SAR Residence by Mim Design

SAR Residence by Mim Design

Design Mim Design | Photography Sean Fennessy | Words Sophie Lewis

Meditative moments, uninterrupted flow and refined simplicity pervade the SAR Residence by Melbourne interior studio Mim Design. Situated in a historic South Yarra neighbourhood, Mim Design have reshaped an original Victorian-era abode into a dynamic family home by taking cues from traditional Japanese design.

“This home has a strong story and is an example of how culture and heritage are brought together through well-considered interior design,” director of Mim Design Miriam Fanning explains. Explicitly, the design team, including architect Emma Tulloch, accommodated a modern Japanese lifestyle within the heritage home and addition through a traditional soaking tub and meditation space.

The client brief was to weave a timeless contemporary design aesthetic through the existing Victorian house and to balance it with strong Japanese influences, while maintaining a functional family home.

– Miriam Fanning, director of Mim Design

The home is shaped around a central courtyard, through the introduction of floor-to-ceiling steel frame windows and doors. Inspired by traditional Shoji screens and a connection to the natural environment embedded in Japanese design, the steel-frame glazing ensures each space shares an abundance of natural light.

Amid the black frame detailing, Mim Design interlaced soft timbers with polished plaster, aged-bronze tapware, terrazzo and natural marble to echo the fusion of Japanese, contemporary and Victorian influences. The strong black steel accents anchor the white and cool-grey tones throughout, from the arched steel frame doors in the living space to the steel-frame enclosed bathroom.

As a consonance of styles, philosophies and heritage, the SAR Residence avows the restorative qualities of a renovated family home.