Behind every good design is an even better story.
We aim to create spaces that feel deeply linked to those who live within them and the way to that end goal is by using and procuring pieces that celebrate lived experiences. When it’s filled with objects from travels, art that speaks to your heart, colours that uplift every day, mementos of life and spatial planning that brings you together with your loved ones while allowing for moments of quietude, you’re never going to not love it.
Explore the narratives that shaped some of our favourite projects.
Our clients were a family of peripatetic travellers who had returned home to Australia. Despite having three adult children, they had purchased a large, Victorian home, with the aim of spending quality time as a family before becoming empty nesters.
Hawthorn House called for an interior transformation that would blend two influences - the architectural language of a home which mediates between rich Federation Queen Anne heritage and overt contemporary innovation by Neil Architecture, and the wishes of clients with a predilection for eclectic pieces that simmer with narrative.
Repeat clients are a glowing testament to the calibre of our work and the exceptional dedication of our team. The owners of this Toorak house had worked with us on two prior occasions.
Our client approached us in the process of designing and building a forever home for her young family.
With collectible art as the axis upon which everything else turns, Spring Street’s decorative language has been formed to balance the strength of iconic pieces against the subtle artistry of others. Adventurous, seasoned clients nurturing a passion for property and travel lent to a project anchored by a deep trust that stems from having worked together multiple times across a myriad of projects.
Working with repeat clients is a great privilege. It brings with it extra bandwidth for creative experiments, allowing us to make executive decisions on pieces of breathtaking design singularity. This becomes the magic fairy dust that leads to outstanding outcomes.
~ Simone
“We went in with just our bed. Simone did every single piece of furniture in the house which was so exciting for us. She picked paint colours, everything. No one questioned her. She is the master of what she does.”
~ Client
“We got Sim on during construction so there was scope for her to assist with fittings. Sometimes, when you work with an interior designer there is an outside house and an inside house. That didn’t happen here. She had input on internal joinery finishes, carpets, curtains and lights. It adds an amazing level of finesse we would never have been able to achieve otherwise.”
~ Dom Pandolfini, Architect
“Simone has a wonderful eye and a great gift for tempting you with furniture pieces without you even knowing. She gently pushed my conservatism so I’ve ended up with a few edgier pieces that I absolutely love. The dining table was one. It was the second piece we purchased and became an anchor for everything else that followed.”
~ Client
This project marked the first commercial design undertaken by the studio, presenting new design opportunities. Our client, the creative agency PLAYGROUND, are driven to inspire and challenge their clients.
"It was such a success to have hired Simone Haag and her brilliant design team, Cindy, Ellie, and Olivia. I remember during our first meeting, Simone was super warm and clear regarding the process, which gave us a feeling of confidence.
It was difficult for us being in Hong Kong to truly understand how we wanted to design our family home. Gradually, we were seeing the style and colour emerge, giving shape to our dream.
Our family fully trusts the style, taste and professionalism of Simone and her team. When we moved in last November, we were really amazed, everything was incredible, full of charm and style. Everyone who has come to our home asks about our interior designer. Our family is very grateful and would recommend Simone Haag without a doubt."
~ Client
“My style is very understated. It’s both elegant and relaxed. I love beautiful things but don’t want anything to be too ostentatious—classic with a twist. If you look at some of the pieces Simone has chosen there’s colour but it's muted. Lots of pattern and energy but it's very curated and refined. It all works together. It’s tempered but there’s also something really interesting going on. It's the perfect blend.”
~ Client
Despite the challenges in place, they remained invested and trusting in equal parts; sharing the journey with us but also deferring to the Simone Haag team to take a strong design lead.
Our client is a global nomad, having lived in over ten cities. On the verge of a cross-continental move to Melbourne, she engaged our services whilst still living in the US. It became clear quite quickly that we’d need to forge an immediate connection in order to assist with editing her sizeable - and eclectic - collection of furniture and art before the family’s relocation.
Fiona Cole had always marvelled at the proportions and character of this grand Victorian house in Hampton.
This project was the result of a close collaboration with our clients, Austin Maynard Architects and Eckerly Garden Architecture. We relish the opportunity to be brought on at the outset of a project. It means that we can create a cohesive design outcome.
Fenwick House has found its spirit through tailored interior decoration ensembles that harmonise with a modernist inspired architectural essence instilled by Edition Office, an interior design language by Flack Studio that conjures a tangible sense of place through its accord with the surrounding landscape, and the culmination of a long-standing client relationship.
So much of what we do involves an ongoing process of getting to know and understand our clients. It forms the core of our work because it informs our highly personalised approach to place-making.
“When I moved in five years ago, this townhome was probably about 15 years old and in need of an update. It had big ceramic tiles on the floor and that yellowy tone. I decided to paint and, wouldn’t you know, one thing led to another and suddenly I wanted to move the kitchen, change the floors, elevate the whole house and make it more cosy. Simone was on my radar because she created such beautiful, comfortable spaces. The pieces she uses are just different and it’s so refreshing to see things that aren’t everywhere.”
~ Client
A recent design graduate, our client had a sound understanding of the nuances of palette and texture as well as a tenacious decisiveness. Throughout this process, we were inspired by our client’s commitment to investing in one-off vintage pieces.
This coastal project brought us together with one of our most endearing clients, an older gentleman who commissioned us to furnish his Balnarring beach house.
Having worked with the client twice previously, as well as with Angela Harry, we were able to reunite a well-oiled team that serendipitously had an all female constellation - something we all embraced. It was also a direction that fitted with the delicate ornamentation of the Federation home, the meticulous attention to detail Angela had paid to the restoration of its heritage features and the decision to canvas its walls in soft nudes and greys that drew short of being overly feminine while casting it firmly in that direction.
We delight in working with repeat clients. We draw on valuable and intimate insights from past interactions and continue to build on well established, mutual trust.
Surrounded by four family members who live on the same street, another family home behind and various aunts, uncles, godparents and cousins a stones throw away, the current iteration is an elegantly resolved, light-drenched home which mediates perfectly between large informal gatherings of friends and family and a discerning appreciation for antipodean design, personal sentimentality and art.
“I lived in Brisbane for 20 years before moving to Melbourne so in coming here I wanted to create a home that had a real Melbourne vibe. The richness of colours and textures in Simone’s work, her capacity to balance the energy of the city with a luxe atmosphere was so captivating to me.”
~ Client