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Sydney Houzz: A Dark, Chilly Home Made Warm and Inviting
This grand old dame in Sydney had seen better days – discover how a designer brought it back to life for two retirees
Having retired near Sydney’s beautiful Balmoral Beach after years of living and working abroad, the owners of this delightful but dated Federation home turned their attention to giving the grand old dame a new lease on life. They enlisted the help of Lori Murray, principal and lead designer at March Twice Interiors, to bring their vision for a comfortable home that blended traditional and contemporary elements to life.
The main hallway.
“The house had great bones – classic features and beautiful Federation detailing that had been retained by the previous owner. But it was cold and awkwardly laid out, with closed-off rooms and views from only certain areas,” says Murray. “The owners craved light, space, fresh air, and to take advantage of the outlook. They also wanted to create a luxurious bedroom retreat, with a sitting room, bedroom, ensuite and walk-in wardrobe, which meant the upstairs internal footprint had to be reworked.”
What followed was an extensive renovation that included spatial adjustments on both levels, restoration of the original architectural detailing, a new kitchen and two renovated bathrooms, along with new furniture, built-in joinery, fixtures and finishes. The result? A warm and welcoming home that seamlessly blends old and new.
Inspired to renovate your own heritage home? Find a local architect who can help
“The house had great bones – classic features and beautiful Federation detailing that had been retained by the previous owner. But it was cold and awkwardly laid out, with closed-off rooms and views from only certain areas,” says Murray. “The owners craved light, space, fresh air, and to take advantage of the outlook. They also wanted to create a luxurious bedroom retreat, with a sitting room, bedroom, ensuite and walk-in wardrobe, which meant the upstairs internal footprint had to be reworked.”
What followed was an extensive renovation that included spatial adjustments on both levels, restoration of the original architectural detailing, a new kitchen and two renovated bathrooms, along with new furniture, built-in joinery, fixtures and finishes. The result? A warm and welcoming home that seamlessly blends old and new.
Inspired to renovate your own heritage home? Find a local architect who can help
Interior walls painted in Popcorn: Porter’s Paints.
“This living room is a TV-free zone to take in the view, have a morning coffee while reading the paper, or pour a drink at the end of the day. It is right next to the dining area, so the owners also use it for entertaining,” says Murray.
“The view was one of our starting points for the new design. The client’s favourite tones – soft neutrals, dusty blues and greens – are right outside the window, and we aimed to introduce them inside the home to seamlessly tie the two areas together. We also selected a stunning oak floor for this area, which provided us with a beautiful base for the rest of the materials.”
“This living room is a TV-free zone to take in the view, have a morning coffee while reading the paper, or pour a drink at the end of the day. It is right next to the dining area, so the owners also use it for entertaining,” says Murray.
“The view was one of our starting points for the new design. The client’s favourite tones – soft neutrals, dusty blues and greens – are right outside the window, and we aimed to introduce them inside the home to seamlessly tie the two areas together. We also selected a stunning oak floor for this area, which provided us with a beautiful base for the rest of the materials.”
Two of the most impactful moves Murray made were to remove a wall that blocked light and views between the living and dining rooms, and to add new glazed doors that open onto a balcony in the living area. In doing so, she created one open, light-filled living-dining space with stunning views from every angle.
The new oak floor throughout the lower level brings warmth and a natural feel to the space. From there, Murray created a classic-contemporary scheme consisting of simple furniture shapes and custom window furnishings in neutral tones and natural materials.
The new oak floor throughout the lower level brings warmth and a natural feel to the space. From there, Murray created a classic-contemporary scheme consisting of simple furniture shapes and custom window furnishings in neutral tones and natural materials.
Valley sofa: Jardan; Aerin Clarkson floor lamp: Montauk Lighting Co.
The home’s original ceiling roses, arches and fireplaces were all repaired and retained and now sit comfortably alongside the new joinery, furnishings and lighting.
The home’s original ceiling roses, arches and fireplaces were all repaired and retained and now sit comfortably alongside the new joinery, furnishings and lighting.
The owners love to cook and entertain, but the gloomy and dated original kitchen made it nearly impossible. “Our brief was to open up the kitchen to the adjoining rooms and create a more contemporary design,” says Murray.
Joinery: custom-stained oak; benchtop in Neolith Calacatta Gold Silk: CDK Stone; splashback tiles: Surface Gallery; tapware: Brodware; Gubi pendants: Surrounding.
Murray designed a stunning new kitchen in warm timber and a marble-look ultracompact surface, and increased the footprint of the space by bringing it forward into the living area. The additional square meterage allowed her to neatly conceal a new butler’s pantry and laundry behind the cooking space.
Murray designed a stunning new kitchen in warm timber and a marble-look ultracompact surface, and increased the footprint of the space by bringing it forward into the living area. The additional square meterage allowed her to neatly conceal a new butler’s pantry and laundry behind the cooking space.
To create a sense of cohesion throughout the home, Murray specified the same profile for the joinery in all the main rooms.
Aged brass vent: Domino Brass.
“We were not going to put air-conditioning vents in the beautiful ornate ceilings, so all air conditioning on the lower level comes through the floor,” says Murray. “This gave us the opportunity to bring in a beautiful custom vent in a bronze-brass finish that matches the rest of the hardware in the home. It also made for a beautiful feature on the new oak floor.”
