A stunning New York-inspired residence housed atop a landmark 1880s heritage building, Luke Fry Architecture and Interior Design’s exciting new project, the George Penthouse, will have 360 degree views of the Melbourne CBD.
A perfect harmony of chic modern meeting classical heritage, the penthouse is set to be the crown jewel on top of the former George Hotel (now largely apartments and hospitality), with an open deck rooftop, and 500 sqm of living space.
Future home to frequent traveller Sean Cummins, he gave full creative control to Luke Fry, to maintain the authenticity of the building’s original character while responding to the progressive, ambitious brief. After extensive consultation with heritage specialists, the penthouse design showcases some subtle but simple nods to St Kilda’s vibrant past.
“Architecturally the penthouse façade conceived in both concrete and natural stone was designed in a series of scalloped columns that reflect the rhythm of the original façade and parapet of the original building which can still be seen from Fitzroy Street,” says Luke.
The exciting new project, starting this year, isn’t just a testament to a new style of penthouse living but also the rejuvenation of the suburb.
“It raises the bar for living in St Kilda – especially penthouse living – as there would only be a handful of properties globally that would tick all the boxes this does,” Luke says. “A beautifully designed architectural penthouse of this quality, scale, heritage context and with these views also adds to the neighbourhood’s character and appeal.”
A look inside this luxurious bespoke Melbourne penthouse
Atop one of Melbourne’s CBD apartment blocks sits a meticulously designed penthouse, almost entirely customised by its new residents. It is home to Joan and Wes, who purchased the entire…
Real reno: St Kilda Art Deco home elegantly revived
Originally built in 1936, this two storey Art Deco home was beautifully renovated recently for its inhabitants who have lived in it for the last 25 years. “Our clients raised…
Located in the seaside Perth suburb of Swanbourne, this early 1900s period home had a partial renovation recently in the form of a master bedroom, sitting room and study revamp. “The design brief wasn’t very detailed, aside from the owners wanting me to strike a balance between traditional and contemporary design,” says interior designer Angela Lyon of Grey Peg Interiors. The result is a mix of fun fabrics, clashing pattern, bespoke furniture, bold colour choices and other luxe details.
Kelly Wearstler lamps, from Montauk Lighting Co. sit proud in the sitting room
The renovation commenced just before the onset of the pandemic which presented many challenges including product delays, access issues, restrictions on site and a general sense of fear. However, one silver lining for local manufacturers was that the home features lots of Australian made product. “There were big delays in supply, so we ended up using more locally sourced furniture,” says Angela who designed many bespoke items for the project.
As for her favourite part, Angela cites the sitting room, mainly due to the high-end fabrics, wallpaper and general warm and cosy vibe. “I like the pattern clash and tones. The wallpaper is quite a bold choice in real life, but it works so well in the room,” says Angela. The emerald green Thibaut ‘Channels’ design makes quite the statement when coupled with a pair of Kelly Wearstler lamps, sourced from Montauk Lighting Co. “The armchairs, ottomans and cushions were designed by me from scratch too.”
Sitting room
A lofty and tranquil space, the master bedroom features plenty of bespoke, locally made items also, including an upholstered bedhead, bed end and armchair. The bedside lamps were custom made and sourced through Asbury Park Agency.
Master bedroom. The pendant light was sourced from Montauk Lighting Co.
Master bedroom
The most statement-making part of the renovation is the home office which features a bold teal tone (Taubmans Azalea Leaf), grey textured wallpaper (Colefax & Fowler’s ‘Carine Blue’) and pops of burnt orange including a custom pair of orange lamps. A James Said credenza, Coco Republic mirror and artwork by Min Woo Bing round out the mix.
Study. The statement artwork is by Min Woo Bing.
One of the more interesting items in the room, the desk is an upcycled antique found on Gumtree, that used to belong to the WA mining magnate Lang Hangcock. “I’m not a fan of cookie cutter design so like to find unique things. We repurposed the desk by having it professionally spray painted before replacing the top with leather and adding new brass handles. I can’t imagine how many cheques were written on that desk!” says Angela.
