My Houzz: Interior Designer Georgia Ezra's Sublime Home
Ever wondered what the home of an interior designer and a construction manager looks like? Here's your chance to see
When interior designer Georgia Ezra designs her clients’ homes, she is careful to reflect their individual styles and needs, not her own. But when it came to renovating the home she owns with her husband, construction manager Richie Morris, the couple had carte blanche to indulge their aesthetic preferences. The result is a rich, tactile interior sanctuary where clean, modern lines are laced with sumptuous Moroccan, Indian and Jewish cultural references.
The home had not been touched since it was built in 1923, so asbestos was removed and new plumbing and electricals were installed throughout. Ezra brought the level of the floor up, closed doorways and opened walls to restructure the spatial plan of the house.
Two original bedrooms were transformed into a master bedroom, walk-through robe and ensuite. The original living room became a second bedroom for the couple’s one-year-old son, Jesse.
Island Table: Maison Est; custom-designed joinery: Studio Ezra
Two original bedrooms were transformed into a master bedroom, walk-through robe and ensuite. The original living room became a second bedroom for the couple’s one-year-old son, Jesse.
Island Table: Maison Est; custom-designed joinery: Studio Ezra
“Basically, we had to bring the house from 1923 to 2016,” says Ezra. Many original features were restored to a new splendour, and Ezra re-sanded and re-stained the existing floorboards and ceiling joists.
“We kept all the beautiful mouldings on the ceiling and all the existing doors, door handles and skirtings; we carefully removed them, stored them in the garage then reinstated them,” she says.
“The kitchen was awful so we literally bashed down the entire thing and got rid of it all.” In its place, she designed the fresh new kitchen you see here, with its custom-made arched door and window frames, which bridge the stylistic gulf between today and a century ago when the house was built.
Fresh Concrete benchtop: Caesarstone; ZEL031 ‘White’ tiles on splashback: Tiles of Ezra; basin: Franke; tapware with aged brass finish: Astra Walker
“We kept all the beautiful mouldings on the ceiling and all the existing doors, door handles and skirtings; we carefully removed them, stored them in the garage then reinstated them,” she says.
“The kitchen was awful so we literally bashed down the entire thing and got rid of it all.” In its place, she designed the fresh new kitchen you see here, with its custom-made arched door and window frames, which bridge the stylistic gulf between today and a century ago when the house was built.
Fresh Concrete benchtop: Caesarstone; ZEL031 ‘White’ tiles on splashback: Tiles of Ezra; basin: Franke; tapware with aged brass finish: Astra Walker
At first glance, you might register a white kitchen, but Ezra admits that the all-white style is not one she is personally drawn to. Instead, the couple’s kitchen is a study in texture and tone.
“I actually have six different tones of white that make up the ‘white’,” she says of her kitchen. “There’s the crisp white of the window frames, there’s the white of the walls, the white on the ceiling, the splashback, the benchtop, the cupboard fronts below the bench and the cupboard fronts above the bench.”
This tonal variance brings warmth to the space and prevents it from appearing stark or lacking that depth of dimension.
“I actually have six different tones of white that make up the ‘white’,” she says of her kitchen. “There’s the crisp white of the window frames, there’s the white of the walls, the white on the ceiling, the splashback, the benchtop, the cupboard fronts below the bench and the cupboard fronts above the bench.”
This tonal variance brings warmth to the space and prevents it from appearing stark or lacking that depth of dimension.
After the large outlay of purchasing the property, Ezra and Morris were eager to keep renovation costs down, so they took advantage of their industry contacts wherever possible.
“We achieved everything in around $150,000 to $200,000,” says Ezra. “However, in saying that, it wouldn’t be reflective of what someone else would have paid. We didn’t pay for interior design services, we got a lot of things at trade discounts, and I supplied all my new tiles; we really did get things in a more cost-effective manner than most people would.”
