Drama Down Under

In Sydney, a meticulously restored historic home sets the stage for interventions that are as fashionable as they are theatrical.

- MARY HOLLAND

The living room of Tamsin and Patrick Johnson's restored 1920s home in Sydney. Custom sofa in a Dominique Kieffer fabric, oak armchairs by Frank Lloyd Wright; Italian 19th-century crystal chandelier; triptych over console by Daniel Boyd; wall sculpture over mantel by Curtis Jere. For details, see Resources.

It's hard not to be mesmerized by the marble island that takes center stage in Australian designer Tamsin Johnson's home in Sydney. Carved from a striking hunk of gray Bianco Gioia stone, the audacious design features a gravity-defying counter perched on plinths of marble stacked in a jagged-edge arrangement. The result may look like minimalist sculpture, but it's not just for show. The island is fully kitted out with everything from drawers to power outlets. “I love spaces that are equal parts functional and beautiful,” Johnson says.

If her home has a fashionable feel, it's by design. Both she and her husband, Patrick Johnson, have roots in fashion. Tamsin studied the subject in college and then interned with Stella McCartney in London before pivoting to interior design. The daughter of Melbourne antiques dealer Edward Clark, she has a showroom in Sydney where she sells vintage furnishings, mostly from Europe. Patrick, who grew up in Adelaide, worked as a tailor in London before founding his own custom tailoring business, P. Johnson Tailors, with showrooms-designed by his wife-in London, New York City, Sydney, and Melbourne.

The kitchen's custom island is in Bianco Gioia marble. Sink fittings, Perrin & Rowe; vintage pendant and sconce by Gio Ponti.

OPPOSITE, LEFT: In the stairwell, a Murano chandelier by Striulli Vetri d'Arte hangs from the original decorative ceiling.