Carrara marble mosaic tiles were a chic choice for the fireplace landing
And with so many bold choices, just how willing was the owner to take some design chances? “There was reluctance around a lot of the things but ultimately my client took risks and put some trust in me, and it paid off. She is really happy with the end result.”
An interior designer’s thoughtful and successful heritage renovation
We love a period home renovation around here and when this one crossed our desks, we couldn’t help but sit up and take notice. A modern yet authentic take on…
Whilst TikTok is mostly known for viral dance trends and its popularity with Gen Z, there is a sizeable community of home décor and renovation accounts. The -60second video format of TikTok is a great vehicle for bite-sized updates on longterm projects, or following particular creators. But don’t feel like you have to wade into TikTok unprepared, because I’ve handpicked five amazing accounts for you.
The 1880s Octagon
This account is run by Kate, one half of a newlywed couple renovating a Victorian house in Connecticut. When they bought the house in 2019, it was condemned, so though it was incredibly cheap, it requires large-scale renovations. Kate posts weekly renovation updates, tips and tricks, and spotlights on the house’s various quirks.
Based in South Australia, Chloe Jane shares the journey of renovating her 140 year old cottage. A professional writer and creative, Chloe is able to draw you into her life with her calming voice and beautiful backing tracks. Plus, she often shares videos of her fluffy highland cows – who could resist?
Just in case you forgot that TikTok is an app populated by teens, this school bus conversion will remind you! Chicago couple Emily and Joe canceled their honeymoon to buy a retired school bus, which they are now turning into a tiny home – on wheels! They are early in the building process, so you’ll be able to watch this unique conversion from the very beginning.
Run by professional upholsterer Hepzabeth Evans, this account is filled with magical stop motion videos as she restores old upholstery. She has over a decade of experience in upholstery restoration, and is now based in the English Cotswolds. Hepzabeth shares videos explaining her process, but sometimes lets the videos speak for themselves. Her account has really given me a new appreciation for the craftspeople who help make our homes amazing.
Pretty Distressed is run by Christina Muscari, a furniture refinisher working out of Tennessee. She takes tired old pieces and brings them to new life, sharing the results on her TikTok. Christina proudly encourages other people to do the same, sharing helpful tips, useful products, and inspiration for your own upcycling projects.
Upcycled desk ideas: from drab to fab for under $100
By Naomi Findlay We’ve probably never looked more closely at our desks and home offices than we are now. Have you previously worked on the lounge, at the coffee table or…
Heritage home brought back to life for family living
This Federation home on Sydney’s lower north shore was in a bad state when Jon and Nikki Moss bought it in late 2015. But you’d never know it now, looking…
While we love a good trend, sometimes there’s something so visually soothing about a series of classic elements coming together in an understated way. The work of Bondi Kitchens, this recent heritage terrace renovation in Sydney’s Coogee is a case in point. Natural marble, smoked mirror and moody timbers make for a series of casually elegant spaces, the likes of which are classic without being dull.
“It’s the subtle elegance of the home that we love the most. The simple yet refined selection of materials marry to make something quite beautiful, without the snobbery. There is nothing complicated about the spaces, that I think makes you feel instantly relaxed and welcomed,” says Charlotte Riggs, brand director of Bondi Kitchens who was responsible for the renovation.
Home to a young professional couple and their pooch, the small two-level home was originally built in 1910 and consisted of 1.5 bedrooms and one bathroom. “It was a tiny heritage terrace house and while liveable it wasn’t necessarily functional in its state. There was room for improvement, and also investment for the young owners,” says Charlotte. The extensive overhaul resulted in a much larger home that boasts three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an extension that includes a larger living and kitchen area.
Kitchen
A central hub, the kitchen sits in the middle of the house and is accessed from a traditional terrace entrance hallway. “For the kitchen, the main consideration was the use of classic and understated, tasteful finishes with subtle elegant European-esque accents. The owners were very clear in not having a trend-driven, showy kitchen but rather something that just relaxed into the room – a natural beauty,” says Charlotte of the hardworking space that is easy to use.
Large overhead cupboards encourage height while providing a large amount of storage
Alongside the kitchen, there’s additional pantry and cupboard storage as well as a dining area opposite that features a custom upholstered floating banquette seat. “This banquette’s curves add softness and texture to a very sharp-lined kitchen. The clients allowed us full creative license with this design, and it’s a beautiful statement piece that complements the kitchen with its laid-back charm.”
