The Design Files: Domain's Alice Stolz shares her expert renovation

Who: Domain managing editor Alice Stolz

What: A respectful renovation of a 1900s family home, designed by Doherty Design Studio

Where: Canterbury, Melbourne

Even when you’re Domain’s national managing editor and a property expert, it can be surprisingly difficult to find your perfect family home. Alice Stolz experienced this unique conundrum when returning to Australia in 2016, following 12 years living overseas with her husband Adam and three children Mathilde (16), Charlotte (14) and Beatrice (12).

After inspecting what felt like every house in Melbourne, a buyer’s advocate suggested this 1900s house in Canterbury that finally ticked all the boxes.

“The house was creaking with character and had a lovely feeling of irreverence to it,” Stolz says. “I loved the potential of it; the quirky floor plan, and the feeling that there was something quite enchanted about it.”

The house needed a lot of reconfiguring to suit the family of five, but Stolz was intent on retaining its original spirit. “The floor plan was like something that Charles Dickens would have lived in – it was a rabbit warren,” she says. “There was no heating, cooling, no carpet and only one bathroom and one loo.”

It would have been easier to demolish the back of the house and start over, but a limited budget and the expertise of Mardi Doherty at Doherty Design Studio inspired working within the existing footprint.

“I think all those years of living in tight and quirky buildings in Paris and New York stood us in good stead to not need that much internal space,” Stolz says. “As chaotic and mad as we are as a family, we actually all revel in being together, and this house encourages us to congregate.”

Doherty understood the family’s vision to embrace the existing home while improving its liveability, which resulted in a completely personalised space.

“Had I needed to, I could have closed my eyes and handed all decisions over to Mardi and I would have been happy,” Stolz says. “I feel like she had sort of X-ray vision and could see all that was possible by peeling walls away and creating new spaces. It was like a bricks-and-mortar version of alchemy.”

Furniture and decor were sourced from all over the globe, including several vintage pieces from the family’s Paris days.

Stolz hopes the completed home still feels rich in character while being functional, warm and generous.

“Our aim was to make a liveable home that would never intimidate, but that was also playful and have a bit of ‘je ne sais quoi’! We’ll be tackling the garden next, and I can’t wait to have that act as a frame for the house and to bring yet another dimension to the property.”

How to work with an interior designer

If your home requires an interior overhaul – or simply a one-room reno, and you don’t know where to start – you may be in need of an interior designer.

Interior designers can assist with the internal layout of your home, the designing of cabinetry and shelving, the selection of finishes, fixtures and fittings, and the finishing touches like furniture, accessories, and artwork selection.

The Design Institute of Australia website has a handy directory of registered designers (design.org.au/find-a-designer). It’s also well worth seeking out local design studios on Instagram (the app will recommend more once you start following one or two!).

So … what will it cost? Interior design fees can vary substantially. In general terms, costs will usually be based on the size of the space you are renovating.

The built price for a renovation designed by a reputable studio such as Doherty Design Studio can range from $5000 to $8000 per square metre. In general, you can pay anywhere from about $100,000 for a simple single room update, up to millions for a high-end, full-home renovation.

For less exhaustive projects, a solo decorator or freelance stylist can help with non-structural advice, such as furniture, artwork and lighting. This can range from $10,000 to $50,000 for the designer’s fee, not including the cost of the items.

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