Not every renovation begins with a blank slate. Some of the most interesting interior projects start with a home that already has good bones, a life already lived in it, and a client who simply knows it’s time for something new.
This Ashgrove project by CG Design Studio is exactly that. A 1940s bungalow, partially renovated when its owner first moved in, was ready for a considered refresh now that her children were older and the home’s purpose had naturally shifted. The brief was clear: update the interiors to reflect where life is now, while honouring the charm and architectural character of the original bungalow.
A Living Room Grounded in Calm
The living room sets the tone for the whole home, and CG Design Studio kept it warm and inviting without overworking it. Subtle hints of blue and blush in the textile selections are paired with neutrals throughout, creating a palette that feels considered rather than curated to within an inch of its life. It breathes. It welcomes.
Natural Fibre and Texture in the Dining Room
The dining room still takes a quieter approach, with diverse natural fibres enriching an understated palette that lets texture do the talking. It’s a room designed for long dinners and easy conversation, nothing competing for attention, everything contributing to the whole.
Californian Bungalow Influence Throughout
The home’s 1940s bungalow bones lent themselves naturally to a Californian Bungalow aesthetic, and CG Design Studio leaned into this thoughtfully. Architectural characteristics and décor forms throughout the home nod to this charming reference without leaning into pastiche.
A Main Bedroom Designed Around Its Windows
In the main bedroom, new joinery was introduced alongside a considered rethink of the window configuration. Rather than working around the windows, CG Design Studio designed a custom bedhead that frames them directly, turning a potential constraint into the room’s most distinctive feature. A calming blue paired with an energetic green gives the space a sophistication that still feels personal and genuinely fun.
Embracing the Dark in a Den
A secondary bedroom in the middle of the house, with limited access to natural light, could easily have become the project’s problem child. Instead CG Design Studio made a bold decision: lean into the darkness entirely.
The room was claimed as a den, with walls painted in a rich tobacco tone and paired with textural fabrics, leather, and marble. The result is a deeply masculine, whisky-bar palette that feels intentional and atmospheric rather than apologetic about its lack of light. It’s one of those spaces that simply wouldn’t work in a brighter room, and is all the better for it.
An Outdoor Terrace Built for Living
The outdoor terrace was extended to create a proper external living and entertaining space, with an expansive footprint that allows for a much stronger visual connection to the garden beyond. Integrated seating creates an additional entertaining zone within the terrace itself, giving the space genuine flexibility for everything from quiet mornings to larger gatherings.
A Cottage Home With Real Character
The retreat and study space takes the home’s tobacco paint detail and builds on it, using it as an anchoring perimeter against which layers of pattern and texture in blue and terracotta add curated dimension. It’s a richer, more complex interpretation of the main house palette, the kind of room that rewards time spent in it.
Taken together, the Ashgrove House refresh is a masterclass in giving each room its own distinct personality while keeping the whole home feeling cohesive. CG Design Studio has created spaces that feel genuinely lived in, warmly considered, and deeply personal to the woman who calls this bungalow home.
Interior Design: CG Design Studio | cgdesignstudio.com.au Photography: Jack Gibson
