This Australian abode has been imaginatively extended by a dynamic architect and decorator collaboration
STYLING Simone Haag
LIVING ROOM
The spaces in the original part of the Federation Queen Anne house ‘have evocative colour selections that play off light and scale, refining their beautiful features,’ says architect David Neil
The download
This historic home in Melbourne has been updated for a young family by Neil Architecture, which redesigned the original interior and added a bold new extension. Interior decorator Simone Haag was then tasked with selecting a considered mix of furniture and artwork that bridges the architectural gap and speaks to the family’s taste and lifestyle.
The original portion of this single-storey home contains a study, living room and main bedroom with an en suite and walk-in wardrobe plus a WC. At the rear, the two-storey extension has an open-plan kitchen and dining area that flows into a living space overlooking the garden. There are also three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Radiating serious olde-worlde charm, the facade of this Melbourne home showcases many of the elaborate hallmarks of Australia’s distinctive Federation Queen Anne architecture. But don’t let its quaint turrets and decorative flourishes fool you – beyond the historic frontage lies a boldly modern interior that’s as inviting as it is unexpected. Once inside, a sober palette of cool tones envelops the original rooms, bridging the gap between the ornate period features and the careful selection of furniture and art that helps define this reinvigorated home’s new identity.
Pass through the study and living room to the rear of the house and a striking contemporary extension unfolds – the work of Neil Architecture. The architects drew heavily from the history of the building, as well as the landscape, for both parts of the project. ‘Evocative colour selections for the existing rooms play off light and scale, refining their beautiful features,’ says David Neil, whose team devised the tonal schemes and brought texture and warmth into the newly built spaces through the use of natural stone, pale timber and deep-brown tiles.
The expert behind the nuanced selection of furniture and artwork is Simone Haag, who evolved the spaces in response to Neil Architecture’s distinctive colour palette, as well as the new architectural interventions and the owners’ love for abstract art and mid-century design. ‘We needed to create a sensitive dial
