Vaucluse House Renovation

Located in Vaucluse, Sydney, this home began life as a modest two-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage. Danielle Victoria Design Studio was engaged to rethink the property for a growing family, completely reconfiguring the floor plan to accommodate three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a new ensuite, plus a self-contained cabana suite with a bathroom, ensuite, kitchen and lounge area at the rear.

The brief called for an interior that was timeless and elegant, but still warm and practical enough for everyday family life. Rather than relying on an overtly decorative scheme, the design uses a light, warm palette, natural materials, custom joinery and architectural mouldings to bring depth and character to the expanded home.

This considered approach helps the extensive alterations feel settled rather than conspicuously new. Although walls, openings and rooms have been introduced, a consistent language of materials and architectural details connects the different spaces, giving the home a stronger sense of permanence.

Light, Warmth and European Character

The original interiors felt dark and enclosed. Introducing lighter, warmer tones changed the atmosphere, creating a brighter and more open backdrop for the family’s everyday life. The restrained palette also allowed the home’s materials, joinery, and architectural profiles to become more clearly defined.

Against this quieter background, skirting boards and architraves provide structure without making the interior feel overly formal. They frame walls, doorways and transitions, creating a visual rhythm that carries through the reconfigured plan.

Intrim’s SK110 skirting and architrave profile was selected for its curved form and refined upper bead detail. At 25mm thick, with the skirting at a height of 230mm, the profile has enough presence to suit the proportions of the interior while retaining a restrained appearance. Its traditional influence contributes to the home’s European character, balanced by the simplicity of the surrounding palette and contemporary family plan.

The result feels refined rather than ornate. It demonstrates how a classically influenced moulding profile can introduce softness and definition within a contemporary renovation without determining the style of every other element.

Making a Reworked Home Feel Established

The Vaucluse House renovation demonstrates how architectural detailing can influence the character of a home even when the most substantial work occurs within the floor plan. The property has been fundamentally adapted for modern family living, while its interior identity is shaped through a restrained palette, natural materials, tailored joinery, and carefully considered proportions.

The use of SK110 skirting boards and architraves gives walls and openings a clearer definition while establishing continuity across the expanded residence. Their curved detailing introduces a subtle European influence, but the effect remains calm and contemporary because the profile is balanced by the home’s lighter palette and uncomplicated material scheme.

For homeowners planning a renovation, this project shows how skirting boards and architraves can impact on the finished feel of a renovation. Their height, thickness, shape and repetition can affect how substantial, connected, and established an interior feels.

For designers, Vaucluse House shows how selecting the right profile can support an entire design language. Applied consistently and considered alongside joinery, stone and colour, the mouldings help bring visual order across an entire home.

The finished residence balances contemporary family living with a timeless European-inspired aesthetic. Through thoughtful planning and a measured approach to materials and detail, the former cottage has become a warm and cohesive home that feels distinctly its own.

Interior Design: Danielle Victoria Design Studio

Build: Corvus Primesite

Photography: Smack Studios