St. Clare offers a holistic retirement model where the interior design serves as a sophisticated bridge between heritage character and modern living. The project adaptively reuses the historic Esmonde and Plumstead Houses to host extensive and varied communal amenities, ranging from wellness spaces to social lounges. Each amenity required a distinct interior design approach tailored to its specific function, yet all are woven together by a cohesive aesthetic language that ensures a sense of greater living during later life. Preserving original leadlight windows and timber moldings, these heritage spaces provide a grand, storied backdrop for residents, preserving the benefits of a stately Kew home. This heritage core is seamlessly integrated with the adjacent new build construction, where the interior palette is informed by the surrounding landscape. Inspired by the tones of Yarra Bend eucalypts, the new residences incorporate refined materials and warm neutral tones to engender a sense of serentiy. Beyond aesthetics, functional longevity is discreetly embedded with generous circulation and reinforced wall studding that allows for future mobility needs without compromising the high-end feel. By combining durable materials like honed stone and natural timber with bespoke detailing, St. Clare ensures a dignified environment that ages as gracefully as its historic foundations.

Photography: Trevor Mein