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Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
Award-winning Australian interior design, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top designers.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Studio visits with Australia’s top artists, and unmissable art exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond.
Weekly recipes and meal ideas from our favourite cooks, authors and foodies.
Unique travel destinations, design-led accomodation and day trip ideas in Australia and New Zealand.
Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
Award-winning Australian interior design, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top designers.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Studio visits with Australia’s top artists, and unmissable art exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond.
Weekly recipes and meal ideas from our favourite cooks, authors and foodies.
Unique travel destinations, design-led accomodation and day trip ideas in Australia and New Zealand.
Today’s home belongs to Mexico-born, Sydney based interior designer Lorena Gaxiola and family. Despite Lorena’s impressive design credentials (outlined below!), she hasn’t tinkered too much with the general layout of the space since purchasing her home six years ago. Though the basic structure of the home remains unchanged, cosmetic changes have included replacing floorboards, changing interior paint colours and some joinery, and also reworking the central courtyard area.
Lorena has a love of bold colour, and a passion for artwork collected on travels through the US and her native Mexico. One of her favourite vignettes is the entrance hall, where an artwork by her friend, Mexican artist Jorge Tellaeche, is paired with an eyecatching graphic cabinet by Australian furniture maker Old School Industries. ‘The composition is me to a tee!’ Lorena says.
Whist I must admit it’s not entirely clear in these shots, Lorena’s home is built around a central courtyard – from the entrance through to the living space, each room opens onto a generous outdoor room. ‘I love how we can open the hallway, den areas and TV room opens into the courtyard creating an indoor/outdoor feel’ says Lorena. ‘It is an amazing party home!’.
Born and raised in Mexico, Lorena’s father, a respected architect, inspired her to follow in his footsteps in the field of design. As a result, Lorena co-founded her interior design firm, Kuatro Design, in the US in 2000, and became the sole director of the company in 2003. After many years spent running her company from the US, and winning a string of international awards, Lorena moved to Australia six years ago, and had her first child – Demi Luiza (pictured below – so cute!), in Sydney last year. She now officially calls Australia home.
Though she’s a new Mum, Lorena still plays a very hands on role in running her design business, with high profile clients the US, Asia and Australia. At present, Lorena is also busy adding another string to her bow! Combining her Mexican heritage and international design experience, she is currently working with a small team of Sydney designers to develop her own collection of homewares, to be released later this year under her own name. We got a sneak peek at the ceramics and glassware whilst we photographed her home and they are seriously SO AMAZING! Lorena’s range will include textiles, wallpaper, rugs, dinnerware and glassware. I wish very much I could share a preview with you here but alas they’re not quite ready for coverage yet. I’ll be sure to keep you posted – think Mexicana meets Missoni….!
Massive thanks to Lorena and Demi for having us, and sharing their home with us today!
The Design Files acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.
First Nations artists, designers, makers, and creative business owners are encouraged to submit their projects for coverage on The Design Files. Please email bea@thedesignfiles.net
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