Are you a designer? Join our Trade program
Deep Dive

LA’s Chateau Marmont Inspired This Old Hollywood Living Room in Sydney

Words by Morgan Goldberg
Single widget image

Photo by Felix Forest

An early 20th-century Mediterranean Revival villa in harborside Sydney sounds like paradise, but it’s not without quirks. 

In one young family’s case, it was the joint living and dining area of the 1934 Vaucluse home—which was originally built by Australian architect Leslie Wilkinson—that felt cramped and wasn’t practical for the homeowners and their two daughters. So they enlisted local interior design firm Handelsmann + Khaw to rearrange the floor plan to better fit their daily life.

Principals Tania Handelsmann and Gillian Khaw relocated the dining zone and created a single generous living room in the once-mixed space. They arranged multiple seating sections for lounging, socializing, and reading by the fire to maximize functionality.

“The client asked us to restore the home’s original charm and spirit, and wanted a living room that felt warm, layered, and inviting,” Tania says. She and Gillian pulled this off by honoring the historic wooden ceiling with an ornate chandelier, adding a playful squiggly wall border, and incorporating cozy furniture. Here’s how it all came together…

The project: A 1934 Mediterranean Revival villa

The location: Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia

The room: A great room

The client: A young family of four

First image of an double image widget
Second image of an double image widget

Photo by Felix Forest

Photo by Felix Forest

The item that started it all: The original wooden ceiling instantly reminded us of a similar one in the Chateau Marmont (the LA celebrity hotspot was built just a few years earlier in 1929), so we were inspired to hang a Spanish iron chandelier and fill the room with a mix of bespoke and vintage furniture finds, creating a mood reminiscent of old Hollywood.

I really had to sell my clients on: The patterned sofa pushed my clients outside their comfort zone, but they were sold by the idea that it would be much more forgiving of dirty little fingerprints, spills, and stains.

The happy accident: Originally, the client had purchased two vintage Persian rugs at auction for this space, but two separate rugs felt disjointed and the patterns competed with the other fabrics in the room. With just days left before the client was moving in and no budget remaining, we needed a rug that was cheap and available immediately.

So we brought in seagrass matting. It turned out to be the perfect understated solution, grounding the more whimsical pieces and tying all the disparate elements together. Luckily, the Persian rugs worked perfectly in the dining and TV rooms!

The biggest learning: If a design element doesn’t work as you envisaged, even if it’s been planned that way since the beginning, let it go.

Single widget image

Photo by Felix Forest

The splurge and steal in the room: The splurge is the painting by Oliver Watts. The steal is the seagrass rug.

The design risk with the biggest payoff: The painted a squiggly wall border in vibrant yellow. Created using a custom stencil, the detail is a nod to the idiosyncratic nature of this house and a device used to signify that the interior design is playful and quirky and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Something vintage: Paolo Buffa lounge chairs, a Mexican birthing chair, and a 1950s hand-painted vase.

Why this space works so well:  The eclectic curation of vintage and bespoke furniture and the mix of textures and patterns create visual richness. Natural sheepskin, printed Javanese fabric, rattan, and timber were selected for their patina and warmth, crafting a feeling of luxury that is nuanced and understated.

Single widget image

Photo by Felix Forest

The Goods

The image of an 1stdibs Arts & Crafts Mexican Birthing Chair product
1stdibs Arts & Crafts Mexican Birthing ChairSHOP NOW
The image of an Michael S. Smith Inc. Jasper Fabrics Java Stripe Blue Brown product
Michael S. Smith Inc. Jasper Fabrics Java Stripe Blue BrownINQUIRE
The image of an Rush House Original Rug product
Rush House Original RugSHOP NOW
The image of an Gae Aulenti Pipistrello Table Lamp product
Gae Aulenti Pipistrello Table LampSHOP NOW
The image of an India Mahdavi Bishop Rattan Side Table product
India Mahdavi Bishop Rattan Side TableINQUIRE
The image of an Farrow & Ball India Yellow product
Farrow & Ball India YellowSHOP NOW
The image of an 1940s Style Hammered Iron Standard Lamp product
1940s Style Hammered Iron Standard LampSHOP NOW
The image of an Paolo Buffa Midcentury Modern Italian Bouclé Armchairs product
Paolo Buffa Midcentury Modern Italian Bouclé ArmchairsSHOP NOW
Single widget image

Photo courtesy of Handelsmann + Khaw

Want personalized design advice from Handelsmann + Khaw? Book a consultation.