Tag: the designory

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Wabi Sabi Byron home is full of treasures and perfectly imperfect

Sikata House, one of three properties designed by The Designory team, sits within a quarter acre corner site in Byron Bay’s coveted golden grid, mirroring the sandy warm tones of the surrounding beaches, clifftops and bushlands.

Exuding all the hallmarks of the global travel experience, the home is an exploration of the concept of wabi sabi, the elusive beauty of imperfection, aptly showcased through the use of stunning handcrafted materials, vintage furniture pieces, and treasures sourced from all over the world. 

Set over two storeys, Sikata House comprises four expansive bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living areas, and lushly landscaped outdoor entertaining areas, designed for multiple families or larger groups to reconnect and unwind. 

Entering the front gate, a sense of “home” is evoked as the first room you see is the rumpus, which is the main living area. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors open up to the outdoor areas and pool, providing easy access to indoor, outdoor relaxation. Sheer curtains frame the windows, providing the space with an ethereal quality. “For the rumpus room, I wanted to be able to draw the curtains out of the way during the day or leave them floating in the breeze when the doors are open. The floor-to-ceiling S wave sheer curtain on a curved, motorised track works beautifully, as it allows the curtains to wrap back into the room and opens the space fully to the landscape,” says Melissa Bonney, company director and lead designer at The Designory.

With rest and rejuvenation the main focus for the house, the master bedroom, complete with a master ensuite and private balcony, comprises of a king size four-poster teak bed, set against the natural fibres of the S wave blockout curtain, which complements the neutral aesthetics of the house. “As a busy mum and business owner who doesn’t usually get much sleep, the blockout material is a godsend,” says Melissa.

“Having the option to select custom fabrics for each room allowed us to get creative, matching and complementing textures and tones throughout. For the remaining three bedrooms we’ve chosen blockout roller blinds to create the perfect ambiance for a restful sleep, regardless if it’s day or night.” 

The light-filled home designed specifically for entertaining, also boasts a number of open plan zones and breakout spaces, as well as a perfectly oriented, north-facing alfresco area. The addition of a Luxaflex motorised awning helps keep the sun and heat at bay and maximises the living space while providing a continuous indoor-outdoor transition. With the addition of a heated designer plunge pool alongside an outdoor fire pit, and a BBQ space, the outdoor area can be enjoyed all year round.

Sikata House evokes the rawness of the Australian coastal palette through its carefully curated design elements, creating an ephemeral feeling of beauty that pervades the home and stays with you long after you leave.

Luxaflex window furnishings feature throughout the house, blending perfectly with design elements that depict the Australian coastal palette, through the use of natural materials and textures.

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Architecture Design Interiors Addict Interviews

Download digital house plans & schedules from The Designory

After 10 busy years building and running a multi-disciplinary design studio, working on over 400 client projects and amassing an Instagram following in excess of 260k, The Designory director Melissa Bonney was a little burnt out and looking for a career pivot.

“We’ve done so many beautiful client projects but I felt like it was time for a reinvention. We get constant questions through our website and Instagram and we’re inspiring and teaching people at the same time. We’ve become more of an education platform in a way,” says Melissa, who has just launched The Designory’s Digital Resources to cater to this demand.

Created to demystify the world of design and teach you everything that Melissa and her talented team know, the offering gives you access to all the tools, tips and professional know-how to help you create your dream interiors. You can affordably shop the brand’s in-house documentation including architectural plans, detailed designs, schedules and even smaller details like specific tiles or furniture items. “Good design should be for everyone and not just for those that can afford the big dollars. I’m so excited about these products,” says Melissa who explains that the digital downloads vary in price from $15 for a single item to $2,500 for a full set of architectural plans.

Samudra bedroom
Samudra House bedroom
Samudra House
Samudra House design schedule

Comprised of easy-to-read, downloadable PDFs that can be purchased individually or as a bundle (room by room and house by house), from concept to construction, you can now recreate The Designory look for a fraction of the cost and without the decision fatigue.

“As a design firm, when we’re doing these projects we’ve got these massive schedules that sit behind them. It’s everything down to tile layout, grout colour and the mechanism in the drawer runners,” says Melissa. A super smooth process, the schedules contain fully clickable links that allow you to click through and make purchases.

