A renovation and extension on a time-worn waterfront home sees the birth of an expressive, tonally-rich family abode.
Tasked with restoring and elevating an existing heritage home in Geelong, Victoria, Melbourne and Lorne-based interior design studio Georgina Jeffries called on the indispensable elements of colour and texture. Like an artist taking to a blank canvas, Georgina has applied the two elements with poise and deliberation, with each brush stroke reigniting the home’s spirit of place.
According to Georgina, the heritage part of the home was “in need of a lot of love” – last updated in the 1980s. Despite this, it still possessed an old-world grandeur that the clients wanted to keep intact during the renovation. So rather than overturning these spaces, Georgina chose to reinvigorate them, honouring the home’s history in the process. Needless to say, the medium through which this was achieved was colour; the formal living room, master bedroom, study and powder room feature a thematic palette of deep blue and sea green, mimicking the city’s waterfront.
The brief stipulated that a kitchen, second living, rumpus and four kid’s bedrooms be introduced to the heritage part of the home. As you enter the double brick extension through the arched glass doorway, the colours morph into a Californian-inspired palette of white and timber. Coinciding with this tonal shift is an atmospheric shift; “the greens and blues have a calming effect, compared to the uplifting sensation of white and timber,” Georgina says.
Expressive colours and textures usually go hand-in-hand in The Espie. On a macro-scale, we see lustrous timber, polished concrete, painted bricks and soft lime-wash paint. On a micro-scale – the details tell the home’s story – we see unburnished brass taps, sculptural light fixtures, marble mantelpieces, velvet cushions and linen curtains.
The Espie will forever remain a colourful piece of Geelong’s past while paving the way for the resident family’s future.