Black and white interiors are perennially stylish, and this Sydney renovation proves, yet again, just why. Home to a family of five, and located in Neutral Bay, what was once a small, dark and dated federation cottage has been transformed into a monochrome, light-filled and functional family home by March Twice Interiors.
Living room
“We were thrilled to answer the clients’ brief of incorporating a contemporary thread through the home, with subtle touches of colour, while still being sympathetic to the existing architecture in the original part of the home,” says Lori Murray of March Twice Interiors. The home, and its beautiful old bones, were overhauled with all new paint, joinery, lighting, window coverings, tap ware and oak floorboards that link the original dwelling with the new extension.
Master bedroom. “We love how the contemporary lighting highlights the federation features in the old part of the home,” says Lori.The master bedroom walls are painted in Dulux Dieskau
First up, the entrance features a stylish mudroom that is the workhorse of the home – patterned tiles cover the floor and the joinery includes a ‘locker’ for each family member to hang their bags and coats.
“The entrance is on view when guests use the powder room downstairs, so we always wanted this room to have some interest and pattern,” says Lori. And while the tiles look like encaustic ones, they’re actually a low-maintenance porcelain alternative ideal for the hard-working space.
Entrance and mud room
The nearby powder room is another standout – Porter’s Paints ‘Whale Watching’ in a custom strength (125 per cent) is offset by a compact Carrara marble vanity and elegant touches of brass. “We really love the dark and moody powder room with its rich navy walls and statement lights,” says Lori.
Powder room
Dark paint (the lovely Dulux Oolong) features in the home’s new kitchen (on the v-groove joinery that clads the island bench) and also the fireplace in the living area. “The sunny open plan kitchen and living area work so well together,” says Lori.
KitchenButler’s pantry
Lovely custom joinery features in the living area too with the fire surround and bookshelves providing the perfect spot for the family to display their treasures.
Fireplace and bookshelves
The textured, monochrome vibe continues in the wet areas though the children’s bathroom and adults’ ensuite are two very different spaces. “We feel that the occasional use of patterned tiles kept a few areas fun and light,” says Lori referring to the children’s bathroom. By contrast, the adult’s ensuite is a softer, more restrained space that features Carrara marble (again!) and pale grey v-groove joinery.
While the gorgeous front of this South Yarra home was built in the early 1900’s, the rear sported a fairly uninspiring 1970’s extension before architect Andrew Child transformed it recently for a pair of stylish empty-nesters. “The home was being rented out to students when the owners bought it,” says Andrew who, as part of the project, renovated the original part of the home too; and all on a fairly tight budget.
Front elevation
“The front of the home was and is a beautiful old period home with lovely high ceilings, but the back was logical and structurally sound but pretty prosaic,” says Andrew. The most dramatic part of the renovation involved removing an upstairs bedroom to create a void above the downstairs rear dining space.
The new dining space is now filled with light
“Removing the bedroom created a double height dining space below and is a new focal point for the home. It has created drama and also opened the living areas to the sky and the trees of the rear yard and surrounding properties,” says Andrew. And while reducing the home’s bedroom number might sound a little crazy, the original ‘student’ home was comprised of six rooms – surplus to the owners’ requirements.
A new study nook now overlooks the voidAn Ariho Miyake ‘Kepler’ pendant lamp hangs above the dining table
The new kitchen is housed in the old rear extension too, but it’s been completely modernised with a mix of American oak veneer and black joinery. The kitchen window was redesigned and now features a unique ‘box’ design.
“There was already a window in that spot but instead of just replacing it we designed an aluminium box that projects out and provides a bay window. It’s openable and can act as a servery,” says Andrew who replaced all of the extension’s original wooden window frames with new black aluminium versions.
The kitchen’s new multi-functional box window
Another significant part of the renovation saw two of the original rooms at the front of the home combined with one half now housing a large and interesting ensuite.
Original sash windows feature in the ensuite
“We wanted to keep the sense of the Victorian room, high ceilings and skirting boards, while integrating a toilet, shower and vanity,” says Andrew who designed a wall inside the ensuite that hides the shower and toilet behind. “We kept the wall low so that when you walk in you can still feel the old vibe,” says Andrew. A skylight was also installed to light up the room.
The ensuite is divided by a wall that conceals the toilet and shower behindThe ensuite is accessed via a ‘secret’ concealed door that looks like part of the master bedroom wall
Nestled in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Williamstown, this home was purchased several years ago as a ‘forever home’ for its inhabitants – a family of five including two teenage girls and their dog Lucky. The original double-fronted Victorian home had a 1990’s addition at the rear which no longer met the needs of the family, which is where architect Sandi Kuzman came in to design a Mid Century-inspired extension at the back.
Living room
“With the girls growing up, the house needed to be upgraded and expanded to accommodate the changing needs of the family and to better reflect their lifestyle,” says Sandi. The original addition lacked spatial connections, had minimal natural light, poor heating and cooling and virtually no connection to the rear garden.
The main living area is now connected with the rear garden
“The brief for this project was to bring in more natural light, make the communal spaces more liveable and connected, create a strong relationship between the house and garden, provide an environmentally responsive home and maintain the heritage features of the original house,” says Sandi who was also tasked with indulging the owners’ love of Mid Century Modernism. Quite the tick list!
The back of the home as seen from the garden
The new extension features a living room, TV den, dining room, kitchen with butler’s pantry and indoor/outdoor deck and the main aim was to connect and blur the boundaries between old and new, inside and out. Sandi developed a concept of ‘frames’ to this end.
“The design is all about framing spaces and views, both internally and externally. Externally, simple black forms frame the much-loved old pear tree and an opening to the sky above. The window seat and timber battened deck are treated likewise, as the viewer looks from the outside in, and from the inside out.”