Users can choose elements from individual projects (there’s three now with nine available soon) or buy a complete set of plans. “The plans are so detailed that you can literally print them and hand them straight to your builder, trades or consultants,” says Melissa.

The Samudra is one of the house designs you can purchase from
The Samudra is one of three house designs you can purchase from

And while you can purchase all the details from a specific house, you can also come up with an entirely bespoke design solution. “The idea is that you can mix and match houses to come up with something unique. You can copy it entirely or be inspired and take elements from a couple of houses,” says Melissa.

Sikata kitchen
Sikata kitchen
Sikata house
Melissa would charge 15k minimum to design a kitchen but the plans for this one can be downloaded for $850.

“Of course, we’ll continue to be your go-to design bible for all things building, interiors, architecture and design, but we’re pulling back the curtain and we couldn’t be more excited!”

Check out The Designory Digital Resources

Byron Bay: The most luxurious farmhouse you’ve ever seen

With its rough sawn hardwood beams, plywood ceilings and exposed brickwork it’s difficult to believe that this stunning home is…

Green scheme: holiday home a lesson in luxe

The talented team from The Designory are back and this time they’ve created the ultimate holiday home; in Byron Bay no…
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Architecture Design House Tours

Byron Bay: The most luxurious farmhouse you’ve ever seen

Living
Open plan kitchen, living and dining

With its rough sawn hardwood beams, plywood ceilings and exposed brickwork it’s difficult to believe that this stunning home is a new build. Located on a working cattle station in the Byron Bay hinterland, with a two-pavilion design inspired by Australian wool sheds, the home was originally conceived via a collaboration between the architect Angus Munro, of Marc and Co, and the property’s owner, Tim Mundy.

The rugged, masculine interiors were designed by the talented team at The Designory and today, we’re lucky enough to step inside and take a look.

Farm
Not your typical homestead!

Nestled on 40 sprawling acres in the lush hinterland hillside, just 10-minutes from the centre of Byron Bay, Walker Farm feels opulent but very modern given its understated materials palette of timber, leather and stone. The landscape is arguably the most prominent feature of the property, and thus framing framing the views and capturing the light were paramount to the home’s design.

Lounge room
Lounge room

As mentioned, the home is comprised of two pavilions, yet both serve very clear purposes. One side houses the generously proportioned living, dining and kitchen spaces while the other contains a series of gorgeous bedrooms and bathrooms.

Living
Open plan kitchen, living and dining

In the central living area, a dramatic cathedral ceiling competes for attention with a basalt stone-clad combustion fireplace; the result is pretty dramatic. The adjacent kitchen features high-end appliances alongside stone and timber bench tops and exposed timber integrated shelving gives the kitchen joinery a lived-in, decorative feel with plenty of room for personal touches.

Kitchen
Kitchen

The bedroom pavilion houses a rumpus room and a stylish kids’ room with built-in bunk; the space saving custom solution has become something of a Designory signature. There’s a further two children’s bedrooms and guest rooms in this wing along with a master suite too.

Kids' room
Kids’ room. That blue paint is absolutely stunning.

The large master suite is another highlight of the home. One end of the room features a huge leather clad wall that serves to ground the space, while injecting more of that glorious earthy texture. The nearby ensuite is clad in green andesite and while private, it enjoys views of the surrounding pine forest and farm below.

Master bedroom
The master bedroom features a large leather-clad wall
Ensuite
Ensuite

All of the bedrooms have been designed with the natural landscape in mind with layers of natural texture and nature images featuring prominently. The resulting spaces all feel distinct yet connected to one another, thanks to the organic materials palette that was inspired by the surrounding environment.

Bedroom
Bedroom
Bedroom
Bedroom

The outdoors features a communal firepit area and a stunning mineral enriched pool by Theralux. Substantial decks and integrated bench seats allow the beautifully bucolic view to take centre stage.

