Colour & Design Masterclass: A Disjointed Home Finds Its Groove
A radical redo of a dated family home provides lessons in how to work colour and custom joinery into your abode
When the owners of this large and disjointed family home in Sydney were ready to give it a new look, they called upon interior designer Alexandra Ferguson, creative director at Alexandra Marie Interiors for help. Ferguson rationalised the space by introducing a bold, contemporary colour palette, which she used throughout the home, then added clever custom joinery that performs multiple functions, including storage and seating.
Read on to discover why it worked and to pick up some practical tips for your own renovation.
Read on to discover why it worked and to pick up some practical tips for your own renovation.
The formal living area. Walls throughout the home painted in Dulux Tranquil Retreat; wall panelling painted in Dulux Lexicon Half.
What is this home like?
It is a beautiful and large single-storey brick home on a quiet, leafy street on Sydney’s Upper North Shore.
What wasn’t working for your client?
What is this home like?
It is a beautiful and large single-storey brick home on a quiet, leafy street on Sydney’s Upper North Shore.
What wasn’t working for your client?
- The living areas were so generous the owners struggled to see the potential of each space.
- Insufficient storage.
- Dated drapes and valances in the living spaces.
- The kitchen had a poor workflow and the clients did not like the impractical shape and design of the pantry.
- They disliked having a freestanding fridge.
The floor plan after works, where the renovation took place.
What was your brief?
To reimagine the home, which had a mix of old and new spaces, including bathrooms that had been renovated just a few years before we were engaged. The new design was to build upon the home’s character with rich layers of colour and highly detailed joinery, while adding moments of the unexpected throughout.
The design also needed to flow and feel comfortable and homey.
What were the client’s must-haves?
What was your brief?
To reimagine the home, which had a mix of old and new spaces, including bathrooms that had been renovated just a few years before we were engaged. The new design was to build upon the home’s character with rich layers of colour and highly detailed joinery, while adding moments of the unexpected throughout.
The design also needed to flow and feel comfortable and homey.
What were the client’s must-haves?
- A feature sliding barn door.
- A new fireplace in the formal living area.
- Integrated kitchen appliances.
- To keep the existing double swinging doors throughout, which provide privacy to all the rooms.
The kitchen before works.
What was your starting point for the colour and materials palette?
The client’s enthusiasm for English interiors with Shaker-style joinery and strong use of colour. This conversation led to the idea of introducing highly detailed wall-to-wall joinery and wainscotting in the oversize and neglected living spaces.
We wanted to inject rich colours balanced with a more subdued colour palette.
The newly designed retreat spaces [such as the adults’ retreat] feature a moody colour scheme, while the more formal spaces are crisp and cool with splashes of colour introduced through furnishings and decor.
What was your thinking behind the art selection?
I wanted the artwork to complement the joinery and create a mood in each room. Adding vibrant art to the walls also brought depth to the rooms.
What was your starting point for the colour and materials palette?
The client’s enthusiasm for English interiors with Shaker-style joinery and strong use of colour. This conversation led to the idea of introducing highly detailed wall-to-wall joinery and wainscotting in the oversize and neglected living spaces.
We wanted to inject rich colours balanced with a more subdued colour palette.
The newly designed retreat spaces [such as the adults’ retreat] feature a moody colour scheme, while the more formal spaces are crisp and cool with splashes of colour introduced through furnishings and decor.
What was your thinking behind the art selection?
I wanted the artwork to complement the joinery and create a mood in each room. Adding vibrant art to the walls also brought depth to the rooms.
Living room joinery painted in Dulux White Verdict Quarter.
What was your brief for the living room?
To create a private space for entertaining and moments of relaxation. Due to the generous size of the room, the client also wished to incorporate a fireplace and a formal dining setting for family gatherings.
In addition, they wanted to replace the carpet and remove the traditional curtains and valances on the bay windows.
What was your brief for the living room?