The den features a double fronted fireplace that services the room behind and offers views all the way through to the backyardA custom day bed provides a place to relax in the den
One of the most frequented spots in the house is the dining room window seat – itself another frame that serves a variety of uses for the family. “It’s a quiet reading nook, a spill out space at parties, a platform to catch the morning sun, a stage for their children’s performances, a debriefing station at the end of the day, and if that’s not enough it’s also a handy storage space!”
Dining room window seat. A pear tree is framed in the distance.
The black kitchen sits within the living spaces but it’s a standout element in its own right – the concealed butler’s pantry forms a pod in the centre of the home. “The owner loves to cook and enjoys her daughters getting involved around the island bench. The cooktop is front and centre with a view to the garden too,” says Sandi.
KitchenWalk-in butler’s pantry
The home’s materials are on the raw, minimal side with Australian hardwood timbers and veneers combined with white plasterboard, matte black cabinetry, vertical subway tiles, soft grey stone benchtops, custom black steel details and expanses of glass rounding out the mix.
Bathroom
And as for Sandi’s proudest design moment, she is very happy with the way the home has fostered a variety of connections for its owners. “Connections between internal spaces, between inside and outside, between old and new, between inhabitants, and between client and architect. We still catch up for a glass of wine from time to time.”
Designed by architect David Boyle, ‘Five Gardens House’ was the overall winner of the recent New South Wales Architecture Awards’ Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) category and, with its undulating Sydney waterside location and design that drinks in the beautiful landscape, it’s easy to see why.
Front elevation. The opposite of ostentatious, the home really blends into the landscape.
Something about this home really strikes us as different. Perhaps it’s because, unlike a brand-new build, the project involved the modification and extension of an existing home – a process that often elicits interesting outcomes. Necessity is the mother of invention, right? And invent the architect did; Five Gardens House is a 1950’s suburban modernist house transformed into a vast collection of spaces and whimsical garden platforms.
KitchenLiving area
Perched atop a headland in Sydney’s Middle Harbour, the house treats the landscape as the star – surrounding the home is a gorgeous mix of bushland, rock outcrops and water. Perhaps the highlight of the tri-level home, the home even reaches out into its environment and wraps around a eucalyptus tree in the back yard.
The home wraps around a large eucalyptus tree
The project’s name references the five gardens that surround the home – the new rooftop garden, the three existing gardens and the new aspect that takes in the fifth garden; a knoll. The home’s new rooftop garden sits on an elevated perch that projects from the abode’s original footprint and floats high above the site on delicate steel loops.
Rooftop garden
Internal and external stairs create a spiral circulation system connecting all of the levels and gardens while raw, robust materials complement the landscape. No doubt fabulous spaces to inhabit, the arched ceilings float above the living areas and capture the tree canopies of the adjacent reserve down to the harbour below.
Lounge room
I suspect you’d quickly forget you were living in the city inside these rooms. The ultimate in Australian indoor/outdoor living, this one-off home truly brings the outside in.
Designed to take full of advantage of its spectacular location, this holiday home is comprised of a progression of pavilions and courtyards that extend from the street to the beach. A celebration of indoor/outdoor living, the home was designed by Adam Taliano of Architecture Saville Isaacs and features a mix of raw, natural and robust materials that complement its enviable Avoca Beach location.
The front of the homeLounge room
“The house is a close to the beach as you can get. It’s designed to maximise the spectacular beachfront location with a variety of indoor and outdoor rooms in which to experience different aspects of beachside living,” says Adam Taliano. Timber, stone and layers of neutral soft furnishings help to soften the large swathes of feature concrete that were used to construct the home.
Kitchen
While the home has multiple rooms and many communal spaces, Adam was tasked with making them as flexible as possible to maximise the utility of the home. “The owners wanted to create a beachfront holiday home to accommodate a small family that is also flexible so as to accommodate multiple guest configurations, varying levels of privacy, scale and interaction whilst maximising physical connection and views to the beach,” says Adam.
BedroomBathroom
One of the highlights of the home is the sandy courtyard that sits between two of its pavilions – there is a firepit in the middle that acts as a fabulous communal space and is no doubt a great place to congregate on a cool evening. “The central courtyard is filled with sand and a firepit is at the centre of the entire house – these courtyard and pavilions are truly unique and allow for the perfect beachfront lifestyle,” says Adam.
A fire pit sits at the centre of the home
Designed to take in the coastal breezes, a series of louvres also help to connect the spaces. “There is a casual separation of rooms and functions, that create a sense of relaxation throughout,” says Adam.
“With curtains for walls and a compact plan, our 4.5 metre radius shack was an attempt at building a vertical hard tent rather than a holiday home,” says Austin Maynard Architects’ Andrew Maynard of the firm’s latest, highly original project that is nestled in wild bush and rugged sand dunes on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula at St Andrew’s Beach.
“Australians have some of the biggest houses in the world and holiday houses are increasingly becoming carbon copies of the suburban home. The owner of St Andrew’s Beach House recognised this. He challenged us to design him a ‘bach’ which is a New Zealand word used to describe a very modest, small and basic shack, or shed,” says Andrew of the home that is clad in sustainable timber designed to weather.
Kitchen and dining – I love the pops of green throughout the home
A sleepy spot with nothing much nearby save for a corner store and brewery, the home is serene and secluded and the beautiful coastline is within walking distance. “The owner was fortunate enough to own land abutting national parkland, close to the foreshore and directly within the sand dunes,” says Andrew.
Lounge room
And with no ‘front’ per se, the two storey home boasts views that extend in all directions. “The shape of the house grew from a response to the views and the simplification of the interior spaces – there are no corridors. Corridors and circulation space are, in our view, a waste. A corridor free home lends itself to a circular design,” says Andrew. The ground floor is comprised of a kitchen, living and dining, bathroom and laundry while the first floor houses the sleeping zone – access is granted via a forest green perforated metal spiral staircase that sits at the core.
