We know you love a home tour as much as we do and today’s is a truly special one as we’re taking you inside a historic home that’s been given new life by Interior Architect Alexi George and her family.
Situated in Canberra’s inner-south suburb of Deakin, she brought this former Ambassador’s residence back to glory by taking a restrained and sympathetic approach.
We talk with Alexi about the house, the work they undertook, and get her insights on how to respectfully renovate older homes.
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“The house was built in 1944 commissioned by the Australian government. The intention was to offer it as an Ambassador’s residence to promote Australian diplomatic relations post war,” explains Alexi.
“We bought the home in near to its original condition. The only major changes were in the 1960s when the owners decorated it extravagantly in Florence Broadhurst wallpaper and elaborate drapes and carpets.”
With formal living and dining rooms, four bedrooms, four bathrooms, library, sunroom, kitchen, laundry room and a separate two-bedroom granny flat out the back, this was no small project!
Fortunately Alexi specialises in residential design and was up for the challenge. In 2016, she founded Alexi George, a multi-disciplinarily interior design and architecture consultancy.
“We decided to remove some of the original layers — starting with that wallpaper and heavy pelmets and curtains — to let the house speak for itself,” says Alexi.
“It exposed the most beautiful solid masonry walls and immediately made the house feel lighter and more open plan.
“We also removed the carpet to find antique Tallowwood flooring throughout.”
Alexi gave the home a refreshing lift with a coat of crisp white paint throughout and new flooring. She specialises in custom joinery and designed new joinery for all the bedrooms. Although most of the renovations were to modernise the home, Alexi also added ornate cornices to fit the period. All of these upgrades allow the original features, including four fireplaces, to shine.
Our favourite upgrade is that revamped powder room. We mean, how stunning is that deep blue wall colour and that solid marble vanity?! Those marble hexagon floor tiles are also too pretty for words.
Despite all the upgrades, Alexi says her favourite feature is one that’s been there the longest.
“I love the living and dining rooms. These rooms flow onto the front balcony, which in spring is covered in the most extraordinary Wisteria. It spans the entire 15 metre porch and is the oldest wisteria in Canberra. It’s also where the house gets its name.”
Renovating any house is a challenge — and even more so when there are period features to consider. But as an interior architect, Alexi is well-equipped to take them on. She says problem solving, while rather non-glamorous, is her favourite part of any interiors project — especially when applied to renovations.
“An important element is making sure the joinery and bathrooms are sympathetic to the style of the house. I prefer to complement existing fixtures with the right material palette. For example, we included hand-painted shaker style robes and desks upstairs. Because polyurethane would look too polished and not suit the existing cupboards.”
Alexi combines old and new to bring a modern edge in her signature relaxed, classic style of decorating.
“I love combining older elements with modern/mid-century decoration. For example, in our home we have a 45 year old Parker lounge — it’s one of my favourite pieces of furniture.”
“I’m a huge fan of wallpaper combined with modern too. However, for this house we stripped all of that back. We wanted the ceiling, windows and light to speak for itself.”
If you’re seeking an interior expert for your project, Alexi and her team are available to offer assistance. They can help at any part of of the design journey. From the design brief to spatial planning, joinery design and beyond, you can engage Alexi on an hourly rate where she can be by your side as often or as little as needed.
Thank you Alexi for showing us through beautiful Wisteria House. To see more of Alexi’s work, visit her website or connect with her on Instagram for more information.
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