The ambient elegance of the 1920s still echoes through the stately rooms of this beautifully resurrected Toorak home by Georgina Jeffries.
Brae House is a residence that reestablishes the definition of home. When Lorne-based interior designer Georgina Jeffries began a journey into its resurrection, the house harboured that heavy essence of suspended time particular to stately old homes. As though, one day, it had reached out and gently gathered all the moments of its century-long history to itself and then settled down to wait for the moment someone came along with the presentiment to sanction its exhale.
Today, this home in Melbourne’s Toorak, complete with coffered ceilings, panelled walls, ornate plasterwork, and rooms that harbour that calcifying quiet contemporary open plan just never could, has been sensitively nudged into a new relevance. Georgina has been deeply considerate of the aesthetic inclinations and functional requirements of the owners of the home – busy medical professionals with two children – while instilling her distinct design ethos through a unique command of light and colour.
The hallway features a custom Den Holm console.
In the dining room, the sideboard holds the ‘A Frame for Life’ book by Isle Crawford, alongside the Surface Sconce Table Lamp designed by Henry Wilson.
Brae House has emerged from Georgina’s impeccable design applications as a curation of harmonious interior spaces defined by light and palette. Alchemy of muted blues instils a contemporary calm with different hues subtly distinguishing spaces whilst maintaining a sense of cohesion throughout. A beautiful restraint exists between the coolness of the wall colours and the refinement of white ceilings where period details need no further adornment. The palette introduces a moodiness that is relieved by the white while taking nothing from the allure of lead-light windows, antique glass, and the workmanship evident in intricate plasterwork and woodwork details.
For all the restraint exercised in the interior palette of the Brae House, bold and vibrant energy is embedded through discerning contemporary artwork; a nod to the owners’ deep passion for art. The juxtaposition of modern works in brilliant colours against the constrained finesse of the period restoration has become the cornerstone of this home’s design identity and a reflection of its inhabitant’s aesthetic inclinations. Styling pieces weave further intricacy into the character of the home with austere materials assuming fanciful silhouettes at the talented hand of Den Holm, and myriad textures introducing a beautifully tactile appeal.
Notable pieces in the living room include the Tufty-Time Sofa, designed by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia and the Ivy Coffee Table by Grazia&Co. The Arancini Floor Light by Moda Piera and artwork by Martine Edmur complete the space.
This home is an amalgamation of old-world charm and modern sensibilities which subtly settle as an almost transparent layer upon the 1920s period features. It is trend annulled in favour of homage, and the gallery-esque treatment of the home for the curation of works by the likes of Colin Pennock, Martine Edmur and Trevor Mein. Beautiful pieces that gently reveal the homes incomparable energy and introduce an emotive charm.
Brae House is a residence that pays respect to the bricks and mortar of its origins and to both the necessary essentials and luxurious indulgences found within its rooms. Georgina has calligraphed her response to the client brief for Brae House with a meticulous respect for both the architecture of the building and the relentless pattern of life that plays out within its walls.
The study features the Eames Aluminium Group Management Chair, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller.
The Buds 2 Table Lamp, designed by Rodolfo Dordoni for Foscarini in the bedroom.
Roattino Floor Lamp, designed by Eileen Gray for ClassiCon
Vibrant artwork by Trevor Mein contrasts the blue walls in the study.