“We achieved everything in around $150,000 to $200,000,” says Ezra. “However, in saying that, it wouldn’t be reflective of what someone else would have paid. We didn’t pay for interior design services, we got a lot of things at trade discounts, and I supplied all my new tiles; we really did get things in a more cost-effective manner than most people would.”
Their renovation was also a record-breaking tour de force in terms of time. The couple finished in just under four months, and could have cut that period of time down to three, had many businesses not been closed over December and January.
Ezra is the first to admit that such extensive renovations would usually take longer for people who did not work in the design, architecture and building industries.
“We knew exactly what to do, we got a building permit within one or two weeks, we both project manage all the time for other people so we know how to cut through the nonsense,” says Ezra. “Realistically speaking, I think this job would take about five months.”
Ezra is the first to admit that such extensive renovations would usually take longer for people who did not work in the design, architecture and building industries.
“We knew exactly what to do, we got a building permit within one or two weeks, we both project manage all the time for other people so we know how to cut through the nonsense,” says Ezra. “Realistically speaking, I think this job would take about five months.”
Each room pays homage to Ezra’s love of texture in thoughtful and unpredictable ways. In today’s homes, ceilings are often plastered, painted white and left unadorned, but not here. Instead, Ezra chose to expose the joists from the original ceiling, which were sanded back and re-stained. She then added a textural cladding above the joists to indulge her affection for tactile designs. “If we didn’t have that it wouldn’t feel half as warm as it does,” she says.
Rather than purchasing a suite of new furniture, the couple feathered their nest with pieces they collected over the years, bowerbird style. “We bought plates, chairs, dining chairs, tables and consoles off Gumtree, and we bought beautiful wicker armchairs at auction houses,” Ezra says of her eclectic approach.
Pendant light: Habibi Moroccan; dining chairs: Gumtree; planter pot: Masters; artworks: Victor Majzner
Rather than purchasing a suite of new furniture, the couple feathered their nest with pieces they collected over the years, bowerbird style. “We bought plates, chairs, dining chairs, tables and consoles off Gumtree, and we bought beautiful wicker armchairs at auction houses,” Ezra says of her eclectic approach.
Pendant light: Habibi Moroccan; dining chairs: Gumtree; planter pot: Masters; artworks: Victor Majzner
The interior designer finds it difficult to define her own style – partly because she loves many different aesthetics and partly because she is more practised at appealing to her clients’ styles through her work. But when pushed, Ezra describes her own style as a meeting of modern with an eclectic mix of different cultures.
Born in Australia, Ezra has lived in Spain and has a truly intercontinental background, which shines through in her home. Her father was born in India and is of Persian descent, and her mother was born in Australia and has Eastern European heritage.
“There are a lot of Indian touches in there,” Ezra says of her home. “There’s Indian meets Moroccan and I’m Jewish and not afraid to show off my heritage, my culture, my religion, so I always love to bring in components of that through my house.”
Blue and white artwork (top left): Robin Ezra; ketubah (centre): Danny Azoulay; custom-designed joinery: Studio Ezra
Born in Australia, Ezra has lived in Spain and has a truly intercontinental background, which shines through in her home. Her father was born in India and is of Persian descent, and her mother was born in Australia and has Eastern European heritage.
“There are a lot of Indian touches in there,” Ezra says of her home. “There’s Indian meets Moroccan and I’m Jewish and not afraid to show off my heritage, my culture, my religion, so I always love to bring in components of that through my house.”
Blue and white artwork (top left): Robin Ezra; ketubah (centre): Danny Azoulay; custom-designed joinery: Studio Ezra
When designing for her clients, Ezra prides herself in confidently making quick decisions, partly because her emotions are removed from the process. But interestingly, she continually sought the opinions of others throughout the process of designing for herself.
“I found that I questioned myself a lot when I was designing my own home,” she says. “You don’t get to build for yourself often, so it’s quite overwhelming when you get that one chance to make decisions… I was always asking others for opinions, which was extremely interesting.”