Pool
Pool

Photography: Jessie Prince

For more

The Designory are sharing more details about the creation of Walker Farm on their Instagram from this week

Jason Grant & west elm update The Atlantic Byron Bay

The stylish Byron Bay boutique hotel The Atlantic got the west elm via Jason Grant treatment recently when its communal spaces, and one of its best-loved rooms, was beautifully refreshed –…

Green scheme: holiday home a lesson in luxe

The talented team from The Designory are back and this time they’ve created the ultimate holiday home; in Byron Bay no less! Inspired by the raw Aussie coastline, the five-bedroom, five-bathroom…

Family farmhouse in WA transformed into Hamptons estate

In Toodyay, WA, a small 1860’s farmhouse has been transformed into an Australian Hamptons mansion sprawling over 1,000sqm. Now known as ‘The Farm Estate’ the property, which has been in…
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DIY RENO ADDICT

Barn door hardware: New paintable, DIY from Corinthian

Barn doors feature throughout The Designory's latest project
Barn doors feature throughout The Designory's latest project

Aside from being a fabulous space-saving option, the barn door has fabulous design versatility – it complements virtually any interior (from industrial to farmhouse) and works in almost any room. The barn door also happens to reign supreme in The Designory’s latest project, courtesy of Corinthian’s brand new ‘Moda Barn Door Collection’ which you can see pictured here.

Barn doors feature throughout The Designory's latest project
Barn doors feature throughout The Designory’s latest project

“The new designs are an extension of the popular Moda interior door range, which takes cues from the simple yet elegant shaker style. Acting as functional feature in both small apartments and more spacious houses, the Moda Barn Door Collection provides homeowners with a solution of a sliding door that is perfect for walls where there is no cavity pocket and can be used in a variety of applications, from kitchens to living rooms to bathrooms,” says Corinthian Doors Marketing Manager, Amy Ryan. (They must be nice because Jen has the MODA doors throughout her home too!)

The doors are crafted from sustainable solid timber, and available in two finishes; a light American white oak veneer that’s perfect for staining, or primed, which allows for a smooth paint finish. We’re rather excited about this feature, as we have a penchant for coloured doors!

The Corinthian barn doors come in a primed, paintable option
The Corinthian barn doors come in a primed, paintable option

There are multiple designs across the range including a diagonal brace, centre brace and British brace and all of the designs are mirrored on both sides.

Obviously, hardware is vital to the barn door aesthetic with tracks and rollers left purposefully exposed. As such, the Moda range features a matte black face-mounted barn door track and hardware kit including a two-metre track, rollers and anti-jump stops for smooth gliding.

A barn door worked a treat in The Designory's recent project
A barn door worked a treat in the bedroom of The Designory’s recent project

Stability can be an issue when it comes to barn doors, but Corinthian have covered that too. “Poor anchoring can be a common pitfall for barn doors and results in them swinging away from and into walls, causing potential damage,” says Amy.

The range features two types of door guides to prevent this from happening, and they are both simple enough to DIY. The classic floor-mounted version secures doors discretely (and comes included in the barn door track and hardware kit). And for floors that are difficult to drill into (tiles, cement, stone, marble), there is a wall-mounted door guide (sold separately) that can be affixed to the adjacent skirting or wall.

Photography: The Designory & Andy Macpherson Studio

For more on Corinthian doors | Check out the coloured barn door in Jen’s kitchen

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Design House Tours Interviews Styling

Green scheme: holiday home a lesson in luxe

Kitchen
Kitchen

The talented team from The Designory are back and this time they’ve created the ultimate holiday home; in Byron Bay no less! Inspired by the raw Aussie coastline, the five-bedroom, five-bathroom home features a soothing green colour palette that is a departure from your typical coastal-themed interiors.

Kitchen
Kitchen and dining

Bedroom
Bedroom

“There’s always  the temptation when working with a coastal palette to work with shades of blue, and whilst we absolutely love that idea, we wanted to extend the coastal reference to the elements we find uniquely Australian – the darker eucalyptus greens, the rich sea grass greens found on walks through the dunes, and the minty sea foam tones found at the ocean’s edge,” says director Melissa Bonney.

Bathroom
Bathroom

From the tinted green concrete bench tops in the kitchen and laundry to the green Moroccan-inspired tiles in the bathrooms and green soft furnishings throughout, the home certainly makes a case for drawing on the greener aspects of our coast.

