Top Notch

SJB’s chic black and white design scheme for this Melbourne home, complete with bespoke fittings and luxe finishes, took it to another level of sophistication.

- Carli Philips

What’s black and white and sophisticated all over? The answer is this monochromatic masterpiece designed by SJB and built by Leone Constructions. Located in Melbourne’s Toorak, this vast home was built in the early-20th century, and its elegant rebirth is sharp and contemporary without forsaking its heritage roots.

The owners were repeat clients for SJB director of interior design, Ljiljana Gazevic, who had renovated their previous home with the same black and white brief. She says their relationship made for an innate understanding of their preferences and needs. “I know the family dynamic,” says Ljiljana, who jumped at the chance to work on the significantly larger house, purchased with a growing family in mind. “This second project was much easier because I knew the parameters, the way they live and what they like. When they bought the house and asked me to take it on, I already knew what furniture they had, what would suit and what else we would need to fill it because it was considerably bigger. I could visualise what pieces would work well and what we could change.”