In today’s home tour, we take you inside a modern Victorian home with flickers of fun. We’re talking traditional colours and architecture, mixed with contemporary furniture, art and styling.
The perfect blend of traditional meets modern. We chat with Silvia Roldan, Principal Designer and Creative Director of Studio Esar, responsible for this gorgeous home renovation. Welcome to Elsternwick House.
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When Studio Esar was brought on board to Elsternwick House, they knew it would be a whole lot of fun.
“This home is owned by Erica and Peter and their 2 young children. Peter is from Season 2 Masterchef fame,” Silvia explains.
“When we meet any of our clients, we get to know who they are as people and how they see themselves living in their home. For Erica and Peter, they wanted a house they would comfortable in but also had a sense of pride in how it was furnished.
“They put a lot of trust in us and were definitely open to exploring colour which is something we certainly enjoy playing with. Not only were we involved in furniture curation, but also art selection, decor and window furnishings. These all played a big part in creating a wholistic vision for each room.”
This modern Victorian home beautifully blends traditional architecture with contemporary elements.
“The architect — Keen Architecture — managed to pay homage to all the period detailing that Victorian homes have,” Silvia says.
It’s in these rooms that we were able to juxtapose with contemporary furniture and styling to create a wholistic marriage of the two.
“The high ceilings, period detailing and white walls were a blank canvas for us. We were able to come in and create something that spoke to our clients love of cooking, entertaining and socialising.
“We were able to include decorating references to the architectural detailing, added by the architect. For example, the fluted glass internal doors. So in the multi-use room, we found a feature pendant with fluted ceramic detailing.”
This home features a mostly black and white colour palette, with pops of vibrant colour through furniture, art and decor.
“The home features 3 bedrooms and a multi-purpose room that doubles as a guest bedroom. The multi-purpose room was designed around the idea that at the end of the day, they could escape from the kids and have some alone time in comfort.
“Erica and Peter really value family time as they’re both busy working professionals. Comfort played a big role in the furniture curation,” Silvia says.
“The home also has 2 bathrooms and a powder room.
The palette of black and white created a wonderful backdrop for us to furnish and decorate.
“The black and white palette really gave us a blank canvas to fill with pieces that the family will own for many years to come. It even features some pieces that will become heirlooms to be handed down from one generation to the next.
“The dining table is a particular stand out as the original design for this was a coffee table. However, we approached the furniture designers and asked whether they would consider modifying this for a dining table which they did. It was the first of its kind for them.”
There are so many special moments throughout this modern Victorian home.
“The original artwork in the multi-use room by Claire Kirkup was a last minute find. We can’t believe how beautifully it fills the space and also how the colours reference the furniture and styling pieces perfectly,” says Silvia with a smile.
“Our clients have a very extensive collection of cookbooks that can be seen scattered throughout the whole house. They’re in the multi-purpose room, kitchen and living room. All the books you see are cookbooks!
It was such an enjoyable experience opening up all the boxes and pulling out all these amazing books with their coloured spines and curating them throughout the home.
“The home really speaks for itself. The grandeur of the hallway encouraged us to leave it empty so that it intentionally draws your eye all the way down the vast hallway to get a glimpse of the modern living area beyond.
Credits
Photography — Tess Kelly
Architecture and interiors — Keen Architecture
Big thank you to Silvia for showing us around this glorious modern Victorian home. We love how the black and white colour palette allows for so much texture, colour and fun to be had through the furniture, textiles and decor.
If you’d like to see more from Studio Esar, take a look at their website or scroll their Instagram. Explore more Elsternwick House below — there’s loads more photos to devour!
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