A collection of private works designed as thoughtful, efficient spaces that respond to context, community, and the rhythms of everyday life.

A collection of private residences for people and place.

Projects designed for the human experience within the public realm. Progressive innovation and an insatiable search for beauty.

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A refined collection of 9 private residences in East Melbourne, including the heritage-listed Kilburn Mansion and its Stables. The development is grounded in sensitivity to place and a respect for East Melbourne’s architectural heritage. Referencing English traditions, it evokes a quiet and considered luxury— understated, enduring, and personal.

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Simpson & George

Luxury property has never before had a greater responsibility to provide for a conscious lifestyle. A lifestyle and world built on how it feels to be alive and to live with fulfilment. A place with social, environmental, and cultural importance where a personal wellbeing is considered and prioritized. We design for this world.

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Brighton Beach

Port Melbourne

Our work at Collins Wharf is shaped by the study of light, atmosphere, and the site’s island-like presence on the water’s edge. To imagine this new residential precinct, we drew inspiration from artist Clarice Beckett, whose quiet observations of place captured the mood and rhythm of early Melbourne. Her poetic lens guides a design language that feels grounded, fluid, and emotionally resonant.

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Collins Wharf

Felix Forest

Photographer

A formal structure in both plan and volume Studio Kennon begins with a classical base, where spatial qualities are prioritized from the outset.

The power of this architecture expresses an interest into the idea of living well.
How to wake, how to bathe, where to cook and where to rest, this is a composition of thoughts and a desired pattern of movement. Embodying the full floor top floor with 360-degree outlook, the living spaces are positioned to the morning and daytime sunlight at the east and north of the building – a considered plan sensitive to location.

The interior is considered with layers, a white marble as base used in various formats and implementations carry the solid kitchen form in large mirrored slabs is an anchor to the main living space. Underneath slips mosaic marble tiles that transitions in scales through-out room thresholds forming lines in delineation to the subdivision of space.

Formal ideas are used in a contemporary manner bringing a touch of mischief and playfulness to a traditional room layout and bold architectural language – an expose into Kennon’s taste for expressing details in subtle methods, a quiet luxury.

Small and refined motifs suggest a larger grandeur is present, moments explore opulence then appear to withdraw and recede – a connection from detail and material rigour that carries a minimalistic like softness, a feeling that is calming and ever present in Kennon’s fast-growing body of work. A finesse in restraint underpins a refined elegance, the core interior architecture and programmatic function enables the studio’s skill in furniture curation both custom design and sourcing to complete The Eighth Penthouse as one powerful piece of work.

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The Eighth Penthouse

Our clients first met in California, one standing in front of the camera, the other behind it. That chance encounter marked the beginning of their love story and led him to return home to city of Melbourne, where their next chapter would begin.

The other character in this story is the light: the light remembered from their time in California; the light we hoped to bring to their home—a classic Victorian terrace, and the lightness of two people whose joy radiates.

Guided by these recollections and shaped by a rural Australian upbringing, the house balances both a lightness and a grounding energy. Amongst calm sandy walls, the design details draw inspiration from the green landscape with a formal front dining room, and the deep ocean with a navy sofa, creating a balance to the home's softness.

Through the restored and readapted archways, the tone of the house shifts. As you move towards the rear landscaped courtyard, the house lightens and softens. A soft wall colour, and curves are intended to reflect the client’s own presence. A playful, large Nathan Hawkes painting brings a bounce of energy and joy.

Layered within the house are bespoke timber furniture pieces from craftsman in Los Angeles, who we commissioned specially to bring those early Californian memories back into the home through the tactile instruments.

Where golden memories once flourished on the sands of Malibu, they now find new life in the heart of South Yarra

Full Media

Lightness

A place of new beginnings, quiet growth, and subtle evolution. Initially envisioned as a full-scale renovation, the project began with a simple refresh: a tidy-up and a fresh coat of paint. But as the design took shape, stage one became the only stage needed. Through thoughtful use of colour and texture, along with the addition of an ensuite, a walk-in wardrobe, and a kitchen renovation, the home transformed.

