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A TO U C H O F ZEN A harmonious fusion of Japanese, contemporary and Victorian influences instils a sense of effortless calm within this home.

Photographs SE AN FENNESSY Words CARLI PHILIPS

This page A Faye Toogood ‘Spade’ chair from Hub sits on the classic Victorian verandah. Opposite page In the main living room, Walking in my Shoes artwork by Daniel Anderson from Studio Gallery Melbourne faces a Living Divani ‘NeoWall’ sofa and B&B Italia ‘Tobi-Ishi’ coffee table, both from Space. Pandul ‘VIP’ floor lamp from Luke Furniture and Diesel by Moroso ‘Chubby Chic’ armchair from Hub. The coffee table is topped with art books, ceramic sculptures by Bruce Rowe from Hub, a small vessel by Dinosaur Designs and a bonsai plant from Bonsai Art Nursery in Heatherton. Black tamarind wood stool from Kazari. ‘Shanghai Tip’ side table by Patricia Urquiola from Hub.

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This page A fleece-covered Arflex ‘Pecorelle’ armchair from Poliform and a vintage coffee table furnish the front sitting room. Signals artwork by Daniel Anderson from Studio Gallery Melbourne and custom pendant light by Mim Design. Opposite page, from top Muuto ‘Nerd’ bar stools from Living Edge and ‘Splitline’ lighting in the kitchen. Moooi quilted ‘Monster’ chairs from Space and Muuto ‘Cover’ chairs from Luke Furniture surround a Mads Johansen oval dining table beneath a Vibia ‘Cosmos 2511’ pendant light from Koda.

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hen the owners of this double-fronted home in Melbourne engaged Mim Design for their renovation, the brief was an atypical one: to balance a Victorian residence with subtle yet traditional Japanese elements alongside sophisticated contemporary design.

“The family are really strong in both their Japanese and Australian cultures,” says studio principal Miriam Fanning of her clients. “But it was important not to make the design thematic. It was about key textural aspects in shape and form with an authenticity of materials. We didn’t want a Japanesestyle house, but a Japanese feel that was serene.”

Although not obviously apparent – and the references subtle – Mim Design worked according to the principles of fusui, the Japanese iteration of feng shui. Rarely deployed in the west, the practice encourages the auspicious arrangement of select objects and orientations for the most harmonious environment. “We wanted the house to be timeless, organic, environmentally friendly and elegant with style and warmth, but practicality too,” says Satomi Ring who shares the home with husband Adam and their children, Thomas and Sarah.

In contrast to the conventional, closed-off and contained paradigms of a Victorian floor plan, Mim Design sought to unblock the mid-sized home and expand its sightlines. “We were driven by a desire to open up the small home for refined yet pragmatic family living with a spatial reconfiguration for uninterrupted flow that invokes a restorative calm,” says Miriam.

A central courtyard with a Japanese maple welcomes the outside in, flooding the house with natural light. Internally, floor-toceiling steel-framed glass panels nod to time-honoured shoji screens with their sectional framing. Custom shelving and storage was designed to accommodate Satomi’s collection of ceramics and crockery.

The neat footprint consists of a sitting room to the right of the entry and the main bedroom opposite. Herein, a full-height mirror doubles as a discreet door to the walk-in-robe and ensuite.

Sitting flush, the effect is one that creates a bedroom completely pure in form without obvious entry and exit points. Along the hallway, the bathroom features a deep Japanese soaking tub.

Opposite, a tatami area functions as a multi-purpose meditation space, kids’ entertainment zone and futon-laden guest quarter, should the need arise. Past the atrium, the rear balloons into an open-plan living, kitchen and dining area overlooking a new outdoor plunge pool. Upstairs are two bedrooms, both with ensuites. “Everything in the house seems easy. Easy to entertain, easy to clean, easy to relax,” says Satomi. “It’s almost like my parents’ house in Japan. We use almost every room. There is no ‘dead space’ here.”

Instead, there’s an effortless calm with clean-cut minimal detailing, precise lines, crisp natural marble and unadorned joinery. Terrazzo is juxtaposed with warm oak timber flooring and polished plaster, while aged-bronze tapware, brushed nickel and ‘Super White’ dolomite natural stone from CDK Stone “echoes the mix of Japanese, contemporary and Victorian influences … that reimagines family living with simplicity and a deep reverence for the past”.

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This restrained backdrop is a canvas against which artwork, objets d’art and masculine, cool-coloured European furniture has been composed. In the front sitting room, a plush Fogia ‘Retreat’ sofa sits with a cosy Arflex ‘Pecorelle’ fleece armchair, both rich in navy hues. Adding a sharp modern element is ClassiCon’s ‘Pli’ side table folded in high-gloss stainless steel. The new extension runs across a palette of light neutrals, absorbing the muted grey tones of Moroso’s snug ‘Chubby Chic’ armchair and Living Divani’s ‘NeoWall’ sofa atop a pale shibori silk rug from Behruz Studio. Lighting is monochromatic and geometric, most notably Koda’s spherical ‘Cosmos’ pendant above a Mads Johansen oval dining table and in the main bedroom, &Tradition’s oversized ‘Formakami’ rice paper lantern hangs over the bed.

“I could not visualise how my very distinctly Japanese bathroom and multipurpose tatami room were going to meld into a beautiful Victorian house,” says Satomi. “But with everyone’s help, it has achieved a perfect mixture of Adam’s and my culture. We have beautiful views from every window.

It’s very warm and peaceful. We are very, very happy with our house. Our teenagers even spend at least one hour with us in the living room almost every night, which is a miracle!” # mimdesign.com.au

These pages, from left In the front sitting room, CrossCountry – taking the steep path backwards artwork by Melissa Boughey from Studio Gallery Melbourne above the original fireplace and surround. Fogia ‘Retreat’ 2.5-seat sofa from Fred International with custom cushions, vintage coffee table, ClassiCon ‘Pli’ side table from Anibou, and Glas Italia ‘Kooh-I-Noor’ mirror. Custom pendant light by Mim Design.

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SPEED READ » The owners of this Melbourne home engaged Mim Design for their renovation with a brief to balance the Victorian residence with subtle, traditional Japanese elements and sophisticated contemporary design to achieve a serene ambience. » Mim Design worked according to the principles of fusui, a Japanese version of feng shui, to orient the home to create the most harmonious environment. » The design focused on unblocking and opening up the home to light and views. » Rooms feature contemporary furniture, art and lighting alongside original Victorian features and a distinctly Japanese-style bathroom and “multipurpose room”. » The new look has achieved a perfect mixture of the two cultures, says the owner.

“E VERY THIN G IN THE H O USE SEEMS E A SY. E A SY TO ENTERTAIN, E A SY TO CLE AN, E A SY TO REL A X.”

This page New steel-rimmed glazing panels offer a nod to traditional Japanese shoji screens. Opposite page, clockwise from top left In the bedroom, Edra ‘Vermelha’ armchair from Space and Serge Mouille ‘Droit’ floor lamp beneath an &Tradition ‘Formakami’ rice paper pendant light by Jaime Hayon. Ivano Redaelli bedside tables from Hub with a Serge Mouille ‘Applique 1 Bras Pivotant Courbe’ wall light above. The original timber fireplace surround was replaced with marble. Vitra 'Cork Family' stool from Space in the main ensuite.

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