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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.”
Photography: Gathering Light