A green perforated metal spiral staircase connects the two levelsStaircase detail
An interesting choice that gives maximum flexibility, the upstairs level is essentially one large bedroom zone separated by curtains. “Rather than design a series of sealed bedrooms, each with ensuite and walk-in-robe, the sleeping zone is informal, casual and relaxed, where floor space is the only limitation,” says Andrew.
The upstairs sleeping zones are separated by curtains
“An open deck area, within the tube, unites the spaces when the bi-fold doors are opened. Most Australians want a deck or veranda, instead of adding something to the outside, like that of the classic old Australian home, at St Andrew’s Beach House the deck has been eroded out of the form itself, creating a two story space that’s both outside and inside,” says Andrew.
When you hear the word renovation, you probably think knocking down a couple of walls and updating the kitchen. But for this holiday home, a renovation meant gutting the whole property, keeping only the ground floor slab and the two front walls! “The brief from the client was to build a new house on the existing footprint of the old house,” explains acclaimed designer David Hicks. “The main concern was to maximise the glazing towards the views and reorganise the layout and accommodation.”
Situated on the Mornington Peninsula’s Portsea, bringing the outside in was key for this holiday home. A modern beachside design, the house has a relaxed feel, with beautiful sandy tones mimicking the beach below. “We used a contrast between rough stone and honed stone along with distressed timber veneer and satin lacquer,” says David. “It’s all about texture and tactility.”
Pushing the limits of structure, the upper floor is a standout, with the internal spaces separated from the outside only by frameless glass. “The design is seamless and effortless, yet so complex to detail and construct. I love the simplicity that we managed to achieve. This kind of architecture really interests me and I feel it fits into the landscape beautifully.”
The top floor also contains the pool, a show stopping cantilevered glass oasis that is sure to be the envy of neighbours. “Incorporating a pool above a downstairs bedroom was no mean feat! In fact, the engineering of the entire project was a challenge, as we wanted the upper floor to have limited bulk obstructing the views.”
The end result certainly achieves this, modern and streamlined, it is both relaxed and sophisticated, bringing new significance to the classic beach house.
I am so excited to finally share my new kitchen with you today! Seeing these beautiful pictures makes the last two months of mess and chaos seem more than worth while!
They say the kitchen is the heart of the home and in this house, it really is. Not just because everyone hangs out in this room, but because it really is in the middle of our home. And the light here is the best in the house. It used to drive me nuts that people gravitated towards this room because of the light when it was unrenovated, as we had much nicer spaces to entertain in like the living room! Now I am no longer embarrassed of my kitchen, I am happy for people to congregate in here and admire it whenever they want!
Black barn door hardware from BunningsBar stools from GlobeWest
This really is my dream kitchen. I’m going to blog about some of the finer details separately, but today’s post is just the first overview of what we chose, what we did and why. In terms of layout, this has not changed drastically, but we did get rid of the back door (see before pix at the end of this post) to allow the cabinetry to go right to the end of the kitchen. We were also able to move our fridge freezer into the kitchen (it’s the little things, right?!) because previously there was nowhere to fit it and it lived in the dining room!
The starting point for this room was the cabinetry from Freedom Kitchens. I always knew I wanted white shaker style doors so when I found out this was possible using their new, more affordable flatpack option, the Essential range, I was thrilled. I saw flatpack as an opportunity to make great savings, which would allow me to still have the other things I dreamed of like stone benchtops.
My good friend, TV interior designer James Treble, sketched me out a rough layout I loved over dinner one night and we were off! I then worked with Freedom Kitchens design consultant Nina Hughes to turn that sketch into a detailed plan, taking into consideration the flatpack options available. This in-home service is included for everyone buying from their flatpack range, as well as a site check to make sure nothing has slipped through the net, before your cabinets are made. This really made me feel confident. I think buying a kitchen off the shelf with no professional advice or checks would have made me worry myself sick!
The next thing I chose were the handles. Anyone who knows me or has been to my home knows I just love a brass accent! I was always going to have gold handles and I sourced these from Kethy (available through The Block Shop) after seeing similar in Julia and Sasha’s beautiful Block kitchen. It was a winning combo from the start. I didn’t look at another handle so this proved to be one of the easiest decisions!
Then benchtops: through my job, I know Caesarstone by reputation and I loved their designs. I had three samples on high rotation but I finally went for the most subtle, Noble Grey, for a few reasons. I liked the contrast of the grey with the white cabinetry, and while the Calacatta marble-look designs have been hugely popular recently, I wanted something a little different. Then I saw blogger Briar Stanley from Sunday Collector use Noble Grey in her amazing kitchen and that sealed the deal.
Of course, then I needed to decide on a complementary splashback. I absolutely love tiles but trying to choose some left me paralysed by indecision! There were just too many amazing choices. I could have opted for subways, and I am a fan, but again, I wanted something a little different. So I decide to carry the Caesarstone up the splash as well; a decision I have not regretted for one second! The splash behind the cooktop is really quite deep so it makes a real feature. When the light through the opposite window hits it, it really shows off the veins in it. I also think the streamlined look it has created has allowed me to add my other, more bling touches, without it feeling cluttered or over the top.
Speaking of bling, the gold tap is from Meir and I am so in love with it! Taps really are like jewellery in a kitchen. You can’t miss them so you might as well make a statement! Their new Tiger Bronze colour was released at just the right time a few months ago and I was lucky enough to be one of the first to get my hands on it! Would a gold sink as well prove too much? I must admit, I did really worry about my decision, but in the end, it all came together beautifully. And nobody can believe that sink came from Bunnings!
Of course, a kitchen can (and should!) look beautiful but it needs to function too! Having room for a fridge freezer was a great start! But I needed to think long and hard about the appliances, which I chose from Italian brand Ilve. I was really excited to get an integrated dishwasher from an aesthetic perspective but this one works brilliantly and even has a light inside, plus one which shines onto the floor so you know it’s on (being that it’s hidden behind a cabinet door). I just love how it seamlessly blends into the kitchen.
