Elystan
Conceived by Samantha Leigh Interiors, Elystan is a softly layered subtropical oasis – a sanctuary brimming with raw authenticity that balances mass and lightness while keeping outdoor connection at its core.
Set on a quiet corner block in the heart of suburban Brisbane, a former Queenslander is tastefully transformed for an active young family. A tale of two design personalities, Elystan merges traditional character with contemporary sensibility. Deep-set linear forms and hipped verandahs establish a mutual dialogue of shade and protection, brought to life by a soothing earthen interior that engages the senses.
Working alongside Tim Stewart Architects and stylist Jack Milenkovic, Samantha Leigh Interiors shaped Elystan as a welcoming family home connected to the outdoors. After collaborating with the owner-builder on commercial projects, the brief offered a more personal undertaking – a generous home for entertaining, grounded by spaces where the children could play and grow. “The clients lived directly opposite the site for some time, so the corner block had been on their radar long before it was available,” explains creative director Samantha Leigh. “The project came about as a natural extension of that long-held ambition for what they could create on this block.”
The three-storey residence embraces the sloping site, settling into the terrain as it transitions effortlessly from old to new. Within a U-shaped plan, a courtyard of crazy paving and rustic board-formed ceilings creates an enveloping garden room, opening out to a quintessential pool and lawn. “It was designed as a true indoor-outdoor room, with large sliding doors that can stack back on three sides so the space can completely open to the garden,” Leigh describes. “In summer, it’s often fully open and breezy, and in the cooler months, the curtains can be drawn and the fire lit, shifting the space into something far more intimate and cosy.”
“The palette is tonal and earthy, with warm, soft terracotta tones balanced by softer fallow and deeper shades of slate and muted green.”
Ascending toward the private domain, French oak floorboards and Venetian plaster walls contrast with an off-form concrete shell to elevate the theme of tropical brutalism. Plush upholstery and eclectic furniture pieces rest atop textural area rugs, set against flowing drapery and wire-brushed chocolate joinery to heighten the feeling of retreat. “The palette is tonal and earthy, with warm, soft terracotta tones balanced by softer fallow and deeper shades of slate and muted green,” Leigh describes. Taj Mahal quartzite kitchen counters and ensuite floors, along with blocky hand-chiselled Crema Marfil limestone bathroom vanities, add depth and variation.
Bespoke lighting fixtures, edge-pulls and a sculptural concrete bath were meticulously prototyped throughout the project’s delivery. “It was important to review samples on site to see how finishes interacted with the light, test scale in context and refine the finer details before anything was finalised.” The home is crowned by a curvilinear roof terrace, offering treetop vistas alongside an ivory concrete high bar and custom horseshoe sofa. Here, landscape and architecture work in harmony, instilling calm across this meditative abode.
