ART SHOW

Designer Claire Delmar’s mix of the witty and the whimsical in a home that is also considered and functional for family life is a stroke of brilliance

- Leanne Amodeo

It could be called a modern dilemma. ‘The owners of this historic house wanted to transform it into a contemporary city home that reflected their passion for art, travel and fashion without diminishing any of its architectural origins,’ says Claire Delmar, creative director of Studio CD, who took on the challenge. Great lengths were taken to honour the bones of the Italianate, Victorian-era mansion in one of Sydney’s inner-city suburbs and retain as many original features as possible. Ornate plasterwork ceiling mouldings, arched doorways and marble fireplaces were all restored, along with the antique parquet flooring in the kitchen-diner/living area.

With a beautiful canvas in place, Claire introduced bold contemporary furniture, covered the walls with witty and whimsical art and introduced sumptuous textiles. Her love of mixing materials – brass with marble, velvet with metal, stone with gloss – is evident everywhere. A scattering of joyful touches catch the eye as they pop up unexpectedly in nooks and crannies around the house. It helped that Claire knew the owners from a previous project and, with their tastes established, she was able to go bold with this one. ‘They are lively with a strong love for art, fashion, travel and culture and it’s those things that became the driving design concept,’ she says. ‘Each room tells its own story while linking to the next with a sense of journey and playfulness.’