To create a private space for entertaining and moments of relaxation. Due to the generous size of the room, the client also wished to incorporate a fireplace and a formal dining setting for family gatherings.
In addition, they wanted to replace the carpet and remove the traditional curtains and valances on the bay windows.
What did you do?
We added wainscotting and contrasting painted walls to bring in warmth. We opened up the room by removing a pair of doors at the entry to draw in more light and ventilation.
We installed wall-to-wall, full-height joinery to one wall, which included a recessed fireplace and a wall-mounted TV. Open shelves give the family somewhere to create personalised displays.
We replaced the carpet, window treatments, lighting and door hardware, and introduced new furniture.
We added wainscotting and contrasting painted walls to bring in warmth. We opened up the room by removing a pair of doors at the entry to draw in more light and ventilation.
We installed wall-to-wall, full-height joinery to one wall, which included a recessed fireplace and a wall-mounted TV. Open shelves give the family somewhere to create personalised displays.
We replaced the carpet, window treatments, lighting and door hardware, and introduced new furniture.
The kitchen before works.
What was your brief for the kitchen?
To replace the kitchen appliances with integrated appliances, apart from the fridge, which was to be reused.
The family rarely eats at the formal dining table so they wanted a comfortable breakfast bar for casual meals.
They also sought black cabinetry hardware, pendant lights, and a functional pantry that made food easily accessible.
It was important to the client to keep the kitchen separate to the living room. They also wanted to replace the existing floor and modernise the sliding doors that opened onto the alfresco area.
What was your brief for the kitchen?
To replace the kitchen appliances with integrated appliances, apart from the fridge, which was to be reused.
The family rarely eats at the formal dining table so they wanted a comfortable breakfast bar for casual meals.
They also sought black cabinetry hardware, pendant lights, and a functional pantry that made food easily accessible.
It was important to the client to keep the kitchen separate to the living room. They also wanted to replace the existing floor and modernise the sliding doors that opened onto the alfresco area.
The kitchen after works. Joinery finished in Dulux Blue Rhapsody; Kasbah White Gloss wall tiles: Surface Gallery; Telescopic Dome Black Pendant Light: Zest Lighting; SP01 Thomas Barstools upholstered: Space Furniture.
What did you do?
We repositioned the opening in the wall that led to the bedrooms to create a bigger kitchen. A sliding barn door was installed in the new opening to the bedrooms.
We designed a single-wall kitchen with an island that overlooks an alfresco area.
To soften the room, we replaced the tiled floor with engineered timber floors.
We painted the existing skirtings to match the new wall panelling introduced throughout the home and to complement the Shaker-style cabinetry.
The walls and ceilings were repainted and new ceiling downlights and decorative pendants were added.
We selected new furnishings to tie in with the client’s existing pieces.
What did you do?
We repositioned the opening in the wall that led to the bedrooms to create a bigger kitchen. A sliding barn door was installed in the new opening to the bedrooms.
We designed a single-wall kitchen with an island that overlooks an alfresco area.
To soften the room, we replaced the tiled floor with engineered timber floors.
We painted the existing skirtings to match the new wall panelling introduced throughout the home and to complement the Shaker-style cabinetry.
The walls and ceilings were repainted and new ceiling downlights and decorative pendants were added.
We selected new furnishings to tie in with the client’s existing pieces.
The view from the informal living room through the kitchen into the formal living area.
What are the main elements of the kitchen’s colour and materials palette?
We used Dulux Blue Rhapsody on the kitchen joinery and island, and black hardware.
The client liked concrete as a finish but wanted a benchtop that was easy to look after so we opted for Caesarstone Rugged Concrete. Handmade white Zellige mosaic tiles on the kitchen splashback add a softening touch.
What are the main elements of the kitchen’s colour and materials palette?
We used Dulux Blue Rhapsody on the kitchen joinery and island, and black hardware.
