“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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.”
Photography: Tom Ferguson | For more on The Designory