The dining room banquette seat was upholstered in Warwick Fabrics ‘Kumi Vapour’ jacquard
Upstairs, the renovation continued in the master bedroom which features a pair of unusual, mirrored wardrobes with recessed handles. “Very heavy, they were challenging but rewarding to make. The mood that smoked grey (compared to standard silver) mirror creates is like no other. The mirror also bounces light and makes the bedrooms feel super luxe, and larger than life!” says Charlotte.
Bedroom
Custom smoke mirrored wardrobes are a feature in the master bedroom
The wardrobes are another example of the way in which the renovation maximised space within the home’s diminutive footprint. A small and narrow block, the Bondi Kitchens team worked hard to make layout changes that were highly functional while imbuing the home with a sense of openness.
“Overall, creating long and slim proportions and using neutral, yet interesting materials allows the home to feel open, flowy and also bounce light.”
Meet Jen at Brisbane’s Reno + Design Show in March!
After assuming a COVID-19 induced virtual format last year, Queensland’s Reno + Design Show is back in physical form next month when it returns to the Brisbane Showgrounds from March…
Balancing a growing family, a new job and a renovation is no small achievement. Further complicate that with heritage restrictions on a company titled property and competing design objectives in a compact space, and you have a truly acrobatic undertaking.
Such was the challenge facing Spanish interior designer Jesus del Toro and his family as they embarked on the redesign and build of a 1920s Walter Leslie Nielsen apartment in inner-city Sydney. After months of open houses and budget-busting auctions, and having reluctantly abandoned their hopes of finding an affordable home near the beach, Jesus and his wife Agnes were charmed by the central location and Art Deco setting of an elongated unit in Potts Point with views of St Mary’s Cathedral and the CBD skyline.
Jesus del Toro’s family of four are loving life in their tiny Potts Point apartment
The apartment was in sore need of renovation, however, with a dated, compartmentalised layout that squandered the abundant natural light. And, bound by exacting heritage conservation regulations, the task of adapting the space to the needs and tastes of a modern family of four promised to be challenging.
“This unit was not in our brief for house-hunting,” says Jesus. “We were looking for something completely different. But this was very eccentric, urban, well-connected, and we were excited by the classical style and also the potential to do renovation works.”
The old, early thirties layout was dark with one long corridor and single rooms. Moreover, the kitchen was designed as a cubicle to be occupied solely by household staff, and the bathroom needed decades worth of updating.
“But there was huge potential to turn it into something awesome, to flip it around and make it contemporary, while respecting the existing features and empowering them with new ones in the same style,” Jesus explains.
Even with the freedom to rearrange the layout, the task of how to coax all the needs of a young family out of an 80sqm space remained complicated. For Jesus, however, finding resourceful solutions in limited spaces was a familiar challenge. “In my house when I was growing up, we were nine people, including my four older brothers and two grandmas. That means everything inside the house needs to do two or three things. My room was shared with one of my older brothers. I still had my little desk for studying, which doubled for table tennis and foosball. My mum or my grandma was, usually, doing the ironing or the washing in there too. It was a multi-use sort of room, with fold-down beds.”
Unsurprisingly then, Jesus’ design included a number of occasional or versatile areas: “In the living space, we have a day bed, a massive standing desk and a library. Here we dry our clothes, practise yoga, play soccer, do ballet, play the ukulele, perform theatre acts for the kids and even take salsa lessons!
“Even though it may seem a little bit scary to have such an open plan home and not be able to have your own space, it is surprising how many little spots you can be in by yourself or as a family in the exact same way,” he observes. “You don’t even realise that it’s the space doing that for you. Plus we get the advantage of having the Art Deco designed glass doors with blackout velvet curtains, blocking visually and acoustically as needed.”
