Project Feature | Caulfield North Home

May 21, 2026

Homeowners Stephen and Tanya Mendel gave their Caulfield North home a thoughtful refresh. Reimagining the interiors with warmth, texture and a renewed sense of personality. Blending timeless architecture with layered contemporary styling, the home balances refined design with the relaxed ease living, creating spaces that feel both elevated and deeply lived in.

Interior Decoration: Stephen & Tanya Mendel in collaboration with Simone Haag
Architecture: Bower Architecture
Landscape Design: Candeo Design
Photography: Traianos Pakioufakis
Builder: Cosgrave Construction

Furniture - Puddle Side Table. Art - left David Band

Furniture - Legacy Coffee Table and Pippa Coffee Table. Art - from left, Dalbo Suarimbawa, Marise Maas, Nina Rom

Design Brief, Inspiration and Colour Scheme

The brief was less about transformation and more about refinement - an opportunity to reimagine a home already rich with knowledge, pieces and history. Stephen and Tanya brought a deeply informed perspective through their work with GlobeWest, alongside an extensive and meaningful furniture and art collection. The focus was on creating interiors with depth and layering, while recontextualising existing pieces and pushing the boundaries of what was possible within the home’s existing framework.

The palette leans into warmth and depth: earthy neutrals, softened greens, rich timbers and tactile textiles, allowing the art and objects to remain central while creating a cohesive, enveloping atmosphere.

The Favourite Room In The House

For Stephen and Tanya, it’s difficult to choose just one favourite. The bar has become a much-loved space they now use often, while the formal dining room is another standout. Drawn back to the home’s modernist roots through statement wallpaper on the ceiling, plush carpet, a curated wall art and a strong use of texture, it also features two of GlobeWest’s limited-edition pieces, the Legacy Dining Table and the Pippa Stripe Coffee Table, making the room feel especially personal.

Furniture - Leon Dining Table and Anton Dining Chairs. Art - Ben Medansky

Furniture - Natadora Slipper Modular Sofa and Rudy Marble Side Table. Art - Salim Indonesia

Art - Cameron Gill

Challenges Encountered Throughout The Project

This home already had a strong identity and highly informed owners, so rather than starting with a blank canvas, the process became one of careful editing and recalibration.

The challenge lay in balancing what already worked within the home while introducing new layers of materiality, texture and customisation to evolve the spaces in a thoughtful way. The result is an interior that feels refined and cohesive, while still retaining the character, history and personality that made the home special to begin with.

Outstanding Features & Unique Aspects Of This Home

The home is deeply defined by the Stephen and Tanya's existing art collection, spanning African artefacts, contemporary works and sculptural pieces collected over time. These works anchor each space and informed the layering throughout the home, acting as a starting point for the curation and refinement of each room.

A selection of furniture pieces were customised and reupholstered in artisanal fabrics, giving them a renewed sense of character and allowing them to be experienced through a new lens. The custom bar within the walk-in pantry is another distinctive gesture, elevating a functional space into something more ceremonial.

Art - Oktaravianus Bakara

History Of The House

The home began as a 1960s single-storey residence, reflective of the era’s modest, functional approach to suburban living. Around 2015, it underwent a substantial renovation that expanded it into a split-level home, introducing greater volume and connectivity to the surrounding landscape.

While the architecture evolved, traces of its mid-century bones remain, which informed the approach to layering - respecting that foundation while introducing a more contemporary sensibility.

Furniture - Reese Square Coffee Table and Reese Octo Block Side Table

Furniture - Tolv Pinta Dining Chairs and Legacy Dining Table. Art - Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula

Furniture - Tolv Pinta Dining Chairs and Legacy Dining Table. Art - William Kentridge, sculpture right by Lynne Edey

Art - Adriane Strampp

The Final Result

The result is a home that feels layered, personal and quietly resolved. It balances a sense of familiarity with moments of surprise, with existing pieces reimagined and with new interventions sitting comfortably alongside them.

For Stephen, after living beautifully in the home for 12 years, the project offered the opportunity to address areas that weren’t working to their full potential. The once seldom-used bar is now enjoyed often, a dark walk-in pantry has been transformed with the addition of a large skylight, and an underutilised children’s rumpus room has been reimagined as a gym. The new bar within the pantry has also become a well-used and much-loved feature.

How The Transformation Reshaped The Owners’ Experience Of The Home.

Stephen and Tanya have expressed a renewed connection to the home, particularly in how spaces are now used and experienced. Rooms that were once overlooked have become integral to daily life, and there’s a greater sense of cohesion across the whole house.

Importantly, they’ve felt that the outcome reflects them, not just their work in the industry, but their personal history and way of living.