What makes a house a home? Epic location and lush scenery? Exotic marble and luxurious finishes everywhere? Luxury wine cellar? — Although it is not until the house truly reflects the life of the homeowner, it is not until the project begins to shine. Enter Monsieur G, a 1940s residence on Bellevue Hill, Sydney.

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The nickname itself represents who the young couple is — “social, fashion forward and well-traveled,” explains Alexandra Donohoe Church, founder and managing director of Decus, who is responsible for all projects and decorations from architecture to interior design.

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It all started with a sudden phone call after a customer saw another project from Decus. “I sleepily walked up their front stairs to attend our first meeting when I was 8.5 months pregnant,” Alexandra said. “When we handed over, my son was four years old and the client had two children of his own.” Mr. G went through several planning revisions as customer needs changed after the birth of a child.

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Decus has eliminated a series of interventions by drastically redesigning homes. In the process of doing so, they achieve clarity and openness of space, creating clear areas for living and entertainment. “One of the clients is from Sweden, so we definitely referenced Nordic in the sensitivity and tone in the response,” Alexandra said. The overall clean tones of the light oak floor and light walls match the dark tones of olive, gray and walnut, bringing playfulness and drama. “We wanted to create a contemporary classicism with attitude,” a light well cut into the center is one of the project's boldest architectural moves, with tiered skylights bringing light above a striking circular staircase. “This entry moment is one of our clients' favorite elements, and one of my personal favorites — it frames the view of the entire family on a mature Norfolk pine tree and sets the tone for the larger experience of the space.

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