The Australian High Commissioner’s Residence

A house edited back to its essential character

The house was designed by renowned American architect Joseph Stein. Although beautifully designed, the interior spaces no longer suited our client’s requirements. There had been discussions about demolishing the building and starting again, but we were reluctant to encourage this. Instead, we worked closely with the client to reorganise the existing spaces around their needs.

The interiors developed through a meaningful dialogue rooted in the cultural traditions of both Australia and India.

Earthy colours, terracotta and soft green-greys formed the chosen palette. Traditional Aboriginal Australian art and cultural symbols inspired elements of the furniture and accessories. The dining chair backs, for example, were designed around an Aboriginal symbol representing a meeting place — a fitting detail for a room that brings people together.

We enjoy bringing our furniture design expertise into projects wherever possible, creating bespoke pieces that complement the architecture and interiors.

Another important part of the project was transforming the bathrooms, which previously felt dated. Through the considered use of mirrors, bespoke cabinetry and lighting, we visually lifted and extended these spaces. We also created bespoke ceramic tiles using native Australian seeds and leaves, imprinted directly into the clay.