materials complement the home’s exterior architecture, with the design creatively addressing pool fencing requirements through a moat-like feature in the narrow, unusual space. The integration of green quartzite in the barbecue area creates a strong connection between the outdoors and the interiors.
Each bathroom has its own personality while maintaining a cohesive design. The main ensuite showcases garden-green gloss tiles, oak and bronze accents, and a cylindrical skylight over the shower. This leads into the reimagined main bedroom suite, where warmth and comfort take centre stage. Texturally layered with custom carpet, milky polished plaster walls, and a generous leather bedhead, the mirrored panel doors reveal a spacious, wallpapered robe reminiscent of a boutique fashion store, complete with a marble-topped central vanity and ensuite beyond.
This project is a lesson in responding to what was at hand, focusing on what could be retained rather than what could be torn out. Our South Yarra project is nearly unrecognisable from its former self. At a time when sustainability and waste reduction are paramount, working within a home’s footprint can be seen as a design challenge to embrace, rather than a hindrance.