One of the pleasures of a grand old home is that it already has a personality. The ceilings are higher, the detailing richer and there are often little quirks that would probably never make it past a modern building plan, yet somehow become the very things you love most. The challenge comes when you want all of that character without giving up the comforts of contemporary living. At Glenlyon House in Brisbane, a c1880 Victorian residence, that meant finding ways to introduce everything expected of a luxury home today, including heritage home air conditioning, without allowing any of it to compete with the home’s classic beauty.
Interior designer Louise Walsh was asked by a long-standing client to create interiors for the main residence and self-contained guest quarters that felt sophisticated and fun, with a touch of New York glamour. It is a brief she interpreted with confidence, layering contemporary furniture, rich colour and refined detailing throughout the Victorian residence. Dark joinery sits comfortably against elaborate plasterwork, statement lighting draws the eye towards decorative ceilings, while patterned textiles, artwork and sculptural pieces give the rooms a glamorous edge without making them feel overly formal.
It was also important that the less glamorous elements of contemporary living remained largely unseen, which is where AirSmart became an integral part of the project. Its integrated indoor environment system was retrofitted to work around the existing architecture, allowing heating, cooling and air management to be introduced without interrupting the very details Walsh was working to celebrate. That relationship between interiors and technology is particularly important in a house like Glenlyon, where ornate cornices, ceiling roses and original plasterwork leave little room for conventional mechanical services.
Rather than forcing the house to accommodate the system, AirSmart was able to adapt its delivery around the architecture. One of the best examples can be found in a room where conditioned air flows through the decorative ceiling rosette itself. Instead of placing a contemporary vent beside one of the room’s most distinctive features, the air delivery becomes part of the architectural detail. It is a clever solution, but also one that feels entirely in keeping with the broader design approach at Glenlyon, where the modern additions are there to improve the way the home functions rather than announce themselves.
That same philosophy carries through Walsh’s interiors. The period features have not been stripped back or diluted in an attempt to make the house feel newer. Instead, they are given room to shine alongside contemporary pieces that bring a different energy to the spaces. Deep tones make some rooms feel intimate and enveloping, while lighter areas have a more relaxed quality, and furniture has been selected with enough presence to sit comfortably within the generous proportions. The result is luxurious but also very liveable, an approach that earned Walsh a Room of the Year award in 2019.
The broader Glenlyon property also includes a contemporary addition, again featuring interiors by Louise Walsh, and the contrast between the two parts of the residence adds another layer to the project. Rather than attempting to imitate the original home, the newer spaces take a cleaner architectural direction, allowing each part of the property to retain its own identity while maintaining a consistent level of finish and attention to detail. In both, comfort is treated as something that should support the design rather than dictate it.
That is also where AirSmart’s technical advantages become particularly relevant. Its compact ducting and flexible air-delivery options allow the system to work within more difficult ceiling spaces, while air is distributed more gently through the room rather than relying on a strong stream from a conventional outlet. Temperature, humidity and air movement can all be managed as part of the indoor environment, while independent zoning allows bedrooms, formal living areas and entertaining spaces to be controlled according to how they are actually being used. Air filtration and purification can also be incorporated to help reduce airborne particles, allergens, odours and VOCs, adding another layer of comfort that remains largely out of sight.
And that is really the point at Glenlyon. The technology is there, but it never becomes the story when you enter the room. What you notice are the ceiling roses, the rich wall colours, the scale of the furniture, the artwork and the way Louise Walsh has brought contemporary personality into a home with more than a century of history behind it. AirSmart works in much the same way as the best modern interventions in a heritage home should — improving the way the house feels and functions while allowing its character to remain front and centre.
For homeowners and architects interested in exploring advanced climate systems for architecturally designed homes, consultations with AirSmart can be arranged by:
Calling 1300 555 935 or visiting their website – airsmart.com