Lounge room
Lounge room

The home’s coastal vibe is further cemented by its strong connection between the indoors and outdoors. “This was a key element to the success of the home, and we utilised a number of strong glazing elements to achieve this,” says Melissa. To this end, a five-metre stacked sliding door opens from the main living area to the alfresco and pool area.

Outdoors
Outdoors

Stacked doors allow guest to move seamlessly between the spaces
Stacked doors allow guests to move seamlessly between the open-plan spaces

A standout space, the home’s bunk room is a beautifully designed and styled space that can sleep up to six kids. “The brief included a little bit of whimsy, a sense of fun and a whole lot of functionality,” says Melissa of the room that features suspended bunks, that appear to float, with a netted area between them. There’s also two beds underneath, in addition to two pull-out trundle beds.

The gorgeous bunk room
The gorgeous bunk room

This room features spotted wallpaper layered with textured grey and mustard soft furnishings, leather beanbags and jute baskets. “The final elements adorning the wall are a gorgeous piece of art, a whimsical lion, and a selection of timber hooks randomly scattered,” says Melissa.

Bunk room

Colours and open-plan spaces aside, the interiors are a masterclass in the luxe Aussie coastal vibe The Designory is renowned for. “Delivering a ‘luxe’ vibe is really all about layering and texture and repeated materials,” says Melissa. The home does this expertly with its clever mix of textured rugs, tactile fabrics, textured paints and wallpapers.

Lounge room
Another lounge area

And for anyone looking to recreate this look at home, Melissa has great advice. “Pick a theme or colour scheme and ensure that runs seamlessly through the home by repeating elements or materials,” says Melissa. For example, you might choose an oak front door, and then use oak furniture or custom vanities as well as oak pots or other styling items.

Bedroom
Bedroom

Bathroom
Bathroom

Rent the home via AirBNB | Another Byron Bay abode

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Appliances Design Designers Expert Tips Interviews Styling

Cosy living room ideas from The Designory

The Designory

With winter on the doorstep, and temperatures heading south, suddenly cocooning inside seems like a very attractive option. But just how can you transform your breezy summer living room to a comfy, wintry living space? We caught up with The Designory director Melissa Bonney, who certainly knows a thing or two about the topic. She shared the simple ways she turns her living room into a cosy sanctuary during the cooler months.

The Designory

Layout
“Cosy never means cramped, so make sure you edit your living space like you would your outfit,” says Melissa who says a room’s layout is the first thing to consider when creating a cosy space.

“Think about the flow of movement through the room and make sure you create an ease of connection within areas. There should be plenty of space for people to sit, relax, talk and unwind. Living spaces which allow for your family and friends to truly engage with each other are always the most inviting homes,” says Melissa.

Layers of texture
With layered texture a design signature for The Designory, it’s no surprise to hear that Melissa recommends the technique for creating an inviting atmosphere in the living room. “Nothing quite says cosy like beautiful textures, and we love to combine them across all surfaces,” says Melissa.

“For the walls, opt for woven artworks, textured wallpaper or even paint them a warmer shade. When it comes to decor items, think about what is going to make your space feel the most luxurious. Soft rugs or carpets underfoot, throws and cushions for seating all help to make a room feel homely, complete and comfortable,” says Melissa.

the Designory

Get the glow
Melissa believes no living room is complete without a source of heat for the cooler months and her go-to for winter ambience is a gorgeous fireplace. “Never underestimate the power of a beautiful fireplace to create the perfect living environment,” she says.

The Designory

“A fireplace becomes a gathering space in the home, a place where great conversations are shared, and we can relax and reconnect. Try integrating fireplaces into the wall or within joinery designs for a more refined and seamless feel. We love IXL’s new Cannon Latitude fireplace – its elongated profile is the perfect proportion for modern living,” says Melissa.

IXL's Latitude fireplace
IXL’s Latitude fireplace

Lighting is another way in which you can inject warmth and mood into your home – table lamps, overhead pendants and even candle light can change the look and feel of the room.

Natural elements
Natural elements are key to The Designory’s aesthetic and there’s no denying that clever use of natural materials such as timber and leather adds instant warmth to a room. “Human beings have an innate connection with natural materials. It helps us to feel more grounded and connected to our environment.”