Guided by their natural style—layered whites, greys, and neutrals, effortlessly elegant—we embraced a softer, more nuanced palette in the house. We leaned into grey, a hue that felt both calming and grounding. It spoke to the red brick exterior, creating a space that deepened in the front room—our client’s retreat, a den where work and rest intertwined.

Throughout the home, a quiet language of curves develops. Fireplaces, softened into gentle vertical arcs. The kitchen, shaped by flowing, rounded edges. The entry shelf, carved in stone, echoes this motif. This sense of movement extends beyond the walls, into an outdoor space with cement integrated seating, a built-in barbecue, a space for gathering.

At the heart of our vision stood a tree in the rear and west of the property. Its branches cast shifting shadows across the living spaces, dappling the walls, warming the home as the light changes throughout the day. A presence both fleeting and constant, it gave the project its name—Warm Shadow.

Warm Shadow

Proportion is the meaning of volumetric order, a house functions because of the order of program where each room is experienced through the proportion of space. In this home, we embraced the dominance of proportion in plan, allowing our interior interventions to layer over the architecture like a quiet dialogue, bringing forth our client’s character while respecting the integrity of the space.

Wayne Gillespie is part of a Melbourne architectural tradition. He achieved a personal style that is instantly recognizable to both the trained eye and the passer-by.

When our client purchased this property, they understood its origins but saw how time and past alterations had diluted its essence. We restored the home to its original state while introducing a refined, sympathetic and contemporary interior.

We believe in classical architectural principals. Symmetry, order and proportion.

At the heart of the home, a double-height entry lobby is anchored by stone flooring, its scale and presence sets the rhythm for the spaces beyond. Textured walls soften the interior, ensuring the vibrancy of the flooring and the bold energy of Dale Frank artworks never overwhelm but instead sit within a carefully measured balance.

Inside, classical ideals extend into the detailing. Influenced by artist Donald Judd, a master of proportion, the kitchen island and stone elements echo the architectural language of the original design. Contemporary materials and thoughtful interventions bridge past and present.

A curated collection of Australian artworks and an eclectic mix of furniture styles complete the residence, intertwining history and modernity, structure and softness, order and warmth.

Proportion

Derek Swalwell

This house is built on the principle of permanence—crafted from concrete, it stands as a structure that stands the test of time, yet it is alive with the pulse of daily life. It is a place where the raw power of material meets the warmth of human connection, where strength and intimacy coexist.

Our first private residence, the design began with intuition, an enquiry into the clients’ story and weaving it into every detail.

The heart of the home is the family room, where a generous island bench—the “everything table”—that serves as both anchor and gathering point. Casual meals, afternoon teas, late-night drinks, or homework sessions, this table is the centre of life, endlessly versatile, always in use. The space flows between zones, allowing for moments of togetherness, privacy, and aspect to the garden.

We perceive architecture as a physical object, yet remember architecture as an experience. Often, the greater the experience, the more memorable it is.

It is in this interaction between form and feeling that we find our human connection to both the interior and the exterior.

The material of the home—an in-situ concrete—creates a foundation that feels as lasting as it is intimate. Its raw, weighty presence is softened by neutral tones within, introducing a subtle femininity that tempers the boldness of the architecture.
The house retains its Victorian façade, preserving the charm of its street presence while remaining unassuming of what lies inside. The new addition flows organically with the landscape and the character of the existing home, its modern design responding thoughtfully to the natural slope of the land. Expansive and open, the living room connects directly to the garden, framing views of sky and water, bringing the outside in with every shift of light.

Concrete—often regarded as harsh and unyielding—takes on a lighter quality in this project, its weight softened through thoughtful detailing, hidden engineering, and a careful balance of space and form. It forms a lasting foundation for both the structure and the life lived within it.

Permanence 

Back Beach House sits on the edge of the Mornington Peninsula’s National Park, where native wildlands meet the coastline. A thoughtful addition to a classic Australian beach house, the project was documented four years after completion, allowing the new landscape to settle and blur the line between home and parkland. 