The client liked concrete as a finish but wanted a benchtop that was easy to look after so we opted for Caesarstone Rugged Concrete. Handmade white Zellige mosaic tiles on the kitchen splashback add a softening touch.
The new informal dining area, adjacent to the kitchen. Plank Barn Door: Heritage Building Centre; barn door painted in Dulux Buoyant Blue; Reverse dining table: KeZu; Miss Holly dining chairs: Thonet.
Browse more beautifully designed dining spaces
Browse more beautifully designed dining spaces
The adult’s retreat before works.
How did you create a sense of cohesion between the different parts of this home?
Through the purposeful selection of a rich, monochromatic colour scheme consisting of moody blues, black and neutrals, which flowed throughout the home.
We also designed highly detailed wall-to-wall, full-height joinery and used different decorative moulding profiles and Shaker-style doors as an extension of this design language throughout.
How did you create a sense of cohesion between the different parts of this home?
Through the purposeful selection of a rich, monochromatic colour scheme consisting of moody blues, black and neutrals, which flowed throughout the home.
We also designed highly detailed wall-to-wall, full-height joinery and used different decorative moulding profiles and Shaker-style doors as an extension of this design language throughout.
The bar area in the adult’s retreat after works. Bar and reading nook joinery finished in Dulux Buoyant Blue two-pack polyurethane.
Where are the bar and built-in reading nook?
In the adults’ retreat, which is a space where the owners can read, unwind, have a drink, watch the footy and play pool. They also wanted it to be somewhere to entertain.
Under the bar-height bench, we designed an area to house a beer fridge and wine cabinet. Next to the fridges, we designed custom drawer inserts to store wine.
Where are the bar and built-in reading nook?
In the adults’ retreat, which is a space where the owners can read, unwind, have a drink, watch the footy and play pool. They also wanted it to be somewhere to entertain.
Under the bar-height bench, we designed an area to house a beer fridge and wine cabinet. Next to the fridges, we designed custom drawer inserts to store wine.
The study nook in the adult’s retreat after works.
We designed wall-to-wall, full-height joinery with sophisticated lighting that gives ambience to the room, plus a small bar area, a TV/gaming station and a reading nook.
The joinery design also provides storage for the family’s board games and books. It is multi-functional so the client can use it in different ways, whether it’s having a beverage at the bar, sitting down and watching a football game or enjoying a gaming night. It also offers quiet space for reading.
We carried through the wall panelling and contrasting painted walls from the rest of the home, replaced the tiled floor with carpet, swapped the traditional curtains and valances with contemporary S-wave curtains, updated the French doors and decorated the room to the client’s brief.
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature here? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another lovely makeover? Check out Deco House: A New Build That Elegantly Evokes the Past
We designed wall-to-wall, full-height joinery with sophisticated lighting that gives ambience to the room, plus a small bar area, a TV/gaming station and a reading nook.
The joinery design also provides storage for the family’s board games and books. It is multi-functional so the client can use it in different ways, whether it’s having a beverage at the bar, sitting down and watching a football game or enjoying a gaming night. It also offers quiet space for reading.
We carried through the wall panelling and contrasting painted walls from the rest of the home, replaced the tiled floor with carpet, swapped the traditional curtains and valances with contemporary S-wave curtains, updated the French doors and decorated the room to the client’s brief.
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature here? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another lovely makeover? Check out Deco House: A New Build That Elegantly Evokes the Past
Who lives here: A family of four with two young children
Location: Warrawee, NSW
Bedrooms and bathrooms: Five bedrooms and three bathrooms
Rooms worked on: Kitchen, informal dining area, formal dining room, formal living area, and adult’s retreat
Budget: Around AU$200,000
Where did most of it go: On the new joinery
Interior designer: Alexandra Ferguson, creative director at Alexandra Marie Interiors
Builder: Wyatt Projects
Joiner: Designerspace
Stylist: Holly Irvine Studio