TOORAK RESIDENCE

trades were called on by the design team to realise an ambitious vision for a magnificent residence. To create a contemporary interpretation of a grand mansion with a classically ordered facade and reverential interiors, celebrating the luxury With an affinity for the romance of the past, the clients desired a stately, neoclassical home to support their provenance, personalities and lifestyle. Their eye for quality and detail called for luxury finishes, furniture, lighting and decor. The design team developed a narrative around the rituals of living, seizing each interior touchpoint and spatial volume as a moment to heighten experience and pursue beauty. With an expansive footprint of 2000sqm, spaces are planned according to their civic scale, with furniture arrangements and spatial gestures carving installation-like scenes within. The home is an intersection of bygone eras, including 18th-century villa architecture, French renaissance and art deco styling, overlaid with a contemporary sensibility. Embellished with delicate floral-motif mouldings, the gallery-like interior is harnessed by decadence and eclecticism. Heritage-inspired pieces sit alongside the contemporary and experimental. Sumptuous jewel-toned upholsteries, silk carpets, fashion-inspired textiles, graphic patterning and intricate floors overlay the house with wit and personality. We eschewed a faithful historical replication in favour of a dynamic and nuanced response. The palatial foyer with sweeping grand staircase, Baccarat chandelier and graphic stone flooring is an impactful representation of the greater home, a thoughtful fusing of classical, historic and contemporary gestures mediating delight and fearlessness. The artisans and specialist trades executed antiquated details with rigour and authenticity. The hand-run mouldings of the grand staircase and the skilful installation of inlaid stone floors ensure their craft is not lost. French renaissance style mouldings and brass window suites were sourced from LA and Italy. Rare and distinctive furnishings and design gestures deliver a variety of spatial qualities and experiences, from a sense of mood and seclusion to abundant openness and conviviality. A universal language of restraint and historicism is maintained throughout, ensuring the project is read as a considered and cohesive whole. Our clients were heavily involved in each step of the process, so to see their expectations exceeded means a lot to me.