The Designory
Natural elements are key to creating a cosy living room

Photography: Jessie Prince | Interior design: The Designory

For more

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Designers House Tours Interviews Styling

Real home: This chic Sydney family abode mixes old with new

“Make this house feel like a home,” said the owners of this freestanding Victorian era home in the Sydney suburb of Bronte before it was transformed recently by The Designory. And perusing the end result, I’d say that goal was most definitely achieved! After moving from a cosy, semi-detached residence in Waverley with their two young children, the family found they had plenty of spaces to fill in this much larger home.

The living room features an original Hans Wegner Tripod chair

“Although they had brought many of their personal treasures and collectable items with them they engaged us from the beginning to make their new house feel more like a home. They wanted to incorporate their love of mid-century pieces and their personal treasures with new pared back classic items to create an environment that the whole family could enjoy,” says interior designer Melissa Bonney, who used durable yet beautiful child-friendly materials and finishes throughout the project.

Master bedroom

With a ‘mid-century modern’ brief, Melissa and her team went about decorating the home to give it a lovely, lived-in vibe. “Overall the success of the project was in the eclectic mix that directly relates to our clients’ personalities. Mixing the old with the new and sourcing original pieces that tell a story created an interior that reflects the owners and their way of living,” says Melissa.

Child’s room

Her favourite space, the dining area mixes rattan (so hot right now!) and copper to fabulous effect. “We love the dining area. The simplicity of the modern oak dining table complements the original Hoffman walnut dining chairs perfectly along with the clients’ original artwork and the gorgeous copper pendant lights,” says Melissa.

Dining room

As for her favourite piece of furniture, Melissa can’t go past the original Hans Wegner Tripod chair that resides in the living room. “It’s definitely a team favourite as it’s such a classic and enduring piece that will never go out of style.”

Child’s bedroom

Photography: Tom Ferguson | For more on The Designory

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Designers House Tours RENO ADDICT

Real home: Paddington terrace transformed for young family

With its neutral, tranquil colour palette, clever use of space and sophisticated joinery, this Paddington terrace was overhauled by The Designory recently, with superb results. “The idea was to create a comfortable family home with an existing small terrace – a modern extension was approved to the rear. But as the front of the house was existing, the intent was to mix old and new features together while incorporating the clients’ love of colour throughout,” says The Designory’s head of design services Margo Reed.

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Master bedroom

“As the property is a Victorian terrace we kept the original beautiful detailing such as picture rails, detailed architraves, cornices and the existing coloured windows to the front. We proposed a classic palette of black and white which offered the perfect base for contemporary colours to be added,” says Margo.

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Lounge room

The Designory were also tasked with creating family spaces that can adapt as the owner’s children grow. “I particularly love the different uses the front room offers. Currently it’s used as the kids’ play room opening onto the living room however the storage joinery that runs along the front wall has a pull-out desk feature which easily turns the space into a study looking onto the tree lined street when they need to work from home,” says Margo.

The clever pull-out drawer transforms this room from a kid’s play room into a study

The home is also big on texture and detail with herringbone tiles in the family bathroom and detailed mouldings on the wardrobes, that reference the home’s heritage and impart a homely vibe throughout.

designory_dillon-st_0a8a2953
Family bathroom

“The detailed features were paired back for a more modern day feel by adding finishes such as engineered oak flooring, crisp whites, two-pack poly finishes and modern architectural lighting,” says Margo.

Kitchen and dining

The family includes two small children whose shared room is particularly sweet – we love the gender neutral colour palette of aqua, grey and emerald green.

designory_dillon-st_0a8a2856_ps
Children’s room

Photography: Tom Ferguson

Check out more from The Designory here.

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Bathrooms Designers House Tours Kitchens

Heritage listed Sydney home gets modern (not too trendy!) reno

Blending traditional elements with contemporary touches, this heritage listed Victorian Italianate villa, in Sydney’s Bronte, has been recently renovated and with gorgeous results – the new kitchen is particularly fab.

