This stunning Edwardian home built in 1890 - once a farmhouse and in heritage overlay in Melbourne's Hughesdale - underwent a fitting interior renovation blending the old with the new. Our clients enlisted our design expertise, entrusting us right from concept, during the construction phase, and right through to custom furniture and decoration.
We don’t take for granted the simple fact that clients entrust us with their homes, especially their forever homes. Our clients approached us needing interior design help in all facets for their newly purchased heritage Edwardian house that once was a farmhouse (we love a home’s history!) and were after an Interior Designer that could breathe new life into a space through colour, pattern and texture whilst mixing the old with the new. Our clients saw the value to invest in a design team that could guide them throughout the lengthy journey of a renovation. Often it’s the Interior Design team that are in clients lives the longest – we do become part of the furniture! Having renovated previously, and learning a lot from their initial renovation experience, our clients wanted to elevate the usual builder options and understood that a comprehensive approach was required, especially for a project of this size – and the fact this was their forever home.
The brief called for touches of fun and quirk, whilst honoring the grand original beauty of the home, there was a strong desire for the new spaces to feel like they’ve always been there. This is something that we feel strongly about too, and love a sympathetic renovation, enhancing the character, not diminishing it. We were engaged to produce a concept, one that would determine each space being worked on and specify all the colours, materials, finishes and fittings associated. We brought on our specialist Lighting Designer to create a custom lighting plan for our clients – this home deserved more than a dancefloor of downlights (we say no to a dance floor of downlights in heritage homes!) and specified all the decorative lighting. We introduced our clients to new suppliers as well as working on the decoration plan in conjunction with the renovation so everything felt cohesive.
We also reviewed and changed the in-house cabinetry plans to suit the clients requests and designed the fireplace joinery. We consulted with our clients make difficult decisions when it came to the windows, alfresco, the cornices, hardware and flooring, meeting on-site during the renovation to discuss closely with the project manager. Sometimes decisions need to be made on the spot, due to changes beyond the builder’s control or due to council requirements, quite common with older homes too, so having an Interior Designer on hand to help discuss and brainstorm solutions is invaluable.
We are so proud this home was featured in April’s edition of Home Beautiful Magazine including the front cover!
Jess worked with us from the very start in helping us renovate our Edwardian home. From the concrete style bench tops to the gorgeous pops of wallpaper to sourcing bespoke petrol green couches, everything was beyond our dreams and very much in keeping with our style and our hopes for the home. It would be a very long review if I was to do justice to Jess’s skills and how she helped us create our dream home and breathe magic into the walls of this grand old house. And we even made The Design Files and front cover and full home spread in Home Beautiful magazine!
