Studio

A small studio for considered rooms

Halden is a Melbourne interior design studio for people who want their home to feel calm, warm and properly finished, without feeling like a showroom.

Studio table with fabric swatches, pencil sketches and a glass vase

Our story

Why Halden

The studio began with a simple frustration: too many renovations in Melbourne’s period homes either erased the house’s character or ignored how people actually live now.

We work in a deliberately small way. The designer who meets you at the consultation is the person who draws your rooms, visits your site and places the last cushion. That keeps decisions consistent, and it means nothing gets lost between a salesperson, a drafter and an installer.

Most of our work is residential: Victorian and Edwardian terraces, Californian bungalows, apartments and new builds, with a few cafés, clinics and studios each year. The commercial projects keep us honest about durability. The homes keep us honest about comfort.

Halden Studio is fictional. This page shows how a small studio might tell its story on a Premium website.

Design values

Four things we won’t skip

01
Start with what’s there
Before we draw anything new, we look hard at what the house already has: its light, its proportions, its original details, and the furniture and art you love. Good rooms are edited as much as designed.
02
Draw everything
Joinery, tile set-out, lighting positions, the height of a pendant over a table. If it’s drawn, it gets built the way it was meant to, and it can be priced properly before work starts.
03
Materials that age well
We favour timber, stone, linen, wool, lime plaster and unlacquered brass: materials that look better worn in than brand new, and can be repaired rather than replaced.
04
Say the number early
We talk about budget in the first call, put fees in writing before work starts, and flag anything that will move the cost while it’s still on paper.

Stone, timber and textile samples laid out together for a scheme

The studio

A room full of samples

Our Collingwood studio is mostly a library: stone offcuts, timber boards, tile, fabric and paint, so that decisions are made with real materials in your hands rather than on a screen. Visits are by appointment.

Printed floor plans spread across a timber table

Materials library

What we reach for

Tasmanian oak
A pale, even Australian hardwood that takes oil beautifully and is easy to source responsibly.
Where we use it
Joinery, stair treads, floors, dining tables.
Care
Re-oil high-wear surfaces every year or two. Wipe spills promptly.
Tasmanian blackwood
Deep, figured grain with a golden shimmer. Rich without being heavy.
Where we use it
Kitchen joinery, statement doors, furniture.
Care
Hardwax oil finish. Keep out of long periods of direct sun to slow colour change.
Ash
Light with a lively grain, and very good at taking stains and washes.
Where we use it
Loose furniture, wall linings, built-in seating.
Care
Lacquer or hardwax oil depending on use.
Travertine
Warm, porous limestone that glows in low light and forgives water marks.
Where we use it
Bathroom walls and floors, fireplace hearths, side tables.
Care
Filled and honed, sealed on installation, resealed every few years. Avoid acidic cleaners.
Marble
Natural marble develops a soft patina over time and every slab is unique.
Where we use it
Islands, splashbacks, vanity tops.
Care
Honed rather than polished hides etching. Wipe up lemon and wine quickly. Seal annually.
Black marble
A graphic counterpoint to pale timber, used in small doses.
Where we use it
Fireplace surrounds, basins, thresholds.
Care
Shows water spots on polished finishes. Honed is easier to live with.
Terrazzo
Stone chips set in a cement binder. Hard-wearing, repairable and full of quiet colour.
Where we use it
Floors, café counters, shower bases, laundries.
Care
Seal on installation. Cement-based terrazzo etches with acids like marble does.
Handmade tile
Glazed handmade tiles vary piece to piece, so light moves across a wall.
Where we use it
Splashbacks, shower niches, built-in benches.
Care
Use a sealed, colour-matched grout. The irregularity is the point.
Belgian linen
Breathable, softens with washing and filters harsh light beautifully as a sheer.
Where we use it
Curtains, upholstery, bedding, lampshades.
Care
Washed linen is pre-shrunk. Expect natural creasing, which is part of its charm.
Wool weave
Naturally flame-resistant, hard-wearing and good for acoustics.
Where we use it
Rugs, bouclé upholstery, wall panels in commercial rooms.
Care
Vacuum without a beater bar. Blot spills and don’t rub.
Lime plaster and limewash
A breathable, mineral finish suited to old masonry walls, with soft cloudy movement.
Where we use it
Period-home walls, feature walls, ceilings.
Care
Touch up small marks with the same mix. Not for wet areas without a suitable sealer.
Brushed brass
Warm metal that ages gently. Unlacquered brass darkens into a lived-in patina.
Where we use it
Tapware, joinery pulls, light fittings.
Care
Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Polish if you want shine, or leave it to age.