When Heritage Meets Hue in Fitzroy House

A bright yellow door stands out against Fitzroy House’s weathered bluestone façade, hinting at what lies beyond: a vivid, contemporary transformation balancing playfulness with elegance.

Inside, colour, art and texture come together in surprising yet thoughtful ways, honouring the home’s 1800s origins.

This was no ordinary renovation. The client’s brief to interior architect Lee Dwyer of Leftfield Studio and designer Tamara Hannaford-Maizey of Hannaford Design, both based in Victoria, was clear: contemporary and inviting, but with playful twists and deep respect for the home’s history.

“We wanted to celebrate the original 1800s bluestone,” Lee says. “As the project evolved, we embraced a more natural palette, allowing the client’s impressive art collection to take centre stage.”

The result is a home where bold design meets quiet elegance. One standout piece is a neon sign reading “Turn me on”, which casts a vivid glow down the hallway and onto the street after dark.

The home plays with unexpected materials and moments from hidden bursts of Yves Klein blue in bedroom joinery to a mirrored chrome panelled ceiling in the moody ‘Stone Room’.

“In a room entirely bluestone, we felt the need to introduce a softer element,” says Dwyer. “The panels reflect like water and bring a sense of fluidity to the space.”

Dwyer explains that colour and texture are used throughout the home with purpose and restraint—never overwhelming, always intentional.

For Hannaford-Maizey, the balance of old and new was never a constraint — it was an opportunity.

“It was bold and full of rich history, which made the experience exciting and enabled us to think outside the box,” she says.

“The yellow door was a statement, and a little hint of what might be behind the door.”

And while the home feels distinctly fresh, it’s rooted in enduring design values. “It was important to us to create a space that reflected our clients, yet ensuring elements of timeless design throughout the home.”

While the front of the house maintains its 19th-century presence, a previously added rear extension created the opportunity for something entirely new.

Asked to sum up what Fitzroy House means to them, both were emphatic.

“We made some bold design choices that really paid off… It’s not only beautiful but also functional and purposeful,” says Hannaford-Maizey.

Fitzroy House isn’t just a home. It’s a love letter to art, design, and the power of creative trust — where a yellow door marks the start of a journey into something entirely unexpected.

This story appeared in the latest edition of Kanebridge Quarterly Magazine. To purchase a copy, please visit this link.

Australian furniture brand King Living has expanded its Aura Collection with the launch of a new modular sofa designed to blend contemporary aesthetics with adaptable living.

The Aura Sofa builds on the success of the Aura Island range, first introduced in 2023, which included indoor and outdoor sofas as well as fixed and swivel occasional chairs.

The latest evolution introduces modular functionality to the collection, allowing homeowners to configure the sofa to suit a variety of spaces and uses.

As living spaces continue to evolve, particularly in urban environments where flexibility is increasingly valued, furniture designers are placing greater emphasis on products that can adapt over time.

King Living says the new Aura Sofa has been developed with this trend in mind, enabling customers to create corner, L-shaped or U-shaped layouts, while also allowing additional modules to be added as needs change.

King Living founder David King said the original Aura concept began as an exploration of sculptural design before being reimagined as a modular system.

“Aura began as an exploration of sculptural form. Now, we’ve brought modularity into that design language, giving the freedom to reimagine your space with a modular design made for flexibility,” he said.

The collection’s defining feature remains its soft, flowing silhouette, with curved forms replacing traditional angular sofa designs.

The company describes the sofa as a response to changing lifestyles, where living rooms increasingly serve multiple purposes, from entertaining guests and family gatherings to quiet reading corners and work-from-home spaces.

Its rounded profile and minimalist aesthetic are intended to enhance the flow of contemporary interiors while maximising available space. According to the company, the design is equally suited to compact apartments and larger open-plan homes.

“Today, living space is both a luxury and a constraint. Aura is our response, a purposeful design that proves when intention and fluidity converge, the result can feel both expansive and refined,” King said.

Beyond aesthetics, the new sofa incorporates several engineering features synonymous with the King Living brand.

These include the company’s Postureflex steel suspension system, extra-high pocket springs and its signature steel frame, which is backed by a 25-year warranty. The company says the design has been engineered to deliver long-term comfort and durability.

Sustainability has also been a focus of the design. Each module features a removable cover that can be professionally cleaned, repaired or replaced individually, reducing the need to replace an entire sofa and potentially extending the product’s lifespan.

The Aura Sofa is available made to order in a range of premium fabrics and European leathers, allowing customers to tailor the piece to different interior styles and colour palettes.

Designed, manufactured and sold exclusively by King Living, the Aura Sofa launched in showrooms and online early this month, marking the latest addition to the Australian company’s growing portfolio of modular furniture designs.

When Heritage Meets Hue in Fitzroy House

In Melbourne’s Fitzroy, a bold renovation brings new life to a heritage worker’s cottage, blending playful colour with timeless design and plenty of personality.

King Living has unveiled a modular version of its Aura Sofa, bringing greater flexibility to the sculptural design collection as demand grows for furniture that can adapt to changing lifestyles.