Numerous previous additions had left this Victorian home in Mosman, NSW, in a jarring state, calling for Ioanna Lennox Interiors’ expertise on a cohesive overhaul.

Their renovations primarily focused on the second half of the ground floor (beyond the original, period rooms) where a new kitchen, dining room, laundry, and powder room were created.

The reorientation of the kitchen was integral to the project’s success. The new layout connected the kitchen and dining space, combining multiple storage solutions and purposes under a three-metre high ceiling.

Creative director Ioanna Lennox explains, ‘We designed joinery in the dining room that’s a visual extension of the kitchen, but responds to the function and purpose of this room as a space to equally gather and entertain, as well as a work-from-home place. We took a simple and restrained approach to the desk area, which extends into a sun-soaked banquette by the window to idle the hours away.’

A gallery wall featuring the client’s prized collection brings character and warmth into the space above the dining table, which opens out to a north-facing courtyard behind bifold doors. ‘It’s a room that just makes you feel good and is hard to leave,’ Ioanna says.  

Also evident in the new domain are subtle mid-century influences across the furniture scheme and joinery featuring timber and reeded glass. ‘Our clients are big fans of the mid-century modern era, so the challenge was to bring elements of this style into this Federation home in an effortless and unforced way and have them sit in harmony next to ornate plaster ceilings and Victorian fireplaces,’ says Ioanna.

Updates to the remainder of the home were driven by the clients’ love of green, amber, and orange shades introduced across the soft furnishings and textile art. Saturated, dusty, blue-grey walls in the formal lounge meanwhile complement the detailed restored ceilings. 

The resolved home is more practical, yet whimsical and sophisticated, for a Mosman family of four.