Modern retro home where green is the star: Hawthorn House

Welcome inside Hawthorn House. This modern retro home features fun tiles, green stone benchtops and glorious tree top views. Another project from the talented team at Studio Esar, together with Bryant Alsop Architects, this is a home renovation that’s definitely worth checking out.

And brace yourself… the styling in today’s home tour is *chef’s kiss*. Let’s go on a tour!

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Originally designed in the 1990s, this home had great bones, but was in desperate need of a refresh.

“This is a family home for parents and 2 young children — not forgetting their beloved ragdoll cat,” says Silvia Roldan, Principal Designer and Creative Director at Studio Esar.

“The original 1990s house was designed by Neil Clerehan. It had fabulous bones. The structure was sound and true, although the interior was dated and didn’t meet the needs of the young family who now call the house home,” explains Sarah Bryant, Director at Bryant Alsop Architects.

“The project beautifully showcases the art of transformation within the confines of an exisiting, well-designed and solidly built 1990s home. Instead of starting from scratch, we embraced the challenge of working within the exisiting shell.

“We took great joy in simply breathing new life into it to suit the needs of a modern family, while not losing the essence of the original ’90s home.”

With a stunning outlook, Hawthorn House boasts views from almost every room.

“The house appears unassuming from the front. It is a single-storey street facade, but inside, cascades across 3 levels to the garden and riverbank below,” Sarah says.

“Nestled into the banks of the Yarra river, the home has river views from almost every room. The original division of the home was maintained in the renovation. It already separated the public and private zones of the house so our job was to refresh and update the layout to further enhance its functionality.

“This modern retro home is now 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms plus a powder room with a separate laundry, study and self contained unit.

The heart of the home — the kitchen, living, and dining areas — received a complete redesign, prioritising their functionality and family connection.

This modern retro home is perfectly described as balancing innovation and preservation.

“This project exemplifies the power of thoughtful design and ingenuity,” says Sarah. “It showcases how even modest interventions can result in a remarkable transformation.

“We’ve managed to turn a dated structure into a modern, functional, and welcoming home that harmonises with its surroundings.

“What truly makes this project special is the careful balance of innovation and preservation. Through small yet thoughtful interventions, the once cold and impersonal post-modern spaces have been transformed into warm and inviting areas.

“These not only enhance the aesthetic appeal but also foster a greater sense of connection between the various living areas and surrounding landscape.”

Green is the star of the show with the home’s colour palette taking inspiration from its glorious outlook.

“The interior finishes selection by Bryant Alsop allowed us to reference some key colour themes and effortlessly flow these throughout the whole house,” Silvia explains.

“The surrounding landscape plays a big part in the palette inside. So many of the colours chosen — browns, deep plums, and of course, greens — were referenced from the many Eucalyptus trees that surround the site.

“With a palette that draws inspiration from the surrounding landscape, our furniture and décor selections were curated with local designers and materials.

We’re not afraid to explore materiality and texture. We curated a wholistic selection of bouclés, linens, velvets, travertine and American oaks. Always drawing inspiration from the landscape.

An element of fun comes into this house through the bathroom tiles. Not a white subway tile in sight!

“The ensuite tiles were chosen as a playful addition to the master suite,” says Sarah with a smile. “They bring a sense of fun and creativity into the space.

“The bold, geometric pattern provides a striking contrast to the clean lines of the design. Our clients embraced the opportunity to add a modern retro, graphic pop, and the result is a stylish bathroom full of personality and energy.”

It would be rude not to ask both the architect and the interior designer what their favourite element of this fabulous home is.

“For me, it’s the stunning open-plan kitchen. It reflects the surrounding lush landscape and is now the heart of the home,” says Sarah of Bryant Alsop Architects.

“The mirrors in the kitchen bring the outdoors in and the beautiful green marble countertop adds a touch of elegance. The kitchen provides space for the whole family to come together. Also, I love the master bedroom and ensuite. They’re a relaxing haven perfect for escaping, with tranquil river views.

“What’s also cool is the decommissioned gas service room. We transformed it into a self-contained unit, giving the family an extra, separate space for visiting guests.”

For Silvia of Studio Esar, it’s the thoughtfully curated furniture and art that brings the home to life.

“The focus for Hawthorn House was locally made and designed furniture, art and objects. Now it’s a modern family home with an unassuming authenticity that relates to its original incantation and harmonious environment.

“I love all the textures and colours in the furniture, art and objects. The furniture curation ensures a holistic design to the interiors. Some pieces I particularly love are the Made AU nested coffee tables, as well as the original Mandy Francis painting depicting birds in flight in the living room.

“In the master bedroom, I love the Moooi Bart lounge chairs upholstered in a rich green, quilted textile. They compliment the travertine coffee table — the perfect place for the home owners to retreat after a long day.”

Photography by Jack Lovel

It was an absolute joy taking a look through this stunning modern retro home with both architect and interior designer. Thank you so much to Sarah and Silvia for sharing Hawthorn House with us.

You can see more projects from Bryant Alsop Architects on their website or Instagram. And discover what Studio Esar are up to over on their Instagram feed, or take a look at their website.

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