Design Hunter_Bronte Kitchen_0A8A9514_PS
The new and expansive entertainer’s kitchen

“As a heritage listed building, working with the existing architecture and design elements was key, with the idea being to blend them into a more contemporary scheme. The back portion of the house, and casual living zone, was a space that the family wanted to modernise while referencing the home’s heritage,” says The Designory director Melissa Bonney, whose company was responsible for the transformation.

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Marble details in the bathroom reference the home’s heritage

“The objective was to blend the traditional with the contemporary, draw light into the home, create an open layout with a strong connection to the light-filled yard, along with transforming some of the more impractical internal elements and spaces to make way for an active and busy family.”

Design Hunter_Bronte Kitchen_0A8A9544_RT
We love the pop of greenery on the floating shelves in the kitchen!

The transformed home includes an entertainer’s kitchen, two classic marble-clad bathrooms, a powder room and laundry, new bi-fold doors and windows and an updated master bedroom and walk-in robe. There are myriad details throughout that reference the home’s Italianate style – decorative finishes and the restoration of ornate cornices, windows and doorway details are just some of them.

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Master bedroom

The heart of the home (the family are enthusiastic entertainers), the kitchen, is what caught our eye. We love how the floating shelves allow for the display of plants and other special objects – the layered effect is particularly inviting. “The solid-blackbutt floating timber shelves in the kitchen add just the right amount of warmth that the highly used common area needs,” says Melissa.

Design Hunter_Bronte Kitchen_0A8A9635_RT
Kitchen

The kitchen also boasts a host of clever design elements including custom made sections for spices, sectioned cupboards for cooking trays, and a built in bar area (which contains an integrated bar fridge, pull out liquor drawer and wine storage) making it the perfect entertaining hub.

See more here.

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Designers House Tours RENO ADDICT

Real home: 1980s townhouse transformed with Scandi touches

Built in the 1980’s, this inner-city Sydney townhouse showed many hallmarks of the era before The Designory (formerly The Design Hunter Studio) transformed it with a swathe of neutral finishes and lots of gorgeous timber.

CecilSt_04 2
Living room

“The challenge was to hide some of the features that showed the age of the building which was essentially a block of 80’s style reddish- brown brick townhouses. The interiors were brought in to the present by using a simple and pared back neutral palette and by repeating tones and materials,” says The Designory director Melissa Bonney.

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Master bedroom

Aesthetics aside, the home needed to be made more liveable for its owners, a young family of four, including a design-savvy six-year-old girl and new baby. “This project was a full renovation touching literally every surface of the home. Removing walls and reconfiguring spaces were required, so a full development application was lodged with local council as well as planning approvals through the building’s strata management,” says Melissa.

CecilSt_08
Entertainment hub & storage

Not only were walls removed but two new bathrooms, a new laundry and new kitchen were installed too. Wide board American Oak flooring features throughout and also on the entertainment hub. Possibly our favourite feature, we love how neat, tidy and aesthetically pleasing the TV looks mounted on the cool-toned timber. “We installed a wall close to the front door which houses mud room style joinery to the entry side and a television for the lounge and family area on the other.  The introduction of this immediately delineated the zones and created much needed storage but more importantly it created an opportunity for a beautiful feature wall clad in timber and other decorative nooks.”

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Kitchen

The inhabitants had a very clear idea of what they wanted – one of the youngest members of the family in particular. “Even the couple’s six-year-old daughter was involved, drawing us sketches of the room layout and finding images of what she liked!” says Melissa. We love her peach-toned Incy Interiors Spindle bed, Ubabub Booksee book shelves and metallic gold bedside table – savvy choices indeed!

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Child’s bedroom

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Nursery

Another standout feature, the bi-fold windows and doors played a key part in the home’s transformation and really brought the outside in. “The creation of light and the connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces has been life changing for the family,” says Melissa.

CecilSt_13

“Our favourite feature in the home was the creation of a grown up sized ensuite. This was very rewarding to be able to create for the owners as they were desperately craving their own space with a young daughter and small baby at the time. It was achieved by joining together the existing small bathroom and robe to create one large bathroom clad in stunning tiles and a feature vanity and mirror – the perfect extension to the master bedroom and creation of a true master suite,” says Melissa.

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Master bedroom ensuite

Formally known as The Design Hunter Studio, The Designory is a multi-disciplinary design studio located in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. See here for more.