Interior Design | Bianca Kenna Interiors
Building Design | Jayson Pate Design
Tapware and Basins | ABI Interiors
Tiles | Three Balls Red
Stone Mason | All Stone Projects
Photography | Louise Roche, Villa Styling
STONES USED:
Breccia Etna: Kitchen Island | Joinery | Bar
Silver River Cello: Bathrooms, joinery, outside
There was a Palm Springs moment at the beginning.
The clients had been drawn to the relaxed, sun-washed interiors and easygoing palette that have become synonymous with the style. But for Bianca Kenna of Bianca Kenna Interiors, the location called for something different.
Her instinct was to take the idea of a luxe home in another direction: darker, richer and more textural, with enough restraint to feel calm rather than showy. The result is Platypus, a home where deep walnut, handmade tiles, mixed metals and beautifully expressive natural stone come together to create something that feels considered without feeling overly designed.
“I wanted to create a wow factor but with enough restraint for it to feel calm and homey too,” Bianca says.
It is a difficult balance to strike.
Here, it works.
“I love texture and so did my clients, thankfully!”
Texture became one of the quiet threads running through the entire project.
A high-textured linen sheer sets the mood, softening the rooms and filtering the light. Muted tiles bring another layer beneath the feet and across the walls, while Japanese handmade tiles introduce a more tactile, artisanal quality in the kitchen and powder room.
Then there is the walnut.
Dark walnut joinery runs throughout the home, grounding the lighter and more reflective elements around it. Copper appears repeatedly, bringing warmth and a little patina to the palette, particularly when paired with the stone.
Even the lighting was treated as an opportunity to give each room its own character. Different feature lights add moments of interest without breaking the overall rhythm of the home.
The effect is layered rather than busy.
There is plenty to look at, but nothing seems to be competing for attention. Which, given how many beautiful materials are involved, is no small achievement.
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The natural stone was always intended to be a feature.
For the kitchen island, joinery and bar, Bianca selected Breccia Etna, drawn to its caramel tones, organic veining and ability to bring warmth into an otherwise darker palette.
The kitchen island is arguably the moment where it makes its biggest impression.
Book-matched slabs draw the eye across the surface, while a waterfall block edge gives the island a substantial, almost sculptural quality. Rather than simply being a work surface, it becomes part of the architecture of the room.
And it has the warmth to carry it.
The caramel movement through the Breccia Etna picks up on the timber and copper throughout the home, making the darker palette feel inviting rather than heavy. It is the sort of stone that changes as you spend time with it; the veining catches the light differently, and the relationship between the stone and surrounding materials becomes more apparent the longer you look.
For Bianca, the stone was never simply another finish.
“The stone was honestly the highlight and pulled the whole look together beautifully,” she says.
It is an apt description. In a home built around contrast and texture, the stone gives all those elements somewhere to meet.
For the bathrooms, joinery and exterior applications, Bianca paired it with Silver River Cello.
The two stones have very different personalities, but together they make sense. Breccia Etna brings warmth and movement, while Silver River Cello introduces a cooler, more atmospheric note.
In the bathrooms, the latter is particularly effective alongside copper basins, where the contrast between stone, metal and darker finishes gives the spaces a sense of depth.
It is a combination Bianca describes simply as “a match made in heaven”.
Hard to argue with that.
Perhaps the most interesting decision in Platypus happened before any of the materials were selected.
The clients had initially been leaning towards Palm Springs. Bianca saw an opportunity to create something that would feel more connected to its surroundings and, importantly, would still feel right years from now.
That meant stepping away from a look that could be easily identified with a particular moment in design.
Instead, the home relies on materiality.
Stone with natural variation. Timber with depth. Handmade tiles. Linen. Copper. Layered lighting.
These are materials that don’t need to announce what year they were chosen.
They simply become part of the home.
That sense of longevity is particularly evident in the darker palette. Rather than using colour for impact, Bianca has built atmosphere through texture, contrast and natural materials. The result is sophisticated, but never feels as though it is trying too hard to be sophisticated.
And that was the point.
Like most building projects, Platypus had its challenging moments. What made the process easier was having the right people around the table.
Bianca credits good organisation, and project management , but also the trust of her clients.
They gave her the freedom to guide the design away from its original Palm Springs direction and trusted the process as the house evolved.
That kind of trust can make all the difference.
Based on the Gold Coast, Bianca Kenna Interiors intentionally remains small, taking on a limited number of projects at any one time. The studio specialises in interior styling, furniture sourcing and interior decoration, while also offering interior design and material selection services.
For Bianca, keeping the business small is deliberate. It allows her to be closely involved in each project and, ultimately, to give clients a better experience.
Platypus is a good example of what can happen when that close collaboration works.
The building design was by Jayson Pate, with ABI supplying tapware and basins. Tiles were sourced from Three Balls Red, Artedomus and other suppliers, alongside the many trades and makers who brought the interior together.
Finestone was pleased to play a part in the material story, supplying the Breccia Etna and Silver River Cello that became such defining elements of the home.
There is a temptation with high-end interiors to keep adding.
Another finish. Another feature. Another moment designed to impress.
Platypus takes a different approach.
Its impact comes from knowing when to stop.
The stone has room to speak. The timber has room to soften it. The copper catches the light. The handmade tiles bring their own irregularity. And beneath it all, texture gives the home a sense of warmth that photographs can only partly capture.
Perhaps that is why the original Palm Springs idea feels like a distant memory.
Platypus doesn’t need to belong to a particular trend or design moment. It has something more useful: a strong sense of its own character.
And in the end, that may be the real luxury.
Not a home that simply looks impressive, but one that feels good to come home to.
Come and explore our full range of slabs in person. Our team of experts is here to guide you every step of the way – from design inspiration to installation advice. Contact Us today.