Timber and existing materials connect the home to the Blairgowrie tapestry, while new interventions introduce a quiet contemporary rhythm. A concealed stainless steel shower behind the fire zone completes the retreat, embracing the unassuming ease of coastal living.

Blairgowrie

The first time you find yourself at Wategos Beach you notice that something feels different. One can feel the 20,000 year-old tales of a sacred land of healing, or the geophysical lines of obsidian crystal veins. Wategos is a special place where an enlightened meaning is found. 

Working with local expert Ecologists, Landscape Designers and with support from the First Nations Arakwal Community, together we propose the largest private littoral rainforest re-vegetation strategy in Byron Bay.

With over 9900 new native trees and plants proposed for the site – heavily integrated into the architecture - this design will provide a new life and landscape for the local flora and fauna with evident benefit for the surrounding community.

A subtropical architecture of place promotes protected outdoor living spaces, sea breezes and program for a large and growing local family to live.

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Wategos Estate

Set on sacred ground, this beachside site holds deep significance as a place where healing unfolds across social, emotional, and physical realms. For our clients, it is a space to reconnect, to gather, and to restore. Time spent here offers a rare sense of respite, as if the landscape itself extends a quiet generosity. We have named it the House of Healing, an architecture shaped to honour place and deepen the bonds between those who share it.

Healing

Sitting at the highest point in Portsea, Spyglass takes in uninterrupted 360-degree views of the coast. Surrounded by windswept natives and tea tree-covered dunes, its elevated position captures the atmosphere of the back beach — the mist in the air, the golden afternoon light, and the distant sound of surf. Quiet and private, it stands as a gentle tribute to the wild beauty of the Victorian coastline.

Spyglass

Hopetoun is a contemporary mansion situated on a prominent landholding in Melbourne’s Toorak. Poetic in plan, the residence draws on traditional architectural principles of volume and space, reinterpreted through a refined, modern lens. The generous scale of the site allowed us to prioritise functionality, volume, and a sense of spatial generosity throughout. The design began with a singular block form, from which elements were carved away to invite light, greenery, and softness — introducing curves, vegetation, and refined detailing that balance the strength of the architecture with a sense of calm.

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Hopetoun 

Poised high on the sunny side of the hill with views over the northern national park escarpment, Sunnyside is a highly textural family residence. It opens to the aspect while layering with the landscape to provide privacy.

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Sunnyside

The estuary is a natural point at which Belongil Creek and the ocean meet. A junction where multiple ecosystems merge to form a sanctuary teaming with sea and bird life. A celebration of biodiversity. This is Byron Bay at its most natural - and the most special place for a private family who have always called Byron home.

Paperbark

Positioned along the Geelong waterfront in Drumcondra, this residence sits directly on the esplanade with uninterrupted views of the bay. The design takes inspiration from the sailing boats that move across the water; a constant, graceful presence that informed both the orientation and detailing of the home. The façade subtly mirrors the form and movement of sails, creating a poetic connection between the architecture and its coastal setting.

Drumcondra 

True to its name, Wildcoast is a landscape sculpted by the untamed forces of nature. Sitting atop the highest point in Portsea, this private residence is anchored low to the earth, wrapped in the embrace of native shrubs. It shields itself from the wild, creating a series of intimate, secluded spaces.

Wildcoast

Tom Ross

Designed to harness the power of sunlight, the building challenges traditional approaches to energy use, demonstrating that innovation and aesthetics can coexist.

Drawing inspiration from advanced European glazing technologies that seamlessly embed photovoltaic cells into glass, the project brings innovative sustainability to an urban context. A collaborative effort between local suppliers and international experts made this vision a reality, setting a new precedent for carbon-neutral design.

Reduces CO₂ emissions by 70 tonnes annually

5.5-star Green and 5-star NABERS ratings.

1,182 solar panels generate 142 kWp, producing more energy than consumed.

Self-Sufficiency: Immediate electricity use eliminates battery storage and carbon emissions.

Solar-integrated rooftop façade garden design enables green rooftop space

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Catching the Sun

EQ Wellbeing was created as a response to the pace of modern life—a space designed to offer calm, clarity, and the chance to step away. We shaped an environment that evolves with the seasons, offering a sense of rhythm and renewal throughout the year.

