A home cocooned in warmth and subtle texture: House E by CJH Studio

Featuring Wilsonart Natural Ash in Hewn finish. Interior Design & Styling by CJH Studio. Joinery by Grange Joinery. Photography by Timothy Kaye.

CJH Studio is a Melbourne-based interior design practice, led by director Cassie James-Herrick. The studio celebrates the use of natural materials and soft forms, designing warm, timeless and inviting spaces. The studio balances a minimal approach to design, with a love for custom detailing and personalised interiors tailored to their client’s unique needs.

The studio was tasked with re-imagining the interiors of House E, a home located in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Elsternwick. The homeowners had recently downsized from a much larger property, and were envisioning a space that retained similar charm and detail, that reflects their love of traditional styling. Beyond form, the interiors of this family home needed to be functional and sustain their purpose for many years to come.

CJH’s approach was to create a timeless home that carefully balances contemporary and traditional elements. The minimal material palette celebrates natural materials, with a variety of warm-toned woodgrains, leathers and linens, bronze hardware and richly veined natural stone. The palette acts as a neutral foundation, ensuring long-lasting relevance for years to come.

Australian-made Wilsonart Low-Pressure Melamine Panels in Natural Ash, Hewn finish were specified alongside real timber veneer for joinery throughout the home. Originally Wilsonart LPM was specified in the wet spaces in the home and high-traffic areas like the wardrobes instead of real timber veneer for it’s durability and practicality, as well as economic benefits, to ensure the project was delivered within budget. The colour and veining consistency of LPM Natural Ash also played a part in material selection.

Once installed, the quality of the surface material made it difficult for the studio and homeowners to distinguish between the two materials, allowing the studio to deliver seamless joinery that was not only luxurious and beautiful, but also durable and practical for the high-traffic spaces in this family home.

House E by CJH Studio featuring Wilsonart Natural Ash LPM, Hewn Finish.

Nestled away from the main living spaces, the master bedroom and walk-in-robe leads you to the master bathroom. The hidden bathroom sanctuary is cocooned in warmth and texture. Natural stone was crafted to create bold, custom features including a monolithic-like bathtub aswell as the benchtop and splashback of the floating vanity. The warmer tones of the natural stone were complimented by subtly textured tiles that line the floors and walls of the space. Bronze tapware, wall sconces and Linear Standard cabinetry hardware complete the luxurious, warm palette.

Wilsonart LPM Natural Ash in Hewn Finish was specified for the floating vanity, as well as overhead cabinetry that frames the overhead mirrors. Natural Ash is a realistic light-coloured, smooth-grained décor, with beige-to-light-brown hues that meld seamlessly into the calming palette. Hewn finish, a unique satin and matt embossed surface reminiscent of naturally hewed timber, further adds realistic texture and tactility to the space.

House E by CJH Studio featuring Wilsonart Natural Ash LPM, Hewn Finish.

To add a touch of CJH Studio’s signature custom detailing, the low-pressure melamine panels were laid in a way that created further visual interest and texture in the bathroom. This technique elevates what was once a standard floating vanity, into a unique piece of custom joinery that is a focal point in the room.

“There is a design language of mixed grain directions used throughout the project, which was achieved with the laminate shifting across doors and drawers in different directions.”

A similar level of detail was carried through to the robes, where Wilsonart Natural LPM was also used for expansive joinery spanning from the floor to the ceiling, fitted with the same bronze Linear Standard hardware found in the bathroom, creating a sense of flow between the adjoining spaces.

While the large home has undergone an extensive transformation with the challenging task of melding the old with the new, CJH studio is no stranger to pushing the boundaries and re-envisioning spaces. The result is a family that beautifully balances form and function, anchored in timeless design that will stand the test of time.

House E by CJH Studio featuring Wilsonart Natural Ash LPM, Hewn Finish.

Beyond the master bedrooms adjoining bathroom and walk-in-robe, Wilsonart Natural Ash was specified for the home study joinery, creating a sense of continuity between the two zones in the home. The floor to ceiling joinery in this space was fabricated with the signature mixed grain direction detail and bronze hardware.

The shelves in the space, crafted from the same woodgrain, float weightlessly in the space becoming a focal point in the room. The home study is a lesson in seamlessly melding form with function, creating a space that is not only visually pleasing but highly functional.