As well as pairing the constraints of the unit with the needs of his family, Jesus wanted to preserve as much of the building’s heritage flavour within the apartment as possible, sustaining elements from common areas in the unit’s interiors. From the preference for pendant lights over downlights, to the French panelling chosen to match existing cornices and ceiling bands, the rich details of the Art Deco era peek through an otherwise more contemporary, pared back aesthetic. The ensemble is completed by a lashing of industrial texture, courtesy of the exposed steel trusses of the portal frames with their Harbour-bridge evoking lattice steel motif.
Storage has also been carefully considered and integrated wherever possible beneath or behind furniture and joinery, and the family tradition of multi-functional spaces lives on. Their four-year-old daughter Noah’s 8sqm play area morphs into her bedroom with a wall-mounted fold-away bed. The home’s spaces comfortably satisfy a variety of functions, with the added advantage of promoting an intimate, convivial environment.
Jesus was also committed to preserving a sense of fluidity and play in the apartment, especially in his daughter’s room. He chose to experiment with the ceiling, and developed a simultaneously sophisticated, simple and economical decorative feature in the form of hanging sheets of paper arranged to create a flowing, wave-like effect.
“It adjusts its height to the shelving edge. It reacts to where the lamp is. It adjusts its curvature to the window to allow more light in. It’s one of those little exercises that is in fact really inexpensive. It’s just paper and Blu-Tack.”
The ceiling feature’s affordability and ease of execution, however, are contrasted by the masterpiece that is the bathroom! Riding a wave of creativity and inspiration, Jesus recalls how one morning he was browsing designs for tiles, frustrated at their prohibitive cost. Deep in a YouTube tile-manufacture-video rabbit hole, he was surprised to see how mechanised the allegedly ‘handmade’ process was. “They were absolutely spotless and perfect, as if they were manufactured by a machine,” he criticises. “It didn’t have the impression that it was actually made by hand.”
He remembers thinking, “I don’t have the budget but I do have patience”. So was born a DIY tile-making project that would see Jesus, his family and friends hand-make more than 3,000 glazed, fish scale tiles over the course of 15 weekends – including preparation and testing of clay, glazing and moulds. And, while at times he questioned his initial enthusiasm, the end result speaks for itself: the bathroom nestles among walls clad in the cool, mossy green tiles, each slightly different to the next, carrying in their warp and weft the story of their origin. With a wry smile, Jesus reflects: “It was a much more lengthy approach. It was absolutely, totally worth it.”
With its blend of modern and heritage, work and play, and its deceptive ability to accommodate a multitude of activities and moods in a limited space, the apartment is a role model for how we might intelligently and happily embrace inner-city living – an ever more pressing aim as more of us grapple with the demands of working from home. Coupled with Jesus’ attention to detail and investment of personal creativity (and time), this compact home is ready to host many years of comfortable, beautiful family life.
Heritage home brought back to life for family living
This Federation home on Sydney’s lower north shore was in a bad state when Jon and Nikki Moss bought it in late 2015. But you’d never know it now, looking…
“I love contemporary design overlaid on a historical backdrop,” says retail designer David Cook-Doulton who, together with his partner Martin Shew, is responsible for the gorgeous overhaul of this grand…
Chic Perth heritage reno a seamless blend of old & new
The heritage home with modern extension, is certainly not a new concept. Regardless of heritage restrictions, many a run-down old character home has been lovingly restored simply because people love…
“I love contemporary design overlaid on a historical backdrop,” says retail designer David Cook-Doulton who, together with his partner Martin Shew, is responsible for the gorgeous overhaul of this grand 1880’s Victorian terrace recently, located in Ballarat. We just love its masculine, almost Gothic feel.
Bedroom
Bathroom
The original home, called Lyon House, was a result of the goldrush boom; a time that, rather incredibly, saw the city rival Melbourne in size. “The 1890’s was the peak of Ballarat. It had lofty ambitions and as such, the city itself has incredibly grand buildings,” says David who was lured to the city a few years ago and has since turned several heritage buildings into premium accommodation establishments.
Lounge room
Bedroom
“Our business is focused on renovating beautiful historic buildings without the, for want of a better term, ‘old lady’ interiors,” says David. Polished concrete/aggregate flooring, slabs of honed Nero Marquina marble, matte charcoal tiles and ribbed glass are just some of the home’s sumptuous parts that come together to create a rather irresistible whole.
