Iron House is the recently completed new build, three level family home of Empire Interior's founder, Nicole Chapman. Located in the sought after South Melbourne locale, the home has been designed to feature reverse living, meaning that the bedrooms are found on the lower levels, while the kitchen and living spaces are upstairs in order to enable the family to enjoy the stunning vistas over Melbourne together.

The overall look and feel of Iron House has been carefully designed and curated to deliver a minimalist, contemporary design that speaks to the family's lifestyle of authenticity and connectedness. A sense of calm and relaxation was a high priority and has been achieved through the beautiful earthy textures and natural tones found in timeless materials of honed marble, steel, leather and oak timber floors.

Featured throughout the home is Havwoods' Fendi wide plank timber flooring, selected for the board's thickness and density to help with sound transfer between levels, along with its gorgeous subtle tones and high quality of product.

"Once I saw the Fendi Wide I was excited. I am always drawn to a beigey milky tone in timber and that is so hard to get right. Some are too pink and some too washed out. The Fendi had a solid base tone and the wash is very subtle. Once I held a sample of it in my hand I knew this was the floor for our home. The quality is so apparent once you touch and feel one of the boards for yourself"

- Nicole Chapman

The 260mm width of the European Oak boards was also a factor in the decision to select Havwoods Fendi timber flooring. The grandeur of the wide planks and the availability of matching stair treads aligned with the high quality focus of the project and delivered a beautiful consistency of design throughout the home.

"Everything in the home is of the highest quality so when it came to the flooring that had to be something special as it features throughout every room. The fact that Fendi had matching stair treads was a major factor in the final choice. To have the floors seamlessly transition into the stairs across all three levels of the home is a real feature."

- Nicole Chapman

"Havwoods are always a pleasure to work with. Fast to sample and so forthcoming with specs and product knowledge. We couldn’t be happier. In fact, I am currently working on our next family home and have selected a Havwoods wide board product for the floors of that project too."

- Nicole Chapman