Elevated Retreat – Annandale Residence by MXM Design Studio

Carving a haven of calm, Annandale Residence is layered with texturally diverse and richly conceived details to heighten the experience of everyday interactions with the home. MXM Design Studio redefines the interior of the existing house to create a neutral and solidified base for a series of inserted gestures that emphasise a sense of privacy and retreat.

Within the outer shell of the Federation-era home, Annandale Residence is breathed new life in the preparation for the years to come. Overlaying a similar longevity and quality as instilled within the original architecture, the new insertions reconnect the home as a place of retreat and reprieve from the bustle of the city. In its recalibration as a family home, a mostly light palette is warmed through subtle elements of depth and rich texture, with quality finishes and crafted elements. While the home has clear historical connections, with ornate detailing expressed and integrated amongst the new, MXM Design Studio allows a clear definition between old and new to occur, without creating any sense of competition between the two.

Retaining the elegance and grace of the past while also bringing in a more linear and contained approach was key.

Located on a double-fronted allotment, the home marks itself as a statement form, and the interior takes its cues accordingly. With the original home formally separated as a result of its structured planning, the main challenge lay in converting the plan to align with a contemporary lifestyle. Opened to bring in natural light and frame views out, the interior becomes a soft place to land amongst the surrounds, with layered and tactile features that elevate the experience.

Retaining the elegance and grace of the past while also bringing in a more linear and contained approach was key. In an effort that allows the legacy and narrative of its previous custodians to coexist amongst the newly defined calm, there is a clear contemporary crispness at play throughout. The aim was not merely to harmonise the existing vintage with the contemporary but to elevate both into a space that is a visual immersion that serves as testament to a richly storied past. As a result, a combination of deeper and saturated finishes and tones are folded in amongst neutral base elements and the familiar sight of timber as a base throughout the home. In celebrating the existing character, the new is brought together through a lens that feels like a natural evolution of that which existed prior. By infusing texture together with smoother finishes and the subtleties found in natural stone and various metals, for example, ensures each interactive moment with the home becomes memorable in its own way.

Brought together through restraint and balance, the old and new within Annandale Residence are underpinned by a sense of longevity and the intentional durability of its parts.

Brought together through restraint and balance, the old and new within Annandale Residence are underpinned by a sense of longevity and the intentional durability of its parts. MXM Design Studio carefully curates a home that expresses its owners, with select furniture, artwork and lighting weaving a story of place.