Kitchen
Kitchen and dining room
“The house has a really masculine feel to it but there’s a real mix of light and dark,” says David. While the moody bathrooms have very little natural light, the upstairs bedrooms and the backyard are flooded with it. “The rooms in particular have big windows that let a lot of light in. You get a sense of different zones – there’s light and shade to the house, rather than everything being super white like many modern interiors,” says David.
Bedroom
Ensuite
And while the front of the home is steeped in history, the back extension is as modern as they come. A large kitchen and dining area, with bifold doors, overlooks a unique pool house; the structure was once home to a local blacksmith. “I love looking out to the pool house and all the shades of blue,” says David who explains that, when he purchased the home, one of the windows was intact while the other one had to be remade. “The amazing thing is that you can’t tell the old one from the new!”
The pool house was once a Blacksmith shopCustom made benches sit next to the pool. “I wanted the seating to be quite art-like,” says David.
While currently closed due to Melbourne’s strict lockdown measures, the home is set to open as soon as they lift.
Inside a raw and minimalist home in country Victoria
I once met a woman who spent every Saturday morning going to open houses. The thing was, she wasn’t looking to buy… she was just nosey! And while I haven’t…
Perched up high overlooking the ocean in Manly, this beautiful old home, full of character, was begging for a makeover and TV interior designer James Treble was the man for the job! But ‘Yuggawai’ came with a little extra pressure, having been built by the founder of iconic paint brand Taubmans more than 100 years ago.
Before & after
Before you step inside, there is so much to talk about on the outside, from the original shingles and beautiful heritage details, to the addition of a balcony, new roof (which allowed for an extra bedroom underneath) and a very good-looking garage and staircase up to the house.
A big part of the brief was dealing with the front yard, that sloped steeply to the street with an unsafe and wobbly stone walkway and ageing steps, as well as a single car garage which was leaning to one side.
You previously couldn’t see the house very well due to large unkept trees. A huge new retaining wall allowed for the new double garage (which was so important for the narrow street) as well as a large storage area for bikes and a workshop. “Access to the house now wraps around this new garage, providing a generous wide standstone clad staircase that beautifully leads you up to the main house,” James explains.
Before & after
George Henry Taubman, the founder of Taubmans Paint, built and lived in the home from 1908 to 1926. So restoring it to its former glory, while respecting the link to Taubmans, was no small task. “I think the Taubmans connection become a strong part of the dialogue of this home, not just because of the obvious association with the paint brand, but also because George Taubman was such a visonary, a true Aussie icon,” says James.
“He created a product and eventually a brand out of necessity, in search of high performing paints which he couldn’t find at the time. So yes, of course the paint had to be Taubmans for this renovation, and although there was some to and fro along the way, we managed to convince council of the modern take on the traditional colour scheme, which was 100% in keeping with the style of the home and its coastal location.”
The story of how the new owners, Gero and Joanne Farruggio, came to live here, is also rather special. Having always been a fan of polished concrete and ultra-modern dream homes, Gero first saw the house over a decade ago, while walking the dog. “It caught my eye and I recall thinking how nice it would be to own a house like this. It had so much character.”
Joanne and Gero Farruggio and their boys. Photo by The Market Collective.
Work took them to Perth for a few years but they were visiting Manly five years ago (as they missed it so much) when they saw the house was on the market. “We couldn’t believe it and bought it the next day, even though we lived on the west coast at the time. We hadn’t figured that part out, but knew somehow our home was in Manly. Some months later, after reading a quote from Martin Luther King ‘You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step,’ we dropped everything, moved back to Manly and figured we would sort the rest from there. It was a leap of faith. Little did we know there would be a few more of those in restoring the place!”
While they had hoped a new garage and a lick of paint would be enough, the couple, who have two young sons, soon realised they had a much bigger job on their hands. “The upstairs floors were so sloping, we would often go to bed and find all the cabinet drawers open; a little frightening around Halloween time! In parts, we could see daylight through the walls and roof! We thought the kitchen was fine and could stay, but when James first arrived, he spent an hour telling us how it had to go and what we could do with the space. We couldn’t bring ourselves to tell him!”
