A finalist in the Belle Fanuli Interior Design Awards 2025: Queen by Smac Studio.
With nods to Hollywood glamour, this renovation of an Espie Dodds home heroes his original architecture while adding modern flair. The clients’ taste aligned perfectly with the Smac Studio aesthetic, leading to the first round of hand drawings being approved and brought to life in the build.
IDAs 2025: Readers’ Choice
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Bold originality was balanced with personalisation and livability, creating exceptional spaces like a jade onyx powder room, as well as a pool with pink and burgundy chequerboard tiling.
At the start of the project the clients intended to work within the existing floorplan unless Shona of Smac Studio advised otherwise — which she did.
A bedroom was removed from the middle of the ground floor, allowing the almost-galley kitchen to be transformed into a grand open-plan affair. Placing the cooktop within the expansive island bench creates a social space for preparing food, while bronze accents harmonise with soft blush tones and create a design language that flows throughout the home.
Living and entertaining areas were relocated downstairs to the pool level, while upstairs was reconfigured to become a private space for bedrooms, bathrooms and walk-in robes. Sunshine was welcomed with new circular skylights, which sit harmoniously beside Dodds’ existing ones.
Playful colour was introduced through lighting, wall tones in elegant muted shades and a Celine-inspired tile pattern in the upstairs bathrooms. Subtle design threads link the rooms via the bronze details, handles, stone, lighting and flooring.
The end result seamlessly connects interior and exterior spaces, while creating a sanctuary upstairs for rest and relaxation.
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