Creating a relaxing sanctuary was the ultimate aim for designer Jenny Ford of Jenny Ford Design when it came to fitting out this contemporary home.
“My clients previously worked in a fast-paced corporate environment while based in Hong Kong, so having a calming space was very important to them psychologically,” she explains.
Jenny was approached directly by the clients to work alongside their building designer, Peter Bell Homes. The project spanned everything from finalising building selections to creating a cohesive interior design for their new single-level resort-style home, including colours, finishes and all of the furnishings.
“Distance would prove to be our greatest challenge, as our clients were still living in Hong Kong for much of the start of the project, and they were under a lot of stress with relocating and finishing up their jobs,” explains Jenny. It made it hard for the clients to get a sense of room size and what would actually fit versus what could be achieved via inspirational images on Pinterest, for example. “It was my role to ensure the selections were appropriate for the style of the home whilst considering the individual tastes of the husband and wife. They both wanted a contemporary space, but the wife also wanted an element of softness with absolutely no black, not even in a lamp base if I could avoid it!”
This subtle melding of preferences has been delivered via layers of texture and comfort, and pared-back, calming colours. The homeowners love neutral tones but were taken with the handmade Moroccan Zellige Mosaic tiles in Sea Green from Tiles of Ezra that Jenny put forward to use as the kitchen splashback. “We added a hint of petrol blue with the Husk chair by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia, used in the adjoining lounge room to break up the palette, which would otherwise have been predominantly taupe, green and cream. And, in the absence of black, it adds much-needed depth to the overall scheme.”
The kitchen pendant lights in polished nickel, sourced by Jenny Ford Design, work so well to add softness to the contemporary kitchen design. “Quality original lighting is key to creating a feeling of luxury and style,” explains Jenny.
Jenny Ford Design also had many products custom-made by trusted local suppliers, including the master bed, dining table, entry console and mirror, kids’ bedheads, soft furnishings and window treatments. Other signature items were sourced from high-end showrooms in Brisbane’s design precinct, like the iconic Arco lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for FLOS from Living Edge, and the Cosh Living coffee table, leather ottoman and side table. The stunning lounge room’s soaring ceiling and grand scale sets a sensational scene, and an original abstract landscape artwork by Brisbane artist Robyn Kirk completes the contemporary appeal.
Jenny has chosen to use a simple, comfy sofa that could work with either modern or classic styles, alongside other key selections such as the feature chair and coffee tables. “We had the sofa custom-made to suit the couple, who are both very tall. The chaise style was chosen after much consultation about the best furniture layout for the open-plan space. They opted for quality pieces to last,” says Jenny. “The oversized jute rug from Armadillo & Co, which Jenny Ford Design had custom-made to size, adds the defining touch of depth to the room. It has the most incredible changeable colour that reflects the Aegean tones of the kitchen splashback tiles and the sage green of the dining chairs from Cotswold InOut Furniture; it needs to be experienced in person for the full effect. It was a long wait to have this rug made, but it was so worth it!”
The outdoor furniture and rug are from Cosh Living, in keeping with the design brief for high-end, beautiful products that can withstand the harsh outdoor conditions of the western-facing deck.
“Connecting the inside with the leafy acreage outdoors was a key part of the building design, and we worked towards the interior being a part of that vision,” says Jenny of the Jenny Ford Design project. “The palette is earthy, and when all the doors to the deck are open, the interior colours connect really well with the landscape, especially the sage green with the Australian eucalyptus.”
Photography: Carole Margand, Caco Photography
