In the heart of Melbourne, Auburn Residence by Fiona Lynch Office blends bold colors and natural textures to create a harmonious yet vibrant family home. Designed in collaboration with Beaton Projects and captured by Sharyn Cairns, this two-story house on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country takes inspiration from day and night contrasts, infusing each space with its own unique personality.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Location: Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country / Melbourne, Australia
Interior Design & Styling: Fiona Lynch Office
Build: Beaton Projects
Photography: Sharyn Cairns
The design relies on a striking palette—saffron, aubergine, teal, olive, and seafoam—to create visual intrigue and define the flow between rooms. Downstairs, this playful use of color animates the lively communal areas, while upstairs offers a serene retreat for quieter, intimate moments. Fiona Lynch Office’s approach to this home is not just about aesthetics but an invitation to experience a rich, sensory journey.
One of the standout features of the renovation is the removal of walls around the central staircase, replaced with glass to flood the space with natural light. This choice, along with the addition of a Karl Zahn chandelier for Lindsey Adelman, brings an airy elegance to the dining area. The chandelier, with its pearlescent bulb, adds a touch of sculptural art while enhancing the room’s open feel.
The kitchen reflects a deep connection to nature. Here, earthy tones like basil and forest green dominate, with the island and splashback showcasing the rich textures of travertine Litzio and Verde Bardini stone. Leather dining chairs and a wooden table by Jon Goulder ground the space, while large bi-fold doors invite seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor living, connecting the kitchen to a terrace and pool.
Throughout the home, Lynch’s careful reconfiguration of space allows for a more open and connected layout. By removing the enclosed stair balustrade, she created a stronger visual link between the kitchen and lounge areas, enhancing both circulation and connectivity in this family-centric layout.
The den brings a lively, unexpected mix of color and personality, highlighted by a bright orange Flos Snoopy lamp and the iconic Ligne Roset Togo sofa in deep olive tones. This playful mix of color and texture continues upstairs, where the ambiance takes on a distinctively calming shift.
On the second floor, the palette softens to reflect the stillness of night. Here, deep grays and muted blues create a retreat-like feel, with pewter walls in the main suite and a denim blue nubuck leather bedhead that cocoons the space in coziness. This duality between levels—the bright, social downstairs and the tranquil, contemplative upstairs—showcases Fiona Lynch Office’s mastery in crafting spaces that speak to different moods.
The material palette, especially the repeated use of travertine, grounds the design throughout. The textured stone finds its way from the kitchen island to shelving in the lounge and the bathrooms, each time offering a different facet of its beauty. In the primary ensuite, a soft speckled Vert D’Estours marble evokes the gentle ebb and flow of the ocean, adding a peaceful touch to the space.
Custom furnishings and sculptural lighting accentuate the design’s sensory quality. Color-blocked rugs, rich jewel-toned fabrics, and lacquered finishes provide complexity and contrast, creating a layered experience for residents and guests alike. In the lounge, a gold-hued Tufty Time sofa from B&B Italia pairs with a cobalt blue glass coffee table, adding a dash of opulence to the space.
Auburn Residence is a testament to Fiona Lynch Office’s talent for weaving color and texture into a cohesive, emotionally resonant design. Through this balance of day and night, nature and artifice, Lynch transforms a Melbourne house into a family sanctuary that celebrates contrasts and connections.
