For 10 years, every time architect Josh Crosbie drove along the Great Ocean Road in his hometown of Lorne, he was drawn to an elegant home nestled on the hillside. Three years ago, the house appeared on the market and Josh purchased it from the original owners who built the home in 1965. 

“When I saw it was on the market, my heart skipped a beat,” he recalls. “I have to move pretty quickly to line my ducks up and I feel very fortunate that I was able to do so.” 

The home, named ‘Tradewinds’, is perched above the water in the seaside town of Lorne, located two hours south of Melbourne. It’s where the rainforest meets the ocean and where tourists flock year round to see the stunning sights of the surrounding region. 

It’s the context of the home’s location and a desire to honour the mid century design that guided Josh as he skillfully renovated Tradewinds. He shares his insights on modernising the property for family living and how his beloved Neo Sofa underwent a makeover to suit its new home. 

Renovating Tradewinds

After a decade of admiring the home from a distance, Josh was familiar with some of the mid century design elements that define this style.  

“From the road below, I could see the exposed rafters and tell that they lined up beautifully with the timber window frames,” he explains. “I particularly loved the little alternating upper awning windows that set up this beautiful playful language across the front. The big, strong, simple flat roof line is another signature element of mid century design.” 

What became evident when Josh stepped inside the home was that it was designed for entertaining and not family living. While the house needed a modest renovation, Josh undertook this with a commitment to being a custodian of the space. 

Josh started by identifying the sacred no-go zones that he was committed to maintaining. This included the facade of the home and the beautiful original hardwood joinery in the kitchen. He then built the family needs around this. 

“We needed some extra bedrooms and a lot more storage,” he says. “We were able to add one extra bedroom, a studio and storage underneath, a carport to the side and we also renovated two of the bathrooms. I think we did a really nice job of preserving the character of the home and respecting the integrity of its original design.” 

Josh is pictured with his newly recovered Neo Sofa.

New covers for the Neo Sofa

Josh first discovered the Neo Sofa while visiting his good friend and Australian Olympian, Lydia Lassila. He loved Lydia’s sofa and bought one for his own home. 

“We were looking for a new sofa at the time and the Neo Sofa was gorgeous,” he explains. “Even though it’s a big sofa, because it sits off the ground it almost floats in the space. It’s got a lovely lightweight look and it’s so comfortable.” 

When Josh first bought the sofa, he didn’t realise that recovering was an option. He admits that even after many years, multiple dogs and two babies, the fabric of the sofa was in perfect condition. But when he saw the TrueTouch Leather in Mallee, he knew it was the perfect fabric to transition the Neo Sofa into its new home at Tradewinds. 

“I love the soft olive colour, which just blends in beautifully with the hardwood features throughout the house,” he adds. “We look over the water and the sofa also picks up some of the green hues from the view. There’s something so sophisticated about it.” 

Josh was pleased at how simple the recovering process was. The legacy tag on his sofa gave the King Care team all the information they needed to get the ball rolling. 

“It was all so easy,” he recalls. “The package with the new covers arrived one day and the next day the technician arrived to complete the process. It was quite amazing to watch him go about his craft. It only took a couple of hours and I was able to keep the old covers as well.” 

Josh is pictured with the Oliver Tub Chair in Richmond Tobacco fabric. 

A functional blend of modern and traditional

The purchase of Tradewinds included much of the original furniture in the home. Josh has skilfully integrated modern pieces alongside these mid century designs for a seamless blend of modern and traditional. 

“Mid century design features a lot of clean, sharp lines with a big focus on texture,” he says. “Contemporary design also has a lot of clean lines and simple forms so the two styles blend together really well.” 

Alongside vintage speakers and a Parker sideboard, the Neo Sofa looks right at home. Whatever the furniture or design project, Josh says he always prioritises functionality first. 

“Our dog likes to sleep on the sofa and we have two young boys running around the house,” he adds. “We do have original pieces in the home and we need to be respectful of their history but functionality is also important.” 

The new covers on their Neo Sofa will deliver just that. Functional and comfortable furniture that will serve the family well for decades to come. 

Explore Josh’s work online. 

Discover the Neo Sofa, view fabrics and finishes or learn more about the King Care team.  

For more inspiration, explore:  

• Tailor-made removable sofa covers  
• Sofa recovering: King Living furniture recover service explained  
• King Living furniture fabric samples: find the best finishes for you  
• Recovering a much-loved sofa with King Care