“The kitchen is where we invest the most, not just money, but time,” James-Herrick says. Every detail is planned for function, workflow, and longevity. The space features Cappellini Hi Pad stools.
A custom CJH Studio table anchors the dining room, paired with a sourced vintage cocoon pendant and vintage Gervasoni Gray chairs.
Rather than chasing reinvention, this inner-city Melbourne home builds on what was already there, adding the homeowner’s fashionable personality to its 1930s framework.
It’s rare to find a near-century-old house in Melbourne that hasn’t been tinkered with, expanded, or ‘improved’ over the decades, but when this 1930s residence landed at Melbourne-based CJH Studio, it was already a solved puzzle: four bedrooms, an onsite bungalow, and 450 square metres of space. Despite the generous footprint and solid bones, something was missing, not function, but definition.
“The brief was really to soften the existing, quite traditional bones,” CJH Studio director Cassie James-Herrick says. The homeowners, avid entertainers, wanted a house that could pivot: opening up easily for lively gatherings, yet still feeling intimate and cosy for everyday family life.
Rather than forcing a confrontation between the 1930s framework and the clients’ contemporary art, James-Herrick looked for a shared language. The best example of this calibration is found in the entry.
“It was really about finding the balance between the home’s traditional structure and the clients’ love of contemporary art and furniture,” James-Herrick says, who refers to the restored vintage Willy Rizzo bar, greeting visitors as they step in. From here, spaces flow from lively entertaining zones to quieter sitting rooms, “each arranged for function first, atmosphere second,” James-Herrick says.
The kitchen is the home’s daily anchor. James-Herrick sidestepped a stark white palette, instead layering stained oak, an off-white marble top, and a custom wall colour with a warm tone. “This is where most time is spent, not just in use, but in design,” she says. “Every cupboard, every bench, every workflow decision was deliberate, so the space works as hard as the family using it.”
The living room features the Edra On the Rocks sofa, Jardan Molly table, Cassina Tabouret Méribel stool, Zanotta Teti stool, and HAY Pion lamp.
Elsewhere, the home finds its character in the tension between finishes: suede against chrome, timber meeting brass. These aren’t just decorative choices, but sensory cues that give the interiors depth and a sense of resilience. A similar dialogue plays out between sourced vintage pieces and custom elements. A vintage pendant hangs above a dining table custom-designed by CJH Studio. “With such a trusting client, we were able to introduce bespoke elements wherever they felt most necessary, pushing the creative vision further,” James-Herrick says.
By the time CJH Studio wrapped up, the house felt like it had always been this way: a home shaped as much by its people as by its design. “It’s about balancing traditional bones with modern life,” James-Herrick reflects. “Every piece, every material was chosen so the home could be lived in first, admired second.”
The client’s Mark Douglas JEAN sculpture sits comfortably within the space, reinforcing the relationship between contemporary art and traditional architecture. Also featuring GUBI sheepskin armchairs and Kett Portland coffee table.
Designed for unwinding, the front TV room centres on a Loll sofa by Gervasoni, upholstered in ‘Turmeric’. The colour and texture do much of the work here, softening the home’s traditional structure.
Artwork by Jonny Niesche in the bar area.
Sleek, restored, and ready for action, the vintage Willy Rizzo bar from the 1970s sets up the home’s rhythm of entertaining, making guests immediately feel welcome.
Designed as a counterpoint to the home’s entertaining spaces, the bedroom prioritises texture and warmth, allowing the architecture to recede. Custom bed by CJH Studio, Artemide Nesso lamp, and Cassina Maralunga armchair and footstool.
Custom makeup chair by CJH Studio in the wardrobe.
Pictured: Driade Roly Poly chair.