Choosing an oven was a lot harder than anticipated and something I’ve never done before. I eventually decided on a 90cm electric oven and having that extra space is already proving a Godsend when entertaining. I can’t wait to give it a really good workout on Christmas Day.
Then of course you have to match that with a 90cm cooktop even though I’m not sure I’ll ever use all six burners at the same time! We first wanted gas but had a delay finding out if we could get connected, which led us to opt for induction. I’m so glad we went this route because I bloody love it! I cannot believe how quick it is to heat up, it’s a dream to clean and, importantly, it’s safe, which when you have an adventurous climbing toddler around is one less thing to worry about. I’m also thrilled with our hidden rangehood which allows me to have an uninterrupted row of overhead cupboards.
So, we had the bones of a great kitchen, but there were two other things I needed to achieve: replacing the dated sliding door to the laundry, with a modern take on a barn door and black hardware was the first. I wanted the door to have VJ panelling so we did this by cutting Easycraft panels (I’m in love with this product) to size and fixing them to the front of a very cheap, plain door. We then decided what the hell, why not panel the entire wall and wow, wasn’t that the best call? This wall has become a real feature of the kitchen. We also did the back of our breakfast bar in the same paneling and colour.
Art by the Print Emporium
Secondly, I wanted to tie in the dining area, which adjoins the kitchen and previously had a cork floor, much better. I did this by adding VJ wainscoting to this room and painting it in the same grey (the panelling is in Haymes Paint Chinchilla Fur and the walls are Haymes Paint Greyology 4). It has made a huge difference. Of course, having the same floor helped massively too.
The icing on the cake of all this was our new Quickstep Impressive Ultra laminate floor (more on that next week) which we have also laid in the living room, hallway and my home office. Once that went down, we were finally finished!
A few other things I’m really glad we did and are worth a mention were:
adding bulkheads for a more finished, streamlined look (and no dust or clutter accumulating on top of the overhead cupboards)
putting a power socket in the back of the pantry so I could hide the Nespresso machine and toaster away in there
making sure there was a space for the microwave under the breakfast bar out of sight, so it didn’t have to use precious benchtop space
making one of the five powerpoints (you can never have too many) a USB one (we use this every day to charge a phone or laptop and it has proven really handy)
opting for a pullout double bin under the sink so there’s no ugly bin on show or in the way (I obviously need to get out more but I really love this!).
I could rave about my new kitchen all day but I’ll focus on some other aspects in future blog posts.
Overall, I am thrilled with kitchen and that it is finished before Christmas! I’m just waiting on my blinds (Romans) and looking for the perfect new kettle! A huge thank you to our friends at Integriti Bathrooms who helped project manage this reno.
Now, we could finish this without taking a look back at the before photos!
What do you think of the transformation? If you have any questions, please write them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you.
It’s officially December so we’re allowed to start curating the best of the year, right?! This year, we have been lucky enough to sticky beak inside some of the most gorgeous homes. From a houseboat afloat Sydney Harbour to a US$16 million Hamptons home; we’ve certainly not been disappointed! So I’ve undertaken the tricky task of putting together our top 10 favourite real homes of 2017. Enjoy!
Elwood, Melbourne: It may be a rental, but that hasn’t stopped Lucy Glade-Wright (the co-founder of Hunting For George) from turning the apartment into a home. With Art Deco features and show-stopping arch windows, the palette is monochromatic with a touch of blue.
Mosman, Sydney: This two-storey houseboat, afloat on Sydney Harbour, has picture-perfect surrounds and a beautifully restored and redesigned interior. With clean lines and a soft, pared-back palette; it’s the holiday retreat we all want!
Bondi, Sydney: As one of the judges on The Block we had high hopes for Darren Palmer’s home. Stylish and smart, it’s full of technology and gadgets.
Northbridge, Sydney: This modern Mediterranean-style villa has been transformed by our favourite renovators, Three Birds Renovations. With large windows, glass doors, high ceilings and white walls, it’s a light, fresh and welcoming home.
Ballarat, Victoria: This quirky design takes the ubiquitous pitched-roof country house form and splits it in half; with one pavilion housing an arrangement of bedrooms and bathrooms and the other a large, open living space. Raw and minimalist, it brings the beautiful bush setting indoors.
Darling Point, Sydney: An avid collector, the home of interior designer Alex Zabotto-Bentley is as much a gallery space as it is a private residence. Filled with a vast collection of art and books, the home references classic French apartments and old Hollywood set design.
Hamptons, USA: Yours for a little over US$16 million, this beautiful home is a great example of a modern Hamptons look, using a much more black and white palette instead of the traditional blue and white.
Malvern, Melbourne: Combining Mediterranean influences with 1970s and mid-century design, this experimental home works so well. With Tasmanian oak veneer paneling, beautiful handmade clay tiles and bespoke rattan joinery, the interiors are rich in texture.
Manly, Sydney: Timber takes centre stage in this cleverly designed home. Sitting on a subdivided plot that’s just 7.2 metres wide, the home manages to fill light, airy and full of space.
London, England: This renovated Victorian terrace is perfect for entertaining. Light-filled (a must with that dreary weather!), the kitchen and living space beautifully flow into the garden. A perfect example of indoor/outdoor living.
Dubbed their biggest renovation challenge ever, best friends turned expert renovators Lana Taylor, Erin Cayless and Bonnie Hindmarsh (of Three Birds Renovations) recently completed a three-storey, three-bedroom, three-bathroom, modern Mediterranean-style villa in Sydney’s north. But there was some added pressure, with the house being Lana’s family home! “It’s been a beautiful house and I love it to death but the floor plan wasn’t built for a growing family,” explains Lana. “Our main aim was to build a beautiful home to last a lifetime.”
