September 17, 2026

Words: Elana Castle

Photography: Sharyn Cairns; styling by Bek Sheppard

A Victorian Worker’s Cottage In New Light

The Dame is a quiet lesson in restraint. Rather than chasing contrast or trying to outshine the past, Swedish-born, Sydney-based interior designer Anna Carin has taken a far gentler approach, restoring the soul of a circa 1900 Victorian worker’s cottage in Melbourne’s Fitzroy North while carefully adapting it for contemporary family life.

Located in one of Melbourne’s most intact heritage precincts, the single-fronted cottage sits comfortably among a streetscape of modest Victorian homes, bluestone laneways and century-old detailing. Remarkably untouched for decades, the house still retained its original proportions, fireplaces, timber floors, cornices and iron lacework, offering an increasingly rare opportunity to work with authentic heritage fabric rather than reconstruct it.

For Anna Carin, the project was never about reinvention. “The words we referred to constantly were listen and gently; gently remove, gently strip back, gently introduce and listen to what The Dame was telling us,” she says.

That philosophy is evident throughout. Original elements have been painstakingly restored wherever possible, while new interventions remain deliberately understated. Venetian plaster, polished nickel, granite and hand-painted joinery bring refinement without overpowering the existing architecture, while every material was selected for longevity and repairability as much as appearance.

Walk Through The Melbourne Home Designed By Anna Carin

  • A living room with a fireplace, a wooden chair, a sofa, a standing lamp, a round side table with flowers, and sheer curtains covering glass doors.
    The original overly ornate surround was replaced with a clean black slate that lets the fireplace anchor the space, still serving as the warm, textural heart of the living space.
  • Light blue kitchen with tiled backsplash, glass-front cabinets, and a vase of flowers on the counter. Two windows with beige Roman shades let in natural light.
    The proportions of the new kitchen echo the home’s original proportions. The Lacanche range was located within the original floor-to-ceiling alcove.
  • A cozy dining nook with a curved blue-gray banquette, round table, wood chair, two pink candles, a yellow pillow, and a painting of a dancer on the wall above.
    A new skylight over the dining nook draws in much needed light.
  • A pastel blue kitchen with tiled backsplash, a vintage-style stove, green countertop, wooden stool, and decorative items on the counter.
    The alcove.
  • A hallway with light wood floors, a black chair, floral arrangement, large abstract painting, and an arched doorway leading to a pastel-colored room with a sofa and artwork.
    Numerous original features were retained including the worn floorboards. An arched opening between the living room and the kitchen, echos the home’s original architecture and seamlessly connects the two rooms.
  • A modern bedroom with a light upholstered bed, a small blue side table, a desk with a pink chair, and yellow grid-patterned wallpaper.
    A wallpapered bedroom with updated joinery and drapery.
  • Bedroom with a beige bed, wooden dressers, ornate fireplace, chandelier, table lamp, and light-colored walls.
    In the primary bedroom the Art Nouveau fireplace surround was stripped back to reveal the original timber beneath. An original gilded tole chandelier retains pride of place over the bed.

The reconfigured plan also respects the home’s original rhythm. Formal rooms remain at the front before opening into a light-filled kitchen and dining space, with rebuilt rear bedrooms, bathrooms and an outdoor living area creating a seamless connection to the courtyard.

What gives The Dame its warmth, however, is not simply its architecture but its collection of carefully layered objects. Vintage Scandinavian furniture, art, brass lighting and sculptural contemporary pieces sit comfortably alongside restored heritage details, creating interiors that feel accumulated rather than decorated.

Color, too, has been used with quiet confidence. Soft blue-green kitchen joinery references the original 1940s vinyl wall tiles, while French hard plaster walls were color-matched to fragments discovered during demolition. Burgundy wardrobe joinery, mustard check wallpaper and richly figured timber veneer introduce moments of intimacy without disrupting the home’s calm atmosphere. “This came from letting the clients’ collection lead and giving it room to breathe,” Anna explains. “The palette stays calm while the details stay rich.”

The result is a home that feels neither old nor new. Instead, it feels entirely settled, as though every intervention has simply revealed what was always waiting to be found.

read more