A Touch Of Zen

A harmonious fusion of Japanese, contemporary and Victorian influences instils a sense of effortless calm within this home.

When the owners of this double-fronted home in Melbourne engaged Mim Design for their renovation, the brief was an atypical one: to balance a Victorian residence with subtle yet traditional Japanese elements alongside sophisticated contemporary design.

“The family is really strong in both their Japanese and Australian cultures,” says studio principal Miriam Fanning of her clients. “But it was important not to make the design thematic. It was about key textural aspects in shape and form with the authenticity of materials. We didn’t want a Japanese-style house, but a Japanese feel that was serene.”

Although not obviously apparent – and the references subtle – Mim Design worked according to the principles of fusui, the Japanese iteration of feng shui. Rarely deployed in the west, the practice encourages the auspicious arrangement of select objects and orientations for the most harmonious environment. “We wanted the house to be timeless, organic, environmentally friendly and elegant with style and warmth, but practicality too,” says Satomi Ring who shares the home with husband Adam and their children, Thomas and Sarah.