Recognising that the essence of EQ lies in its dynamic nature, we designed a space that is inherently adaptable. Each season introduces a new atmosphere—through sound, light, scent, and even the flavours in the tea. To facilitate this fluidity, we employed a muted palette of concrete tones and mosaic details, establishing a serene and timeless foundation. Transparent and custom-designed furnishings allow the seasonal elements to take centre stage, ensuring the space remains fresh and engaging without overwhelming the senses.

Drawing inspiration from traditional bathhouses, the architecture features soft curves, mosaic tiles, and filtered light, creating an environment that encourages relaxation and introspection. Every material and design choice was made with the intention of fostering a tranquil atmosphere that evolves in harmony with the changing seasons.

Equilibrium

The Ritz-Carlton Gold Coast is designed as a hotel destination for entertainment and human connection, drawing inspiration from the surrounding Broadwater landscape. Curving in both plan and section, the building takes on a sculptural, natural form — as if shaped by wind, water, and time. Keeping low to the ground, the curvaceous lobby opens onto a generous public plaza, creating a seamless connection between hospitality and the coastal setting.

Ritz Carlton

Ritz Carlton Gold Coast

Through the redesign of both the Melbourne and Sydney office spaces we developed a new interior & brand experience platform for a forward thinking financial services company. Each project created a place that represents the formative and contemporary values of the business, and individually pays tribute to each office location - in this case Sydney.

Corporate Clubhouse Sydney

Through the redesign of both the Melbourne and Sydney office spaces we developed a new interior & brand experience platform for a forward thinking financial services company. Each project created a place that represents the formative and contemporary values of the business, and individually pays tribute to each office location - in this case Melbourne.

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Corporate Clubhouse Melbourne

The 1890s Victorian Italianate building once served as The State Savings Bank of Victoria, a landmark structure with opulent detailing that had lost its lustre over the years.
The facade hadn’t changed, but inside there were layers of walls, lowered ceilings and darkness. We stripped it all back and now, instead of tapping on false walls, you feel the integrity and bones of the existing building. Part of a brand overhaul, the renovation went beyond the revamping of the interiors to include the enhancement of the client experience. A hair salon, after all, is more than just a place where you get your hair done; it’s also a place where one can unwind from a hectic week, have some “me time”, socialize and regain a sense of community.

Drawing from the opulence of the salon’s historic premises, Kennon’s interior design marries classical elegance with contemporary minimalism. Meticulously restored ceiling cornices and ornate archways that evoke the building’s architectural heritage are complemented by a custom marmarino plaster finish, while the bold use of dark grey terrazzo for both floors and furniture seamlessly tie everything together. A re-evaluation of an existing business, the functional plan, operations and audit of brand-identity. Identity in retail design is experiential, the small moments of delight that surprise a customer. Things are felt, not just visual. The design restores the existing romance of the building and embeds a contemporary experience-based interior

The 1890s Victorian Italianate building, once home to The State Savings Bank of Victoria, stood as a landmark with opulent detailing, though time had dulled its former glory. While the façade remained intact, the interior had become encumbered by layers of walls, lowered ceilings, and a sense of darkness. We stripped back these alterations, revealing the building’s true structure and essence.

As part of a larger brand overhaul, the renovation aimed not just to update the space, but to enhance the client experience. A hair salon is more than just a place for a haircut—it’s a space to unwind, recharge, socialize, and reconnect with a sense of community.

Drawing inspiration from the building’s historical richness, the design blends classical elegance with a modern, minimalist approach. Restored cornices and ornate archways reflect the building’s heritage, while a custom marmarino plaster finish adds contemporary texture. Bold dark grey terrazzo on both the floors and furniture brings cohesion, grounding the space in a timeless yet fresh way.

Beyond the physical transformation, the renovation also focused on rethinking the salon’s functionality and customer experience. Retail design, after all, is about the experience—the small, often unnoticed moments that delight and surprise. In this project, the design honours the building’s original romance while integrating a contemporary, experience-driven atmosphere.