Rhyme and reason

Simone Haag brings an international sensibility to a home in a very Australian setting, creating a lyrical and sophisticated domain for the family who lives there.

- JUDY PASCOE

Interior designer Simone Haag confesses that she often makes things difficult for herself. But the end result of her sometimes unconventional choices is well worth the angst.

In the case of this spectacular home in Melbourne’s Kew, the result of a collaboration between architects Edition Office and interior designers Flack Studio, Simone was engaged for the furnishings, art, lighting and textiles. Faced with a house of curves her inspired move was to follow the arcs of the walls and joinery with bespoke curved rugs. Not as easy as just plonking down a rectangular rug, as delays to joinery and templates caused a few tense moments leading up to the handover date. However, it all worked out perfectly and the contoured rugs are just one of the many remarkable features in this home.

Working with her longstanding and adventurous clients, Simone pushed the envelope at every turn. “It wasn’t their first rodeo,” she says, “We’ve worked together on multiple residences and they are very trusting and experienced, so they enjoyed the process.”

Returning from a stint overseas and purchasing the property while it was still in the building phase meant that the family – which includes five offspring – were able to rework the floor plan with the architect and developer, combining what were originally two townhouses to create one bespoke residence. “The owners call this their grown-up house,” says Simone. “Their children are older, so it wasn’t about having a playroom or such, but rather about the choices they could make to suit a couple.”