The original house, an interwar Art Deco residence in Cremorne, had grown tired. Its walls were a patchwork of trends, including a French provincial kitchen, out of sync with the home’s architectural heritage.

The clients, a lawyer and a corporate, both working parents originally from England, had purchased the home a decade earlier. As their children grew and space became limited, they opted for renovation over relocation, choosing to reimagine the home they loved rather than leave its coveted location.

Rejecting a conventional open-plan layout, the architects opted for a “flow plan”, co-locating key spaces with subtle transitions. With minimal structural changes, the middle level of the three-storey house was split down the centre, creating two distinct zones: an adult retreat and a teenage haven.

“The idea is the kids come home from school, drop their bags at the door, and flop on the couch for some afternoon TV. The doors swing open to the back garden. In summer, they’re shooting hoops or jumping in the pool, granting both generations privacy and independence,” Co-Director and Architect Michiru Cohen says.

“Rather than just remove all the walls, we worked with what was already there, carefully opening things up to improve flow. You enter the house on the middle floor and the stairs divide it. Go right and it’s the parents’ study, formal living and kitchen. Go left and you’re in the informal dining and teenagers’ living space.”

The original formal living space was expansive and unused. Michiru Higginbotham’s solution aimed to create a more intimate space by incorporating a study and bookshelf divider, resulting in a more intimate and proportionate formal living area.

Cremorne Deco’s original porthole windows, graceful arches, sweeping horizontal lines and subtle nautical references are preserved and reinterpreted through custom joinery, reinforcing the home’s interwar story.

The kitchen island takes on the nautical curves like the bow of a ship. Once closed off, it now opens up to engage with the backyard and pool. A restrained palette of warm-toned timber, Taj Mahal quartzite and soft greys brings cohesion and calm.

“We work with a palette of two, three, maybe four materials maximum across a house, detailed in different ways to create consistency without repetition,” Higginbotham says.

“The bathrooms use timber, aluminium and glass. The kitchen uses the same, but feels entirely different. It’s about creating a sense of synergy and calm throughout the house.”

Upgrades were also made for performance and longevity. Aluminium windows replaced with durable timber treatment by utilising double glazing and low-E glazing technology. Passive ventilation strategies make use of double-height stairwells – “the lungs of the house” – and operable windows are positioned to harness cross-breezes.

At the heart of the studio’s work is a design ethos shaped by its two founders: a synthesis of Higginbotham’s Australian openness and Cohen’s Japanese-born sense of simplicity.

Cremorne Deco’s interior and garden spaces are connected, supporting the Australian lifestyle of outdoor living, while Japanese design sensibilities guide craftsmanship and clarity of purpose.

“We try to eliminate ‘leftover rooms’, spaces nobody uses. The plan should reflect how a family actually lives. It should be simple to experience and appear effortless, despite the complexities of modern construction within an existing structure,” Higginbotham says.

For Michiru Higginbotham, good design isn’t loud. It’s felt rather than seen. “Good design supports how you live. It helps you feel calm, recharged and connected. It gives you a framework for life, without trying to be the main event.

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