Maryville House
House of Lita founder, Lauren Steel’s Federation cottage in Maryville, in Newcastle, is brimming with charming period details, honouring the home’s heritage foundations.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Teresa Brincat
In the light-filled kitchen, render has been stripped back to expose the original brickwork.
House of Lita founder, Lauren Steel, in her home in Maryville, in Newcastle.
‘The design brief was to pay homage the home’s early 1900s origins by retaining and enhancing its original period features while creating a timeless and refined family home,’ says Lauren Steel.
Design details in the home of House of Lita founder, Lauren Steel.
‘The living room would probably be my favourite space—it’s home to the most beautiful original decorative plaster ceiling and decorative timberwork wall panelling,’ says Lauren Steel.
As the founder of interior studio House of Lita, based in Newcastle, in NSW, Lauren Steel has a distinct eye in design and the curation of furniture, art and homewares. When it came to the direction of the interior design of her own home, which she shares with her husband Mitchell, two-year-old daughter Lottie and labradoodle Floyd, Lauren put her interior design expertise to use, instantly knowing what she wanted to achieve.
Serendipitously, the family had been renting a house in the leafy Newcastle suburb of Maryville, on the same street of their new home for a couple of years, so when the opportunity was presented to purchase Maryville House, they snapped it up without hesitation. ‘We really loved living in the area—it’s a really central location in Newcastle, it’s only a 10-minute drive to the CBD and the beach, and it’s also walking distance to some great cafes, pubs and shops,’ shares Lauren.
Within the light-filled cosy Federation cottage, the home’s original period charm has been celebrated and preserved. ‘The design brief was to pay homage the home’s early 1900s origins by retaining and enhancing its original period features, while creating a timeless and refined family home,’ Lauren says.
The inspiration for the redesign was drawn from the history of the home. Working alongside her husband Mitchell, Lauren selected fixtures and fittings that complemented its heritage bones. The couple chose materials such as heritage-style tessellated tiles, naturally aged brass tapware in the kitchen and bathroom, and also retained the original brickwork and millwork as much as possible.
A favourite space within the home for the family is the living room. ‘Our living room is home to the most beautiful original decorative plaster ceiling and decorative timberwork wall panelling, and is filled with our favourite pieces of art —from Vicki Lee to Annie Everingham and Melnunnie Art, plus framed prints from our travels,’ says Lauren. The living space also includes her current favourite item in the house, an armchair covered in House of Lita pink and white striped upholstery fabric. ‘It’s also framed with two decorative plaster arches, which we installed, adding a really special touch to the space,’ she adds.
The interior palette has a neutral and subdued base, which was important for the family who crave a calming interior and haven they can retreat to. ‘We wanted to create a family home that felt warm, welcoming and personal,’ says Lauren.
Pops of colour have been introduced throughout the spaces through textiles in the furnishings, the artwork and the decor. ‘We played it a little safe with the neutral base in case we decided to sell, however we’ve decided we’re here to stay, so there’ll definitely be some colour added to the walls soon!’
‘The living room features my current favourite item in the house, an armchair covered in our House of Lita pink and white striped upholstery fabric.’
Working with a neutral base palette, colour has been added through fabrics, art and decor.
“I love a calm interior—we wanted to create a home that’s relaxing and is also an easy place to enjoy and a space we can retreat to.”
The neutral and calming palette extends to the bedroom space.
‘We were inspired by the heritage of the home and selected finishes and fixtures that complemented its history.’
Heritage charm extends to all the spaces, including the bathroom.
A large skylight in the bathroom fills the space with natural daylight.