This Edwardian in Melbourne’s south-east suburbs has been beautifully renovated without losing its heritage flair.
The Brighton house is home to a young family who engaged Page Stewart (led by founding directors Hayley Page and Katherine Stewart) for the ‘thoughtful’ transformation.
‘The goal was to blend contemporary design with the heritage Edwardian character of the home,’ Hayley says.
While Page Stewart opted for a minimalistic palette, the modern spaces are softened by curved lines in custom details alongside a series of designer furniture from leading retailer DOMO.
Katherine says the sculptural silhouettes of the Ligne Roset Ploum Settee and Biasol Tre Mezzo Counter Stool’s fluffy cushion brought a sense of ‘cosiness to the space’. They also designed a more playful green banquette seat around the Wittmann Miles Bistro Table Round.
We asked Page Stewart for all their tips on balancing old and new below:
Hi Hayley and Katherine! What was the key focus of your Brighton renovation?
Katherine: The brief was to create a functional family home with a contemporary extension.
Hayley: We focused on enhancing natural light, improving flow between spaces, and providing a neutral yet highly textualized palette as a canvas for the homeowners’ art collection.
The project strikes a careful balance between contemporary design and the heritage bones of the house. What’s the key to achieving this balance?
Hayley: It requires a thoughtful approach, honouring its original character while integrating modern functionality. We incorporated a minimalist archway to separate the modern elements from the heritage details, ensuring a seamless transition.
Key to this balance is preserving distinctive architectural details and using contemporary materials that complement them, such as curved joinery to create fluid transitions. Each modern intervention should enhance usability and energy efficiency, fostering a dialogue between the past and present for a harmonious living environment.
What drew you to the curvy, sculptural shapes of furniture in this home?
Katherine: We loved these shapes as they almost present as works of art, working to highlight the spaces and bring a sense of cosiness.
Hayley: The sculptural shapes create warmth and comfort while adding visual interest to the space. We saw the furniture as a sculptural extension of the built interior form, fostering a playful contrast with the home’s heritage elements and enhancing the overall aesthetic.
The Ligne Roset Ploum Settee from DOMO is a great addition, why does it work so well in this space?
Hayley: We absolutely loved the Ploum Settee for its eye-catching silhouette. Its plush upholstery and organic shape bring a warm touch, making it a standout piece that fits perfectly with both the modern and heritage elements of the home.
More generally, what features are you drawn to when selecting furniture and design pieces for your projects?
Hayley: When selecting furniture and design pieces for our projects, we focus on comfort, style, and uniqueness, aiming to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Colour is another aspect to consider. In our Brighton project, the interior palette boosts bold green hues that we emphasised in the furniture selection, adding depth and character to the space.
What’s next for Page Stewart?
Hayley: We’re all about growing our footprint in the luxury residential sector, providing outstanding design and service. We love tailoring our approach to fit each client’s unique needs and preferences, making sure every project showcases their personal style and vision. Our passion for excellence inspires us to create beautiful and functional spaces that truly elevate luxury living.
DOMO is Australia’s exclusive stockist of iconic designer furniture, lighting and homewares brands from Europe, and across the globe.
With showrooms in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, DOMO offers a curated collection of classic and contemporary indoor and outdoor furniture ranges that last a lifetime.
For more design inspiration, follow DOMO on Instagram here or explore their collections online now.
