A Nod to the 1920s – Vaucluse Residence by Pohio Adams Architects

Taking lead from the original art deco origins of the home, Vaucluse Residence promises a continued legacy. Pohio Adams Architects focuses on creating an openness throughout, embedding crafted and considered detailing through each intervention and ensuring a consistency binds the old and new elements.

Guaranteeing the original features of the stately home remained present was integral to the new insertions and alterations of Vaucluse Residence. Having originally been engaged to design furniture and assist with the re-planning of select areas, the extent of the involvement of Pohio Adams Architects increased as a growing brief emerged. Moving throughout the home, differing areas were refreshed through a heightened lens of luxury, restoring and elevating the residence in the process. Having been designed and built in the 1920s – like much of Sydney – the existing architecture was a reminder of a time of experimentation, where forms and geometries were the result of both art and design coming together.

A collection of treasured antiques and well-designed, crafted pieces appear folded into the interior and speak to the home’s original charm.

In the spirit of this coming together of artisan and builder, the residence stands with clearly articulated and handmade details; part of the brief for the new elements was to ensure this narrative continued. The home had previously partaken in several additions from the 1990s and 2000s that needed to better connect with the original philosophies. Having initially designed a few furniture items, Pohio Adams Architects instilled a level of precision into the new works. In refining the approach, the designers overlayed a sense of cohesion throughout, pivotal to the interior’s character.

A collection of treasured antiques and well-designed, crafted pieces appear folded into the interior and speak to the home’s original charm. The new lighting, fixtures, furniture and artwork are designed to be classic and notable silhouettes, whilst a sculptural focus to the inserted pieces offers a sense of balance to more formally arranged spaces, adding moments of interest and the unexpected.

The new lighting, fixtures, furniture and artwork are designed to be classic and notable silhouettes, whilst a sculptural focus to the inserted pieces offers a sense of balance to more formally arranged spaces, adding moments of interest and the unexpected.

The re-planning of Vaucluse Residence aligns the internal spaces with a more contemporary lifestyle, providing an embedded flexibility within the newfound openness that caters for change. By retaining, restoring and focusing on character, Pohio Adams Architects has proposed an expanded and connected home.