“I found that I questioned myself a lot when I was designing my own home,” she says. “You don’t get to build for yourself often, so it’s quite overwhelming when you get that one chance to make decisions… I was always asking others for opinions, which was extremely interesting.”
But when it came down to it, every design decision in Ezra and Morris’ home was made by its resident interior designer and the lady of the house – except one.
“The fireplace has this beautiful, angled shape and I wanted to straighten it up like a really long rectangle,” she explains. “But my dad and my husband were saying ‘Leave it as it is, it charms the house and that’s what’s giving you a point of difference’. So I left it and I’m so happy that I did.”
The fireplace in question is topped with a mantlepiece Ezra procured in Vietnam, and is accented with tiles from the designer’s own collection, which she laid in a herringbone pattern.
FL006 Glazed Bejmat tiles in ‘Igloo’ laid in a herringbone pattern on fireplace: Tiles of Ezra; planter: Ikea
“The fireplace has this beautiful, angled shape and I wanted to straighten it up like a really long rectangle,” she explains. “But my dad and my husband were saying ‘Leave it as it is, it charms the house and that’s what’s giving you a point of difference’. So I left it and I’m so happy that I did.”
The fireplace in question is topped with a mantlepiece Ezra procured in Vietnam, and is accented with tiles from the designer’s own collection, which she laid in a herringbone pattern.
FL006 Glazed Bejmat tiles in ‘Igloo’ laid in a herringbone pattern on fireplace: Tiles of Ezra; planter: Ikea
“The way I look at tiles – and especially my tile range – is that they are not just tiles: they are a feature, they are a piece of art,” says Ezra. “They are hand-cut, literally everything about them is 100-per-cent handmade. For me, it’s really important to use them where they’ll be seen, not just in the bathroom.”
Ezra founded Tiles of Ezra because she struggled to find the richly evocative tile collections in Australia that she had seen in other countries. Ever passionate about her collection, which is handcrafted in Morocco, she stands as the gatekeeper of quality at every step in the production process, to ensure not a single corner is cut.
ZEL001 Zellige tiles in ‘White’ on vanity top and splashback: Tiles of Ezra; Moroccan mirror: Habibi Moroccan; custom-designed vanity and joinery: Studio Ezra
Ezra founded Tiles of Ezra because she struggled to find the richly evocative tile collections in Australia that she had seen in other countries. Ever passionate about her collection, which is handcrafted in Morocco, she stands as the gatekeeper of quality at every step in the production process, to ensure not a single corner is cut.
ZEL001 Zellige tiles in ‘White’ on vanity top and splashback: Tiles of Ezra; Moroccan mirror: Habibi Moroccan; custom-designed vanity and joinery: Studio Ezra
“You can look at zellige tiles and you might not tell the difference between two whites, but I can see if the clay has not been beaten to get the bubbles out, which affects the quality and whether it will break or not,” says Ezra.
FL005 Natural unglazed Bejmat tiles: Tiles of Ezra
FL005 Natural unglazed Bejmat tiles: Tiles of Ezra
It takes careful curation and an expert eye to balance Indian, Moroccan and Jewish decorative accents within an original Art Deco shell. But Ezra achieved exactly that by using a neutral, unifying colour palette.
“I think they marry so well together because although I’ve chosen elements from different cultures and exotic backgrounds and styles, ultimately they all line up beautifully in terms of their colour and their tone,” she says.
Towel rail: Astra Walker; gold ornament: Michael Aram
“I think they marry so well together because although I’ve chosen elements from different cultures and exotic backgrounds and styles, ultimately they all line up beautifully in terms of their colour and their tone,” she says.
Towel rail: Astra Walker; gold ornament: Michael Aram
Ezra was pregnant while she and Morris underwent their renovations, so a child-friendly home was important – but not at the expense of beauty or charm.
