KEZ HUGHES, KARLA MARCHESI, TAI SNAITH & HEIDI YARDLEY IN VOGUE AUSTRALIA FEATURE ON ROBSON RAK

By Nicholas Thompson | September 30, 2026 |

Robson Rak design an expressive home in Melbourne with surprises at every turn

Designed around the owners’ art collection, this two-bedroom home turns the constraints of downsizing into a creative opportunity, pairing heritage details with bold flourishes. Photographed by Anson Smart. Architecture, Interior design, furniture, art procurement and styling by Robson Rak.

Saskia Tillers

September 30, 2026 – 8:28AM

Downsizing needn’t mean limiting or losing sight of personality. Instead, it can provide an otherwise unforeseen opportunity to consolidate, curate and flex creative muscles. Never has this sentiment rung truer than at Celine, a Victorian home in Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs. Described as a “cathartic explosion of colour, art and sculptural form,” by principal interior designer Chris Rak and principal architect Kathryn Robson of studio Robson Rak, the home is equal parts eclectic and genteel; bold and serene.

Artwork by Karla Marchesi from Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Masiero light from Mondoluce.

Engaged by a couple swapping their large family home for this two-bedroom-and-ensuites abode—now their “forever home”—the plan, while flexible, was centered around the idea that while they were going smaller, they wanted somewhere “no less expressive.” “Their brief was open, with one clear request: art should be integral to the home, rather than added as decoration at the end,” the designers explain. “The intention was to create a home that reflected their personalities and love of art—sophisticated, playful and deeply personal. This gave us permission to work instinctively, bringing together pieces from different periods, makers and artistic disciplines without pursuing a predetermined style.”

It’s a mentality made instantly clear from the moment one steps inside the entrance hall, reimagined by Robson Rak as a gallery space to house art, sculpture and bespoke furniture. “Grounded by colourful tessellated tiles and crowned by a glazed atrium, it brings light and personality to the adjoining rooms, giving this smaller home a wonderful sense of generosity and luxury,” the designers say.

Originally a single Victorian, at some point the property was split in two, followed by successive additions over the years. “Traces of this transformation remain in the decorative tiles, external mouldings, architraves and windows now found within the interior,” the designers explain. “These features once formed part of the original façade and verandah, giving the house its unusual character and a fascinating sense of outside becoming inside.”

The palette is simultaneously complementary and punctuated by contrasts. A bespoke green American oak dining table from Thomas Lentini; cherry-red architraves marking the thresholds between spaces; moss green enveloping the bathrooms. It was a conscious choice. “Rather than imposing a uniform aesthetic, the design allows each room its own distinct mood and personality,” say Robson and Rak. “[The clients] enjoy both the theatrical gestures and the quieter details, revealed through texture, reflection, craftsmanship and unexpected pairings. For them, it feels thoughtfully composed yet full of surprises”.

Cassina Moncloud Modular Sofa from Mobilia, Tacchini Kanji Coffee Table from Stylecraft, Tacchini Kanji Side Table from Stylecraft, Minotti Laurel Armchair from Moebel, Minotti Andree Side Table from Moebel, Custom Rug based on Vintage Design from The Rug Establishment, artworks by Heidi Yardley from Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Alistair Fowler from Fletcher Arts, Kelly Brown from Pepite Gallery, David Austin from Pepite Gallery, Jennifer Oh from Pepite Gallery, Sharon Alpren from Pepite Gallery, Rina Bernabei from Pepite Gallery, Porta Romano chandelier from Sth Pacific Fabrics.

With no short supply of flair or in any of the spaces, it’s near impossible to select remarkable standalone moments. Yet for Rak and Robson, amongst the houndstooth-clad chairs and opposing forms of marble in the living room, it’s Tord Boontje’s large, intricately detailed orange ‘Ivy Shadow’ chandelier that deserves an honourable mention, for providing “an unexpected explosion of colour as well as sculptural drama.” “Its delicate forms illuminate and frame the extraordinary Victorian ceiling rose, creating a playful dialogue between old and new and setting the tone for the room’s expressive personality.”

Custom American Oak Dining Table from Thomas Lentini, Kunst Long Arm Dining Chair from Apato, BD Barcelona Grasso Armchair from Mobilia, Hessentia 4545/Dx Brick Side Table from Moebel, artworks by Alex Bray from Fletcher Arts, Tai Snaith from Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Kez Hughes from Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Kez Hughes from Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Lisa Roet from Fletcher Arts, Zoe Powell from Studio Alluvium.