The new design involved completely flipping the house layout on its head, by placing the kitchen and living areas downstairs and linking it to the garden. The middle level, aptly named ‘kid’s world,’ became the domain of Lana’s two young children; while the top floor was converted into the ultimate parents’ retreat for Lana and her husband Jason.
The parents’ retreat boasts a luxurious master bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, ensuite, open-plan office space and a sunny terrace. Inspired by Greece, the ensuite is white with a turquoise fish-scale tiled feature wall and just like the beautiful white-washed Santorini homes, a skylight above the shower bathes the room in natural light.
On the middle level, each child has a large bedroom, plus there is mud room, a large bathroom and a media room with glass balustrade that overlooks a void into the family area below. “I’ve always wanted a well-fitted out mud room,” says Lana. “So I created an ‘urban mud room’ with floor-to-ceiling shoe shelves for my family to take shoes on and off and get rid of those bulky school bags.”
Once a self-contained granny flat, the bottom level is now home to an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area. Large windows, glass doors, high ceilings and white walls provide a light, fresh and welcoming space for the family to cook, eat, play and relax.
The all white kitchen is paired with neutral stone benchtops and a matching splashback. “I wanted the stone to be the hero of the kitchen,” explains Lana. Connecting the interior to the exterior is a large gas-strut window, allowing for easy al fresco dining all year round. And on the other side of the kitchen is not a butler’s pantry but a butler’s office! “The butler’s office was simply born out of the lifestyle that we lead,” says Lana. “I’m always on my laptop and I don’t want to be hidden away in a study when my kids are in the family space.”
The finished home is beautiful (what we’ve come to expert from the girls at Three Birds!) and Lana couldn’t be happier: “It’s not just the perfect family home, it’s also an expression of my style and showcases the expertise and attention to detail we have to all our projects.”
–The Birds used Gyprock in this renovation. To create a private oasis for Lana and Jason, Gyprock Soundchek™ plasterboard was used in the master suite. A high-density plasterboard with increased noise absorption properties, Soundchek has been specifically designed for internal walls and ceilings to reduce noise transfer. Gyprock Sensitive plasterboard was selected for the kids’ area. It’s a revolutionary hypoallergenic plasterboard that is the first and only residential plasterboard to be approved by the National Asthma Council Australia’s Sensitive Choice program as a better choice for asthma and allergy sufferers. Treated with a powerful but gentle anti-fungal agent, Sensitive is designed to resist mould growth.
Originally built in the 80’s, this humble Perth home featured (if you can call it that) a façade of dated and uninspiring brickwork. The interior similarly suffered from a disjointed floor plan and boring beige tiles throughout. And then there was the kitchen – don’t even get me started on the woeful state of the kitchen! (I think the before photos speak for themselves).
AfterBefore (*shudder*)
The brief for Amerex was one of total transformation; the homeowners wanted to completely expand and revamp the space, while adding more natural light to the key living areas.
The result? A spacious family home complete with functional open-plan living and stylishly modern finishes – one that’s up for a HIA award (impressive!).
AfterBefore
To accommodate the larger living area and provide a space for the stunning new kitchen (seriously, what a transformation!) and dining areas, an extensive structural extension had to be added.
“We also added an entertainer’s alfresco, complete with a wood fireplace – this way the home now had a seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor areas, and the owners could easily transition from indoor to outdoor entertaining,” says Suzanne Burke, GM of Amerex.
A complete reroof and external render of the entire property helped bring the home into the 21st century.
“The render was a no-brainer. We also added stone cladding to the front piers, which has really given the home a whole new look and feel. Finish that off with new cedar wood double front doors and a unique feature garage door and the owners are left with a complete overhaul of the front profile!” says Suzanne.
No room or space was overlooked, with a new master bedroom and guest bedroom featuring huge walk-ins and ensuites, a spacious family study and replacement of the dated timber staircase balustrade with a modern cable balustrade.
From a new storage room in the garage and a sneaky storeroom beneath the stairs, to overhead cabinetry in the laundry and a large walk-in pantry, enough storage space was added to make any storage lover coo with delight.
The team at Amerex specialises in transforming Perth properties with high quality home additions, home extensions, second story additions, and major home renovations.
This week, we’re excited to give you a glimpse of the home of interior-exterior design duo and husband and wife, Juliet Love and Charlie Albone. Juliet is a talented interior stylist and author, and husband Charlie is the award-winning landscaping guru from Selling Houses Australia. Of course, it’s no surprise their Sydney home is beautiful, but Juliet admits it’s rarely this tidy and perfect with two young boys running around!
“A coffee table anchors a room and provides a focal point, so it’s very important,” says Juliet. “It’s also somewhere to express your taste and personality.” We couldn’t agree more.
Theirs is from Nick Scali. “I chose it because we didn’t want to spend a fortune on furniture with two young boys running wild in the house, and it looks like a much more expensive designer version! When I designed our home, I wanted it to be light, bright and airy, so the glass and chrome table helps with this, allowing light to bounce off it around the room.”
On the table is a white marble and silver circular tray from Pottery Barn (“I love trays on coffee tables — they provide a dedicated space for decorative items”), a Waterford Crystal fishbowl vase (Juliet’s absolute favourite flower vessel) which was a wedding gift from a special friend, a small tiger cowrie shell which Juliet’s mum had in the house when she was a child, a brass lobster from Style My Home (“because I saw it and had to have it”), and a round gold dish from Freedom. The book is Beauty At Home by Aerin Lauder.
“I am always changing things around,” says Juliet. “It drives Charlie crazy! I keep the background neutral and add in decorative accessories. The great thing about accessories is that they aren’t as expensive as big ticket items like furniture, so you can get away with changing things up more frequently. I love flowers and cushions for a quick update.”
