Penny’s Place
Small in size but big in personality, Penny’s Place shows how Mosmo Studio’s thoughtful design approach transformed a modest Adelaide Federation villa into a colourful, cohesive modern home.
Penny’s Place will certainly change your mind about the possibilities of a small home. This 1900s single-fronted villa in the charming Adelaide suburb of Wayville was carefully renovated and extended by Mosmo Studio. The outcome is warm, functional and full of personality – a residence that shows how clever design can elevate even the most modest footprint.
Rather than dramatically contrast the old with the new, the studio focused on creating a sense of continuity. The original sandstone facade has been updated with blush-toned iron lace, offering a preview of the calm, welcoming spaces within. Heritage features such as ceiling roses, fireplaces and architraves have been retained, while considered spatial planning allows the extension at the rear to feel like a natural progression of the original villa. Finishes, detailing and joinery are also carried across both zones, creating a cohesive interior experience.
Key to this sense of cohesion is colour. A restrained palette of soft pink and mocha hues defines the home, allowing rooms to flow easily into one another. Timber flooring runs underfoot, while muted pink and burgundy tiling appears in the fireplace hearths and door thresholds. These moments are subtle yet purposeful, helping to define different zones and guide movement. Meanwhile, joyful pops of colour, texture and pattern appear in carefully chosen furnishings throughout.
Bespoke joinery is also central to the home’s liveability, resolving storage, seating and transition points while bringing depth and warmth to small spaces. Designed to appear as elegant pieces of furniture rather than fixed cabinetry, each piece responds directly to the requirements of the space it inhabits. For example, in the bedrooms, the wardrobes read like freestanding units, while custom bedheads add softness and a sense of play.
The living room joinery offers one of the clearest examples of this flexibility. A built-in desk is concealed behind timber cupboard doors, allowing the cosy and character-filled space to shift easily between work and relaxation. Open it up and you’ll find baby-blue shelving and a gently marbled work surface – a functional study nook that disappears when not in use.
In the extension, the home opens up into a generous kitchen, dining and living zone, with natural light streaming in from the courtyard and skylight. Here, everything works to create a sense of lightness – from the polished concrete floors and marble surfaces to the cabinetry, with pastel blue pulls and sophisticated integrated appliances. Custom joinery, such as the dining area’s banquette seating and the bespoke wine cabinet in the living zone, are both functional and beautiful.
Operating within the constraints of a small footprint, Penny’s Place is all about editing carefully, choosing materials with intention and respecting what already exists. By working with the home’s original structure rather than against it, Mosmo Studio has demonstrated that good design isn’t just measured in square metres but in how a home can bring moments of joy and support everyday life.
