SECOND CHANCES

Contemporary artwork and new openings have lightened the mood at this renovated 1930s family home in Melbourne.

- CARLI PHILIPS

In 2016, Australian designer Lisa Buxton packed and prepped a container full of art and furniture that she had accumulated over seven years spent in New York. After studying at the Parsons School of Design, Lisa had gone on to work for fellow New York-based Australian Antony Todd in event design, helping to style parties for the likes of Elton John and Anna Wintour. Then, just as she was heading back to Melbourne, Lisa met Ari (on the day he arrived in New York) and her plans changed. Together, they ended up in the city for another three years before moving back to Australia and getting married.

In 2020, during the pandemic and a pregnancy, Lisa and Ari began renovations on their newly purchased 1930s home in Armadale – timing she admits was challenging but a stress eased thanks to the help of her friend and collaborator, interior architect Lucy Bowen. “Lucy is great with space planning,” says Lisa. “She has a family and understands those needs so we were on the same page.” While Lisa had long-held visual ideas, functionality was still of primary importance. “You have to love what you live in, but it also has to be practical and I’m acutely aware of that with two young kids. My clients are mainly families so I know that’s the number one priority at the end of the day.” However, Lisa still deferred to her dream mood board – a bold scheme of visual and decorative concepts she had been adding to over time but never quite managed to convince clients to try.

Now, with her own renovation, the time was ripe, especially for the wavy aubergine leather banquette and sherbet-pink powder room with a Rosa Calmante stone basin, both of which were her design ideas that had been bubbling away for years.