The stylist’s coffee table styling must-haves are elements from nature (crystal, driftwood or shells, for example), hard cover books (she’s written her own, Love Style) on subjects that interest you, flowers, a tray, and a splash of metal. We think it’s a great formula.
“Use the rules of balance for styling it,” she advises. “Take a photo from above and you’ll then be able to see whether any one element is overwhelming. Also consider vertical space and keep all decorative items fairly low; you don’t want anything to be too high or it will look odd. Also, don’t overload the surface. I’ve seen some coffee tables lately that are overflowing and therefore overwhelming to the eye. You’ll lose all impact you may have otherwise had. Place items on your coffee table as a magazine editor would curate images for a magazine: only the very best will make the cut.”
The couple recently moved back to Sydney after living on a farm in the country (which they’ve kept hold of) for a while. “It’s by the beach, so we spend a lot of time down there. When we moved in, the walls were all sponged mustard yellow, with dark mahogany built-in furniture and beige carpet. I basically just whitewashed all the walls and built-ins, put in a new limewashed timber floor, sisal rugs, and some furniture with slipcovers in white and blue, mostly navy. With Charlie traveling for work so frequently, it became too isolating being on the farm. We’re much happier back in Sydney closer to family and friends.”
The move has also prompted the couple to open a studio together in Woollahra’s Edgecliff Road, under the Inspired Exteriors banner. “It’s a great little design precinct now, with Porter’s Paints, No Chintz, Candana Bathrooms, Cameron Kimber Interiors, Sambag, Sonoma and Cotton Love Home right next door, so we’re in good company! Our design team is in the front office, and we have a separate office at the back of the block for the landscape construction team, so it is perfect for our business. We have a gorgeous little display window out front which I am having great fun decorating.”
Parents and parents-to-be will be delighted to hear that a child-friendly house doesn’t have to be a boring one! Juliet tries to strike a balance between a home that feels ‘adult’, and one that sons Leo and Hartford can enjoy and be carefree in. “I am conscious that I’ve seen a lot of homes where, once a baby arrives, all sense of personality is lost; every item taken off every surface. I don’t think it has to be that way. My mum told me that she made it very clear when I was a child what was off limits, and I steered clear of those things. I have tried to teach the boys the same thing and so far it works well! They know there are (just a few) spots in the house that they can’t make their play area. The coffee table is one of those spots. I also have a tan leather sofa that hides a multitude of sins, and armchairs and dining chairs with slip covers that I can throw in the washing machine, so the kids don’t feel like there’s nothing they can touch!
“It certainly doesn’t always look neat and tidy, in fact mostly it’s a chaotic mess! I often feel like I’m in Groundhog Day because the tidying is endless, but I also wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the way the children add laughter and fun to the house.”
Mid-century inspired and with glazing for days, this incredible Noosa property is the work of its owner Sarah Waller, an English designer and licensed builder, who spent 20 years conceptualising her dream home before seeing it come to life. “A move from the UK to Australia offered me the opportunity to design and build something unique for my family and I – our own iconic home,” says Sarah of the home that is referred to as the Glass House.
Kitchen & dining
Nestled in the Noosa Valley, the home features clean lines, and sublime minimalist details such as a flat roof and large expanses of full-height glass. The abundance of glass was designed to take in the home’s gorgeous natural environment that features soaring coconut palm trees and frangipanis.
The lines between the inside and outside are blurred
Sarah worked across the entire process from the design and build to the home’s styling and final decorative touches. “To manage the entire process and bring it all together is incredibly satisfying and now we’re living and experiencing the home, you get a true appreciation that beyond its aesthetic qualities it has a wonderful feel. Sometimes I pinch myself that it’s ours,” says Sarah who heads up her own Noosa-based residential design studio, Sarah Waller Design.
Bedroom
The home’s award-winning kitchen is a standout space and features large swathes of black timber joinery and a generous island bench in fine matte black laminate and marble-look porcelain. Fibonacci Stone Arctic Ice terrazzo tiles extend from the interior floors to the outdoor patio for a seamless connection between outside and in and the kitchen also features a fully concealed butler’s pantry that houses open shelves, additional bench space and a second sink.
The bedrooms were also designed to capitalise on the expansive views. “I love that you have all the comforts of indoors, yet you really feel part of the landscape. We wake up with the sun and experience the subtle changes in weather throughout the day,” says Sarah.
Pool
The pool evokes 1950’s Palm Springs and features a cabana perfect for lazing around in the warmer months – the effect is utterly resort-like. We love!
There’s a strong Mediterranean influence infused throughout this serene Melbourne family home befitting its Croatian owners – a fifty-something builder, his wife and two grown-up sons. “They came to me because they do a lot of construction and move from house to house. This time they wanted something really special because they intend to stay in the home for a long time. Ultimately they wanted something unique and experiential,” says the project’s interior architect Georgia Ezra.
The kitchen
Combining Tasmanian oak veneer paneling with beautiful handmade clay tiles and bespoke rattan joinery, the home is rich in texture and brimming with gorgeous details. “The project definitely has Mediterranean influences in there but it draws on the 1970’s and mid-century modern design too,” says Georgia.
Entry tile detail
Featuring custom, Moroccan zellige, colour-glazed clay tiles, the front entrance is a design highlight. “It’s as if there’s a runner or rug inset into the floor,” says Georgia of the pale green and white tiles that were created by her company, Tiles of Ezra. Another notable flooring detail is the gorgeous Australian hardwood timber that is laid in a Chevron pattern throughout the home.
The lounge features timber veneer on the walls for a strong mid-century vibe
Georgia’s unique tiles feature elsewhere too – most notably around the fireplace and kitchen splashback. “At about $1,200 per square metre, the intricate, mosaic tile surrounding the fireplace is a very high-end luxurious design cut by hand,” says Georgia.
