“Set within a beautiful Victorian home, this project by Studio Noakes’ harnesses original heritage in a thoughtful reinterpretation that suits the needs of a modern family. This Cowper Street project is featured in Australian Homes & Gardens, released on Monday the 20th of April. SNB Stone are thrilled to see Arabescato Corchia and French Vanilla Marbles, as well as Brecciata Primavera Dolomite, used in this ‘purposeful design’ of a family home—
Stating that the ‘kitchen transformation formed the heart of the renovation, the broader brief extended past this space.’ Studio Noakes worked with an architect to allow the home to ‘comfortably evolve’ whilst maintaining the integrity of its Victorian architecture.
Studio Noakes is a Redfern-based interior design studio, founded by the brilliant Genine Noakes. The studio honours traditional construction, with a focus on longevity and preservation. Noakes offers a multidisciplinary approach, with services including construction, furnishing and art curation. At the heart of their work is a deep attunement to the spirit of a place. Studio Noakes amplifies the histories of these spaces whilst opening them up for new memories to be made.
Studio Noakes offers ‘a refined, high end interpretation of the traditional hand-painted kitchen.’ As avid art collectors, the client wanted to reduce visual clutter,’ to be sensitive to the adjoining living areas which see the most art hung. This became a focus; ‘classic detailing has been deliberately softened to reduce the visual weight often associated with traditional cabinetry.’ Arabescata Corchia Marble flows seamlessly from the splashback to the hero-style island. The kitchen bench is alive with quietly dramatic currents of teal weaving through an earthy base, blushed with sage and dusk tones.
Arabescata Corchia Marble continues throughout the pantry and laundry spaces, which are crafted with an eye for detail, using ‘traditional bolection moulding, porters paints white pepper,’ and Momo Handles Belgravia Range in Dark Brushed Brass.’ These often overlooked domestic spaces have been infused with a sense of warmth and calm. We spend a lot of time in these areas, and Noakes has clearly undertaken the redesign with this in mind.
The bathroom is astoundingly beautiful. Each element is considered, working together to creatively reimagine the bathroom space. In combination with a circular mid-century-modern style mirror hanging from a dove-grey tiled wall, Brecciata Primavera Dolomite has been used to create a waterfall basin and shower niche. The prominent veining dances between the straight and curved planes of the room, with a rich palette of burnt rose, warm charcoal and dusty pink. The bold dolomite anchors the overall scheme, just as Arabescata Corchia does for the kitchen. Studio Noakes believed this dolomite to be the most natural fit with the other materials in the bathroom, and encouraged the client to go for it.
“Well – the client now absolutely loves it.”
For the children’s bedrooms upstairs, SNB’s French Vanilla Marble sits ‘silently as the choice for the drawer bank’ with ‘beautiful bespoke joinery made’ specifically. The softness of the marble harmonises with a ‘selection of busy prints for the upholstery, blinds, accessories’ — and a wallpapered ceiling. This more simple choice for the girls’ bedrooms creates flexibility for their ever-evolving tastes and interests, honouring their individuality.
Again, SNB Stone is so pleased to see Studio Noakes’ choices, Arabescata Corchia and French Vanilla Marbles and Brecciata Primavera Dolomite, realised in the Cowper Street project. To read more about this feat in interior design and architecture, check out their feature in Australian Homes & Gardens, and peruse the Studio Noakes website and instagram to see more of their work.
Photography by Pablo Veiga
Composed by Charlie Kennedy
