Lumina
A powerful exercise in the poetics of space, Lumina employs flow and form to create patterns for living with ease and grace.
Nestled in the heart of South Yarra lies Lumina, a family home transformed by Melbourne-based multidisciplinary design studio Nexus Designs and Wiesebrock Architecture in association with Sally Draper Architects.
Having previously collaborated with Nexus Designs on a number of projects, with the most significant being a beach house on the Bellarine Peninsula, the clients — a successful professional couple with a large multi-generation family — called upon the design team to redesign the home, and imbue it with a sense of effortless ease — this time befitting the ebb and flow of their busy inner-city lives.
Originally designed by prolific architect Marcus Martin in the 1930s, the house received a hard-edged renovation in the early 2000s that left the space feeling corporate and unwelcoming.
This latest redesign saw the project team re-plan the interior spaces to improve their flow to create a feeling of openness and connection - both inside and to the outdoor areas too. The team also refreshed the interior colour palette, finishes, fittings and fixtures, custom joinery design, furniture, fireplaces, lighting design and artwork placement.
Previously a clunky and cold tiled space, the entryway was transformed through the removal of an intimidating curved stairway and wall — opening up a view straight through to the outside. The addition of timber floorboards, a tucked-away timber staircase and warm white walls creates an open and inviting atmosphere, and a new dining room merges two formerly separate rooms to create a 10 metre-long space for entertaining work colleagues and hosting family and friends.
Through creating new connections between internal zones and showcasing natural elements of light and landscape, expansive yet conjoined spaces were carved from a warren of dark rooms and hallways. The result is a relaxed, modern and timeless update fit for purpose now and in years to come.
Lumina South Yarra
Residential Interior Design
Interior Design & Space Planning
Finishes & Fittings Selection
Custom Joinery Design
Furniture Selection
Wiesebrock Architecture in association with Sally Draper Architects Architecture
Lillie Thompson Photography
Marsha Golemac Styling