When interior designer Alana John first saw the 118-year-old federal house Unalla, she fell in love with it. When she originally planned to buy a block and build a new house, she saw the iconic building and the potential for it to become an iconic home and she wanted to give it new life.

Alana learns about Australia's rich history and this house is listed on western Australia's Heritage List for its historical and architectural significance. Later, Alana combined her passion for design with ripples in every space, inside and out. Her love affair with the project went beyond its historical appeal. Alana realized that this would be an opportunity to bring the house into a new era, while respecting its important past, so she injected her own design language into the entire interior design and garden for her family of four.

A key move in preserving Unalla was to focus on the wine cellar. They retained the limestone foundations that served as cellar walls. The limestone was hand-carved to show the textured quality of the stone, and the plaster was pulled back to reveal the original brick walls; All of these are illuminated with heavy light. Ceiling heights, stairs and bespoke lead lights are also original architectural features that Alana likes. She believes her house is not designed for modern living because it breaks down compartments in favor of an open-plan kitchen, dining room and family room.

The interior expresses Alana's approach to design: bold statements, yet intuitive judgments of the situation. She said she was able to take more risks and even more adventurous than usual. The house is surrounded by gorgeous greenery, and the view is just as important to them as the interior, so it was important to have this visual effect in the home. That's why she says she makes sure every room in her home has a view of the surrounding greenery through steel and glass doors and Windows.