“Every toddler explores no matter what you have in your house,” she says. “For me, having a child does not mean that I’m not going to have my home beautiful. Some people prefer to be practical and they want that beautiful home when the kids are older, but for me I prefer to have it the whole way through.”
Rug: Carpeteria; cot: Boori; curtains: Allure Drapes Design Decor; chair: Adairs; stool: Maison Est
“Every toddler explores no matter what you have in your house,” she says. “For me, having a child does not mean that I’m not going to have my home beautiful. Some people prefer to be practical and they want that beautiful home when the kids are older, but for me I prefer to have it the whole way through.”
Rug: Carpeteria; cot: Boori; curtains: Allure Drapes Design Decor; chair: Adairs; stool: Maison Est
As another feather in her many-plumed cap, Ezra also authored the book A Healthy Home, A Healthy You, which explores how our surroundings affect our emotional wellbeing.
“It’s a topic that’s completely underestimated and not talked about,” she says. “And one massive part of that is the five senses and how if the five senses are not considered in a design, we are not fully comfortable in that space.”
Custom designed vanity and joinery: Studio Ezra
“It’s a topic that’s completely underestimated and not talked about,” she says. “And one massive part of that is the five senses and how if the five senses are not considered in a design, we are not fully comfortable in that space.”
Custom designed vanity and joinery: Studio Ezra
This ethos is what informs Ezra’s attention to texture, which you see throughout her home. Amble through this space and you will find richly tactile surfaces in every room that tempt you to run your fingertips over them, including the couple’s bedhead, which was custom-made in India.
Warm, earthy creams, honeyed hues, beiges, greys and whites are juxtaposed throughout, with timber in a fresh, light tone or a darker, more romantic stain. Add to this the natural shades and tonal variance you see in Ezra’s tiles, and the finished result is a home rich in texture. But even though you would never describe Ezra’s home as neutral, its base colour palette is.
Pendant lights: Ha’veli of Byron Bay
Warm, earthy creams, honeyed hues, beiges, greys and whites are juxtaposed throughout, with timber in a fresh, light tone or a darker, more romantic stain. Add to this the natural shades and tonal variance you see in Ezra’s tiles, and the finished result is a home rich in texture. But even though you would never describe Ezra’s home as neutral, its base colour palette is.
Pendant lights: Ha’veli of Byron Bay
Ezra’s design philosophy is that of a true graduate of interior architecture. Not content with making a statement exclusively through impermanent furniture or furnishings, she wanted the bones, the muscles and the very sinews of her home to stand as in-built design statements in their own right.
“I feel like the home should have the majority of the detail in,” says Ezra. “I’m an interior designer – not an interior decorator – so I feel like my expression is not through the temporary; it’s through the permanent. I’m all about making a solid, stunning statement in the architecture of the internal and then the rest can be more of a secondary complement.”
Ezra is besotted with the finished result. “I love walking into my home every single time,” she smiles.
Curtains: Allure Drapes Design Decor
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Ezra is besotted with the finished result. “I love walking into my home every single time,” she smiles.
Curtains: Allure Drapes Design Decor
Tell us
What’s your favourite feature of this home? Tell us in the comments below, save your favourite images and if you enjoyed this story remember to like it, share it and bookmark it.
More
Craving a home that’s the perfect expression of your personality and tastes? Find an interior designer near you here who can make it happen
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Georgia Ezra, founder and director of Studio Ezra and Tiles of Ezra and author of A Healthy Home, A Healthy You; her husband Richie Morris, a construction manager; and Jesse, the couple’s one-year-old son
Location: Elsternwick, Victoria
Size: 296-square-metre block; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Budget: $150,000 to $200,000
Year completed: 2015
Interior design: Studio Ezra
Ezra and Morris bought their home in July 2015 with grand visions of renovating, which they began in October the same year. At the time, the building was in an unliveable state. “It smelt like someone had died there,” says Ezra. “All the floorboards were covered with mouldy carpet; it was in a really poor condition.”