Kitchen splashback
The tiles on the splashback and rangehood have a gorgeous, shimmery pearl-like finish created in their manufacture. “They’re made entirely from clay that is glazed and put in the kiln at a high temperature. The variation in tone depends on where they’re placed in the kiln. There is serious variation — some are bluer while others are more pink, white or grey which creates great depth. It’s not considered a defect to have knocks, chips and dimples present on the glaze.”
The kitchen island doubles as a casual dining space
The kitchen island bench is another highlight with the bespoke joinery featuring a combination of timber and stone. “The owners wanted something that was super functional but also acted as a casual dining place. At 720mm high, the timber table is a functional dining height and the family eat there every night on their beautiful Thonet chairs,” says Georgia.
Custom white rattan cupboards feature in the kitchen
A unique feature, the kitchen features a bank of cupboards fronted in white rattan. “We had to take the rolls of rattan, dunk them in water and hold them down before spraying them in two-pack paint,” says Georgia.
Lounge and dining
“I don’t think the photos do it justice. When you walk into the home, the whole area opens up – it’s experiential. It’s one of those homes that you walk through and feel something special. This is one of my favourite jobs ever and the clients love it too,” says Georgia.
“Make this house feel like a home,” said the owners of this freestanding Victorian era home in the Sydney suburb of Bronte before it was transformed recently by The Designory. And perusing the end result, I’d say that goal was most definitely achieved! After moving from a cosy, semi-detached residence in Waverley with their two young children, the family found they had plenty of spaces to fill in this much larger home.
The living room features an original Hans Wegner Tripod chair
“Although they had brought many of their personal treasures and collectable items with them they engaged us from the beginning to make their new house feel more like a home. They wanted to incorporate their love of mid-century pieces and their personal treasures with new pared back classic items to create an environment that the whole family could enjoy,” says interior designer Melissa Bonney, who used durable yet beautiful child-friendly materials and finishes throughout the project.
Master bedroom
With a ‘mid-century modern’ brief, Melissa and her team went about decorating the home to give it a lovely, lived-in vibe. “Overall the success of the project was in the eclectic mix that directly relates to our clients’ personalities. Mixing the old with the new and sourcing original pieces that tell a story created an interior that reflects the owners and their way of living,” says Melissa.
Child’s room
Her favourite space, the dining area mixes rattan (so hot right now!) and copper to fabulous effect. “We love the dining area. The simplicity of the modern oak dining table complements the original Hoffman walnut dining chairs perfectly along with the clients’ original artwork and the gorgeous copper pendant lights,” says Melissa.
Dining room
As for her favourite piece of furniture, Melissa can’t go past the original Hans Wegner Tripod chair that resides in the living room. “It’s definitely a team favourite as it’s such a classic and enduring piece that will never go out of style.”
While we’re proud of our very Aussie content, it’s always great to look to other countries and cultures for some design inspiration. This week, we’re taking you to the English capital!
Located in south-east London, this Victorian terrace was transformed recently by the design duo 2 Lovely Gays. In contrast to typical London living, since the renovation, this maisonette flat is filled with natural light and boasts a lovely indoor/outdoor connection too.
The kitchen & dining space. I love that teal blue joinery!
“The original building is Victorian, as is much of the housing stock in London. The homeowners wanted to extend into the garden to make a great kitchen space. They also wanted to renovate the basement and turn it from a separate apartment, back into part of their flat, as their master suite, complete with walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom,” says 2 Lovely Gays interior designer Jordan Cluroe. As for renovation stumbling blocks, not only did the basement have a significant damp problem but extensive groundworks were required too.
Dining room
“We worked with a contractor to resolve these issues as sympathetically to the original architecture as possible. We left the beams in the ceiling of the basement exposed to give the best possible head height and also for character. We also used exposed brickwork and glass for the extension to create a homely garden kitchen,” says Jordan of the home that features an abundance of texture including hexagonal floor tiles, rough terracotta and recycled timber.
Bedroom – the curtain disguises the girls’ wardrobe behind the bed
“This project was grounded in the period of the property, but other than that, the design is less about period and more about atmosphere and human experience. There are elements of the Mediterranean with the rough terracotta and plants, as well as industrial New York with the white hexagonal mosaic and exposed brick. It is about texture more than time period,” says Jordan.
Inhabited by a young couple, Suz and Kerry (who run a successful pop-up dining experience), the space needed to cater for their love of regular entertaining. “They felt blocked under the pressure of expectation for their renovation and wanted to work with us to give them a home that they could relax and grow in. They also love the garden so wanted a strong connection between the outdoors and the indoors.”
Lounge room
Reflecting the girls’ love of texture, the home’s worktops and shelves were constructed from reclaimed school science lab worktops. “The hard wood is ideal for a kitchen and the biro marks and names scratched into the surface from decades of past school children give it patina and life,” says Jordan.
The terrace owners Suz & Kerry
But it’s the light that Jordan is proudest of. “We love the light in the different spaces. It is so connected to the outdoor space and the dining table works so beautifully as an entertaining space that is the heart of the home. It bridges the gap between the old and the new parts of the home and also the outdoors and indoors,” says Jordan.
2 Lovely Gays’ Russell Whitehead and Jordan Cluroe
Styling a waterfront house in one of Sydney’s ritziest suburbs entirely with ALDI Special Buys might sound like a tall order but it was a surprisingly easy! I teamed up with the supermarket on this exciting project last week and I have to say, I’m pleased as punch with the results.
Come on in to ‘the ALDI Special Buys house’ in Sydney’s Point Piper
I’ve been a long time ALDI shopper and I love the thrill of the latest Special Buys catalogue as much as the next person. I had no idea how many different things you could buy via Special Buys though, and this was the whole premise behind teaming up with ALDI. We showcased around 300+ products in the house, from furniture to bed linen, small appliances, toys and ski wear. Some of the items, like a queen size upholstered bed ($229), washing machine ($229), clothes dryer ($249), garment steamer ($89.99), gold cutlery ($29.99), 65-inch ultra HD television ($799) and replica Eames lounge ($349) have already been on sale this year and others, like a coffee table, chests of drawers ($89.99), bedside tables ($39.99) and children’s single bed ($99.99), were sneak peeks of what’s coming in 2017.
