Julie Adams
In the picturesque Southern Highlands of New South Wales, interior designer Lucy Loneragan has found her creative home. It’s a world away from Los Angeles, where she spent the past decade, yet it feels like a natural progression for this self-proclaimed “flower child”, who was born in the country.
Loneragan’s journey into the world of interior design is no surprise. “My mother [Harriet Loneragan] is an artist and horticulturalist and my father has forever dabbled in residential property development,” she explains. This blend of influences laid the foundation for her future career. Growing up in houses under constant renovation, Loneragan developed an early appreciation for the transformative power of design.
Her childhood was spent going to dusty antique stores and auction houses, where her mother’s keen eye for unique pieces sparked Loneragan’s own fascination with interior objects.
But it was her grandmother’s boldly decorated rooms, designed by Marion Hall Best, one of Australia’s most influential 20th-century interior designers, that truly sparked her imagination. “Her colour combinations captivated me,” recalls Loneragan, a sentiment that’s evident in her own use of colour today.
After completing her degree in interior architecture at the University of New South Wales, Loneragan embarked on a European adventure that would profoundly shape her design perspective.
“Experiencing these sites in the flesh made things more tangible for me, further fuelling my passion for design and architecture,” she says. This global outlook has remained a cornerstone of her design philosophy, even as she’s settled into the serene landscape of the Southern Highlands.
Loneragan’s design aesthetic is a testament to her diverse experiences and influences. She describes it as “ever-evolving yet always inspired by travel, natural materials and antique finds”. Her approach is grounded in the belief that an interior should respect and enhance the architectural style of the building it inhabits. To this foundation, she adds layers of contemporary design concepts and time-honoured features, creating spaces that are both innovative and timeless.
Her decade-long stint in Los Angeles, where she worked on high-end luxury residential developments in Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Hills, and Bel Air, added another dimension to her design repertoire. “The variety of furnishings, finishes and trades at your disposal in a city like LA is like nowhere in the world,” she reflects. This experience, combined with frequent trips to Mexico and Palm Springs, has imbued her work with a laid-back Californian aesthetic that melds seamlessly with her Australian sensibilities.
Now back in Australia and settled in the Southern Highlands with her husband and two young children, Loneragan has entered what she calls “a new era of design and creativity”.
This fresh perspective is evident in her approach to her own home, a charming farmhouse on two hectares in the village of Burrawang, which she and her husband have restored.
The house, with its quintessentially rural Australian architecture, including a brick foundation, bullnose wraparound verandahs and a corrugated-iron roof, presented a challenge for Loneragan. “I had to completely re-work the interior layout as it made no sense,” she explains. The result is a home that beautifully balances traditional elements, such as herringbone floors, wainscoting panelling and arched plaster mouldings, with contemporary design and other modern touches.
Loneragan’s use of colour in her own home is particularly striking. She used Bauwerk’s Limewash Paint range, inspired by the remote rural landscape of the Australian outback. “The raw material is made from stone, pure lime and “Paint and landscaping are by far the two best ways to have the biggest impact on a home” minerals in the traditional way – in a wood-fired lime kiln,” she explains. Rooms are coloured in earthy tones – from a rusty deco red bedroom to a gentle dusty-pink bathroom and a soft greenygrey laundry (Dulux’s Roland PG1.D1).
Art plays a crucial role in Loneragan’s interiors, both in her own home and her client projects. She favours pieces with personal connections, including sculptures by friend Dion Horstmans and vibrant landscape artworks by her mother. These carefully chosen pieces add depth and character to her interiors, bringing “punches of divine colour, vibrancy and life” to a space.
Recently, Lucy Loneragan has embarked on a new creative venture: the launch of clay objects under her Lucy Loneragan Design brand. This idea grew organically from local pottery evenings with friends, evolving into a range of clay artworks.
“The pieces are all handmade, organically shaped and inspired by nature,” she explains, noting that the delicate curves of flower petals, ferns and foliage often inform her designs.
For those looking to refresh their homes, Loneragan offers practical advice: “Paint and landscaping are by far the two best ways to have the biggest impact on a home.” She also recommends installing new timber floorboards for a neutral, natural canvas that can often be laid over existing floors to save on exorbitant demolition costs.
Loneragan’s journey from a curious child in antique shops to a respected interior designer with a global perspective is a testament to the power of diverse influences and experiences. Her work, whether in high-end LA residences or her own Southern Highlands home, reflects a deep appreciation for natural materials, honest design and the transformative power of colour.
As she continues to explore new creative avenues, including her handmade clay objects, Loneragan remains true to her core design philosophy: creating interiors that are not only visually stunning but also inherently liveable.
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