Madeline Jovicic, a Newcastle-based artist, has created a compact 50-square-metre backyard studio that blends Scandinavian, Japanese, and retro influences into a playful yet functional living space.
The new-build dwelling, often described as a modern take on a granny flat, sits at the rear of her family home. Despite its modest size, the home makes up for it with bold design choices and a carefully curated aesthetic.
Design Meets Function in Tight Space
Butter-yellow joinery contrasts with stainless-steel elements in the gallery-style kitchen, where polished concrete floors flow into the adjoining bedroom. Skylights and crisp white walls open up the interior, while glass bricks in the living area provide filtered light without sacrificing privacy.
“The vision was for light-filled spaces,” Jovicic says, noting the challenge posed by the home’s low position relative to surrounding houses. “I knew I wanted to use glass bricks in the living space, as I’ve always been enamoured by them.”
Fun pops of colour, glossy red lighting, a Japanese tatami mat, and a custom-made plywood “library bed” with integrated shelving, anchor the restrained backdrop for Madeline’s ever-evolving collection of artworks and knick-knacks, with plenty of pieces collected from around the world.
“I always make sure to pick up a little something for my home every time I travel overseas,” she says. “Ceramics from Puglia, Greece and China; magazines from London and Paris; glass and metal objects from Japan and Kore, plus coffee table books from all over.”
One of her prized possessions is a blue basin from The Water Monopoly, which she plans to take with her when she eventually moves out. Half of the adjacent garage has been converted into an art studio, providing dedicated space for her painting and ceramics work.
“[My family and I] felt I really needed a dedicated studio,” Jovicic explains, “as there is a lot of equipment that comes along with painting and ceramics that used to live on the dining table or the living room floor, which wasn’t ideal!”
Personal Style and Multigenerational Living
Madeline Jovicic describes her interior style as a blend of Copenhagen, Japanese, and retro influences without a specific name. The compact home serves as a restrained backdrop for her ever-evolving collection of artworks and knick-knacks, with plenty of pieces collected from around the world.