Cushions ($16.99), throws ($16.99), the ottoman ($39.99), premium coffee table ($69.99), melamine tray ($7.99), champagne flutes ($9.99 for a set of six), cook books ($12.99) and table lamp ($49.99) are all ALDI Special Buys.Gold cutlery, matte black and marble have been three big trends in homewares this year. Everything in this image bar the table is from ALDI, even the cheese and grapes!This replica butterfly chair was a recent Special Buy at $199
I love a genuine bargain, and by that I mean good value not cheap and disposable, and I believe that’s what you get with ALDI. It really resonates with Interiors Addict’s ‘style without the snobbery’ ethos.
You really can furnish your entire home with ALDI Special Buys if you have your finger on the pulse and watch out for what’s coming up via the catalogues, app or email newsletter (Special Buys are announced just a week before they go on sale on Wednesdays and Saturdays and are there until they sell out). You’ll have heard the stories about people queuing up to nab a bargain so don’t hang around!
The kitchen was my favourite room in the house. From the vintage style mint microwave ($89.99), kettle ($39.99) and toaster ($49.99) –similar in a different colour will be available soon– to the copper pans ($69.99 for the set) and utensils ($3.99), Expressi capsule coffee machine ($79.99) and professional grade blender ($139), it all looked so fabulous together!
Popular Special Buys are often repeated so I’m hoping that happens with these gorgeous copper pans!
A room I think you’ll love is the cute kid’s room. We furnished it for under $450 (thank you to Sack Me! for lending us the linen). This kid’s bed will be out next year for just $99.99 and available in white, blue and pink, along with this fantastic $89.99 chest of drawers arriving in 2017. The teepee and wooden toys are so cute!
In the master bedroom, the hero was the grey upholstered queen bed, a snip at just $229. A mattress was available for $249 too and this bed also came in single, double and king sizes. What I loved about this styling job was that the ALDI Special Buys products didn’t look out of place in this expensive Sydney home, which says a lot about their quality.
This $39.99 bedside will be available early next year. And how cute is the gold lamp?
In the bathroom, we literally had everything you could ever need from the towels ($8.99) and mosaic bath mat ($14.99), bin ($13.99), hair straightener ($19.99), hairdryer ($19.99), digital scales ($12.99) and laundry hamper ($29.99), from Special Buys. These were complemented by ALDI’s everyday grocery range of skincare and cosmetics.
In the laundry we had appliances, steam mop ($69.99 and new for 2017!), ironing board ($39.99), clothes horse ($19.99), steam cleaner ($39.99), vacuum ($99.99) and much more!
And we even went so far as to set up a home office/gym with everything down to an office desk($79.99 and new for 2017!) 3D printer ($499) and elliptical trainer ($299) and an amazing outdoor space with trampoline ($149), pizza oven ($199), wicker dining set ($399), daybed ($169) and more!
This $199 pizza oven has been a popular product this year and it is easy to see why!This glass-topped table and stools is great value at $399
You can watch my interview with A Current Affair below and a quick tour with 9Homes here.
Are YOU an ALDI shopper? I’d love to hear about your best buys from the middle of the store. Comment below!
Meet Amy Collins-Walker, Interiors Addict features writer, interior stylist and mum of two. This week we’re bringing back Covet My Coffee Table with a look inside her Perth home.
That’s a cool statement coffee table! Why did you pick it, where did you buy it, how long have you had it? I bought the coffee table almost four years ago from Empire Homewares. It’s made from a tree root and no two are ever the same. It’s a special piece and I love its organic aesthetic. There’s even a piece of limestone wedged between a couple of the branches — I’m a big fan of bringing the outdoors in. I also love a design statement and it certainly ticks that box.
How important do you think a coffee table is as a piece of furniture? As furniture items go, the coffee table is pretty integral. Aside from its obvious functionality it can really tie a space together and act as the hero piece in the room. I would always favour a statement coffee table for that reason.
How much difference to your room do you think styling your coffee table can make? Styling up your coffee table can make a huge difference to your lounge room. Aside from the design aspect, coffee table styling is a great way to reveal your passions and interests. It’s also a space that can be ever-changing, depending on what you’re into at any given time.
Why do you have what you have on your table and do you change it up often? I always have a large vase with a bunch of blooms or even just some green foliage. The yellow bird is from my favourite shop in the Blue Mountains, Inner Space, and it used to have a stand until my toddler broke it! It now rests on a copper jug given to me by a dear friend. The metallic gold and white jar is from that shop too — I love a metallic splash and particularly as a contrast to the natural wood of the coffee table. The heart is a piece of Mexican folk art — it’s hand-carved and covered in good luck charms. The books are a random selection of some of my favourites in the design, art and photography spheres. I used to change up my coffee table a bit more regularly but mostly now I change the vase and blooms as, with two small children, my free time is minimal.
So, do the children influence what’s on your coffee table? Having two small children certainly does influence what I place on my coffee table. Ironically, I could never leave a coffee there! Most of the items are unbreakable but if they aren’t, they’re too heavy to move like a large vase. Obviously I’ve had some casualties though — the bird for one!
As a stylist, what are your top tips for our readers on how to style their coffee table if they don’t know where to start? Firstly, the things on your coffee table should always have meaning; they should be things you love and enjoy. Second, I think fresh flowers or foliage are a must and that can be as simple as some greenery plucked from your garden. You don’t need to spend a lot of money. You should also make sure to include pieces of varying height and texture too — both key to any styled vignette!
You can find out more about Amy, or engage her to help you style your home (in person or online) via her website or follow her on Instagram.