Although James is more used to working with brand new homes, he absolutely relished working on this very special family home. “I immediately fell in love with the house. It’s so unique, even the heritage architect commented on what a hybrid of styles it was. It was packed with features.
“I could also see that, over time, it had lost its way, particularly with the facade where all the features had blended away into a yellow and steel blue colour scheme. This home deserved to be brought back to life, and luckily the owners had the same vision!”
A lot ofdamage had happened over time due to a lack of maintenance, so repairing and replacing rotted timber posts, the front deck and the major issue of a leaking and sagging roof were top of the list. Inside, the flow of the rooms needed some work, in particular the link to the eighties extension at the rear. Here, a kitchen, casual dining and laundry were accessed by walking through the study (not ideal!). And upstairs, four bedrooms were served by one pokey, damp bathroom.
“Removing the aged roof tiles and the sagging timber roof trusses, allowed for new steel and timber beams. This provided the exciting option for a new large roof void, which is such a value-adding feature, and one which would never be cost-effective if it wasnt for the fact that the whole roof was being replaced.”
Accessing the roof void made space for an additional bedroom, so the smallest bedroom in the house become the new family bathroom. The fit-out of the new bathrooms, the kitchen and butler’s pantry, were all done in keeping with the style of the home. “The new finishes and Taubmans colour scheme all work together to complete the renovation,” James says.
“All of the rotting timber elements of this house were removed and replaced ‘like with like’, and this process included adding new cedar shingles to the front of the new large front verandah, beautifully linking the new with the old in a seamless way. Internally the access issue to the rear kitchen was achieved by knocking out part of the wall next to the fireplace, providing not only ease of access but also natural light to flood from front to back, which makes this home feel larger than ever.”
Removing dated carpet and ageing fittings and repairing all of the windows took a lot of time, but needed to be done. “One of the most exciting things was witnessing the removal of the carpet to reveal those original timber floorboards, which could now be retained and stained instead of covering them with new timber flooring.”
A real game changer was adding a brand new balcony to take advantage of the priceless ocean views. “This took some time to convince council, but with great communication came acceptance that this could be achieved without damaging the integrity of the existing home. By repeating the use of cedar shingles and then combining the timber balustrades for both the balcony and verandah below, the result is a wide and generous balcony which looks like it has always been there.”
George Taubman’s shed was also saved
The owners are, of course, delighted with the end result too. “Overall the project was about four years from planning to the final move in,” Gero says. “Like most things, there were struggles and challenges but time goes past very quickly. We were fortunate to have James in our corner, who made it fun, helped us laugh through the testing times and take all the stress away from selecting the finishes.
“Our goal was to restore the home to its former glory on the street. Our immediate neighbours have all modernised and we wanted to maintain the original character as best we could. The house looks brand new from the street thanks to the new coat of Taubmans paint, while maintaining its federation heritage character. I wouldn’t want to tempt fate, or use the term forever home, but I look forward to ageing with it.”
James adds: “The owners were always in love with Yuggawai and could see its potential. Working closely with them for the almost two-year journey has been a relationship of trust and a combined love for the home.”
He adds: “The amount of time and money these clients spent on this home when compared to building a new property on paper may not equate, but in value it certainly does. If you think about your suburb or that favourite one you like to visit, its character is a combination of the location, its natural environment and the homes there. The look and feel of the streetscape adds great value, and quality historic homes like this one become landmarks, helping to identify the location as unique and individual. These clients have already received knocks on the door from people wishing to purchase their home, but they are not going anywhere!”
Want to see more? Grab a cuppa and take the tour with James in the video below.
Heritage home brought back to life for family living
This Federation home on Sydney’s lower north shore was in a bad state when Jon and Nikki Moss bought it in late 2015. But you’d never know it now, looking…
Chic Perth heritage reno a seamless blend of old & new
The heritage home with modern extension, is certainly not a new concept. Regardless of heritage restrictions, many a run-down old character home has been lovingly restored simply because people love…
Sydney waterside heritage home gets mod white extension
Perched atop a hill with enviable waterfront views, Sydney home ‘Highcliff’ was originally built in 1904 but underwent an extensive renovation recently after it was purchased by Sean and Shelley…
