PAUL KEARNEY People and culture manager
Kearney lives in a single-storey 1940s semi-detached house in Melbourne. It has been in his family since it was built and was largely untouched until a recent renovation, which included creating a new bathroom
‘I wanted the design to be influenced by the original fixtures and fittings in the house’
I have a deep sentimental connection to this house because I’ve spent so much time here since I was born. I worked with architect Lisa Breeze on its renovation and the brief, both for the bathroom and for the overall project, was that I wanted to ensure we kept the style and feel of the property.
I like the post-war retro aesthetic of the 1950s and both the curved bespoke vanity unit and the use of chrome were reminiscent of that era. The Louis Poulsen ‘Hat’ wall light above the toilet is an original that we sourced from a vintage gallery, Radar, in Melbourne, which specialises in mid-century European furniture.
I also wanted the design to be influenced by the original fixtures and fittings in the property, so the aqua colour of the tiles and the fluted glass in the shower area were both inspired by features of the old kitchen.
The marble top for the vanity unit and the terrazzo floor were both new materials that I wanted to add in because I love their look and texture. There’s something about natural stone and the ancient element of it; I love that connection to the earth. It’s fortuitous that I waited so long to renovate because it meant that by the time I did, I had the means to do it properly.
There’s a skylight above the vanity unit and a floor-to-ceiling window, so the bathroom feels very light and airy. The old bathroom was the same size but it felt quite poky; this space flows better and is much more user-friendly. lisabreeze.com.au