Designers at Home | Simone Haag
Melbourne interior decorator Simone Haag has made a mid-century modern dwelling her own, layering the well-preserved interior with her signature warmth and narrative depth through a harmonious blend of vintage and contemporary pieces.
Simone Haag’s discovery of this historic property was equal parts serendipity and instinct. She was already living nearby with her husband, Rhys, and their three girls, and the family often wandered through the leafy Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve – a captivating bushland park with winding trails that follow the banks of the Mullum Mullum Creek. Over time, their walks led them to explore the neighbouring blocks, one of which had mid-century homes lining one side and bushland bordering the other. “It felt like we’d hit the jackpot,” says Haag. “Then we found this vacant house, crept up the driveway, peeked through the window and decided it would one day be ours.”
The house had sat unoccupied for some time, almost forgotten in its quiet cul-de-sac, yet it resonated deeply with Haag. Securing the property, however, proved to be a drawn-out process. After contacting an agent to pursue an off-market purchase, she was introduced to the owner’s family, allowed to inspect the property and fell even more deeply in love with its timeless design – but the purchase stalled for nearly 18 months. When Haag eventually heard of the owner’s passing, she waited through probate for the house to be listed publicly, using the time to prepare their own home for sale.
“I had photography and videography done, signed up our agent, had the section 32 prepared and media campaigns ready to go,” she recalls. When their dream home finally came to market, Haag enlisted the help of a buyer’s advocate and ultimately secured the property by responding strategically to a last-minute counteroffer – capitalising on a clause in the vendor’s ‘first and last offer’ model. Haag says the whole process was incredibly stressful, “but we were dedicated to buying this property, and we feel so lucky to now call it home”.
The single-level house was designed in 1972 by Australian architect Ian J Smith and sits on a generous 4,000-square-metre bush block. Smith, who trained under the modernists Robin Boyd and Harry Seidler, is well-known for his contributions to mid-century modern residential design – his work emphasises clarity of form, natural light and integration with the landscape.
Now known as Light Well House, the home is a thoughtful embodiment of these principles. “We had a few meetings with Ian, who’s now nearly 90, to hear stories about the house and understand the rationale behind its design. That process gave the home even more meaning and dimension for us,” says Haag.
The original owner, who also built the dwelling, had partnered with Smith on a number of projects, ensuring precision and quality throughout the process. “The home is built to millimetre-perfect precision,” says Haag. Its crafted joinery remains intact and in-floor hydronic heating still delivers ambient warmth. Thanks to its solid brick construction and considered orientation, Light Well House performs remarkably well throughout the seasons. “It feels incredibly solid and resolved, with strong thermal and acoustic performance to support our daily lives.”
Haag also learned that the home’s remarkable preservation was largely due to the builder’s wife, who was meticulous about how the house was occupied and cared for. The open fireplace in the sunken lounge, for instance, had never been lit until Haag and her family moved in. “The house was preserved beyond preservation. All we needed to do was replace the carpets and curtains, which we did like-for-like to honour Ian’s original vision.” Beyond these updates, the project was an exercise in pure decoration – a domain that has established Haag as one of Australia’s most distinctive names in interiors. Though several pieces from her previous abode were repurposed, the aesthetic direction shifted from pastel-hued softness to a brutalist, raw sensibility.
“The quality of the home called for pieces with pedigree. It was important to respond to the mid-century architecture, but not in every piece. It needed to feel balanced and liveable, rather than reading as a time warp or stage set.” From the entry, sightlines extend to a cosy sunken lounge room grounded by the fireplace, with angled, carpeted steps affording a captivating expansion of space. “The kids dance and sing at the top like it’s a quasi-amphitheatre for performances,” says Haag, smiling. A cluster of 1969 Soriana lounges by Afra and Tobia Scarpa support casual living, complemented by stone tables designed in collaboration with Melbourne maker Daniel Barbera – one with a glass top, which keeps the room’s wrapped carpet datum visible. “We’ve never been big television watchers, and there wasn’t a logical place for one,” says Haag. “It’s helped us preserve a peaceful home where music prevails.”
Lined with timber and mosaics, the kitchen and adjacent dining area benefit from the dwelling’s defining feature: a central light well. This element draws natural light into the interior, while around it flows the primary circulation path, connecting every room. “Views from the kitchen and living area towards the kids’ bedrooms are foregrounded by greenery,” explains Haag. “There’s always movement and a sense of life across the plan, which keeps the home feeling open yet deeply intimate.”
The sunken lounge, kitchen and living spaces, plus Haag’s studio, face north, with broad, full-height windows inviting a captivating dance of light throughout the day. To the south, three bedrooms of equal proportions sit beside a shared bathroom for Haag’s daughters, while a secluded and serene main suite rests beside the entry foyer, affording a degree of separation for the parents. Here, a palette of cream, black and caramel pervades the room’s furniture and decor, featuring bespoke bedside tables, a glass console and sculptural mirror, which sit in dialogue with the residence’s original mosaic-tiled ensuite.
Throughout, exposed brick and rich timber-panelled walls offer a tactile backdrop for art. Belgian tapestries from Fundamente hang beside works by the likes of Thomas Thorby-Lister, Erin Armstrong, Kyu-Baik Hwang, Galia Gluckman and others, plus vintage finds lovingly sourced by Haag from flea markets and estate sales. A table near the light well hosts a curated mix of ceramics, books and ornaments beneath a new, low-hanging pendant, while two green striped Le Mura chairs from Tacchini “offer a welcome pop of colour”.
Haag’s eye for composition and her confidence in mixing eras allows the residence’s interior to feel layered, not laboured. “I’m very decisive. Even if I ponder something for a while, I often come back to my original instinct.” She chalks up this resolute attitude to the specialised nature of her practice, which allows her to find creative expression through her clients’ homes as much as her own. “I don’t feel the need to rethink things, though I do move pieces around often, much to my husband’s amusement.”
In Light Well House, Haag has found not only a family home but also a living canvas – one where architecture and decoration co-exist in thoughtful harmony. Fostering moments of stillness, connection and immersion, the home speaks to Haag’s dedication to finding beauty in overlooked places and creating from the inside out, embracing warmth, curiosity and an editorial eye. “When you step inside, there’s a feeling of being completely removed from the world but deeply connected to each other and to the bushland just beyond.”
Architecture by Ian J Smith. Interior decoration by Simone Haag.
- 项目文案：Hayley Tillett
- Portrait by：Armelle Habib
- 转载自：The Local Project
- 图片@The Local Project
- 语言：英语
- 编辑：序赞网
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