“We were not going to put air-conditioning vents in the beautiful ornate ceilings, so all air conditioning on the lower level comes through the floor,” says Murray. “This gave us the opportunity to bring in a beautiful custom vent in a bronze-brass finish that matches the rest of the hardware in the home. It also made for a beautiful feature on the new oak floor.”
The laundry.
“A priority for us when working on Federation homes, as we often do, is to create a beautiful balance between old and new. The contemporary approach in joinery and furnishings here provided a counterpoint to the home’s existing Federation details, allowing each element to shine.
“While the approach was more contemporary, we still kept the finishes and fittings timeless in colour, tone and material in order to keep the result elegant, soothing and a pleasure to live in,” says Murray.
“A priority for us when working on Federation homes, as we often do, is to create a beautiful balance between old and new. The contemporary approach in joinery and furnishings here provided a counterpoint to the home’s existing Federation details, allowing each element to shine.
“While the approach was more contemporary, we still kept the finishes and fittings timeless in colour, tone and material in order to keep the result elegant, soothing and a pleasure to live in,” says Murray.
Sideboard and lamp: Jardan.
Moments of leafy green, such as this sideboard in the dining room and scatter cushions on the sofas in the upper-level living area, create a subtle connection between the interior and the garden outside.
Moments of leafy green, such as this sideboard in the dining room and scatter cushions on the sofas in the upper-level living area, create a subtle connection between the interior and the garden outside.
The second living area on the upper level.
“The owners were very keen to have a true retreat on the upper level of the house, comprising a bedroom, ensuite, ’robe and sitting area,” says Murray.
“The owners were very keen to have a true retreat on the upper level of the house, comprising a bedroom, ensuite, ’robe and sitting area,” says Murray.
“They wanted to be able to make a tea or coffee up here without having to go up and down the stairs to the main kitchen. We love creating truly custom moments like this for our clients, tailored to how they live each day,” she says.
Second living area on the upper level.
Whitewashing the main walls and ceiling helped make this once dark and gloomy interior feel bright and open, while drawing the eye to the beautifully restored detailing.
Browse more images of Australian living rooms in grey on Houzz
Whitewashing the main walls and ceiling helped make this once dark and gloomy interior feel bright and open, while drawing the eye to the beautifully restored detailing.
Browse more images of Australian living rooms in grey on Houzz
The main bathroom on the ground floor.
“We decided to really up the luxe factor in the ground-floor bathroom,” says Murray. “As it is mainly used by guests, we treated it the same way we would a powder room, with layers of beautiful stone, textures and materials.”
“We decided to really up the luxe factor in the ground-floor bathroom,” says Murray. “As it is mainly used by guests, we treated it the same way we would a powder room, with layers of beautiful stone, textures and materials.”
Walls painted in Newport Blue: Porter’s Paints; Moroccan Bejmat wall tiles in Lake Blue and Dogal Dark marble floor tiles: both Surface Gallery; tapware: Brodware; cabinetry handles: Bankston; mirror: Gubi.
The client’s love of blue drove the design for this bathroom, with dusty-blue textured wall tiles taking a starring role in the space. Murray complemented these with a marble vanity top and splashback, and bronze tapware.
The owners wanted their bedroom to be a soothing sanctuary that made the most of those stunning water views. To achieve this, Murray chose furnishings, lighting, window coverings and bed linen in pale grey and gentle, oceanic blue.
Side tables: Jardan; bed linen: Cultiver and LM Home; Sherpa Accra carpet: Prestige Carpets; custom linen curtains: NueVue Window and Soft Furnishings.
The main ensuite.
Murray combined a small and awkward ensuite and wardrobe to create a spacious new ensuite for her client. It is now a calm, light-filled retreat, with stunning custom joinery and a curvy, freestanding bath at its heart.
The joinery has been cleverly designed to conceal an awkward feature: “Most of the joinery is wall cladding to create a design moment from a tricky angle we were left with [when we combined the original ensuite and wardrobe] that could not be changed. The upper sections of the joinery open up to provide ample storage for towels and bathroom accessories,” she says.
Murray combined a small and awkward ensuite and wardrobe to create a spacious new ensuite for her client. It is now a calm, light-filled retreat, with stunning custom joinery and a curvy, freestanding bath at its heart.
The joinery has been cleverly designed to conceal an awkward feature: “Most of the joinery is wall cladding to create a design moment from a tricky angle we were left with [when we combined the original ensuite and wardrobe] that could not be changed. The upper sections of the joinery open up to provide ample storage for towels and bathroom accessories,” she says.
Moroccan Zellige White tiles and Navona porcelain floor tiles: both Surface Gallery; custom-stained oak joinery and mirror designed by March Twice Interiors and fabricated by Janz Designs; Neolith Calacatta Gold Silk benchtops: CDK Stone; tapware: Brodware.
Prime Oak joinery: Polytec.
Unused storage space under the roof was transformed into a new walk-in wardrobe and dressing area that connects with the main bedroom.
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature in this house? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Would you like to see another thoughtful renovation to a heritage home? Don’t miss Arch Deco House: A Designer’s Masterclass on Curves & Colour
Unused storage space under the roof was transformed into a new walk-in wardrobe and dressing area that connects with the main bedroom.
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature in this house? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Would you like to see another thoughtful renovation to a heritage home? Don’t miss Arch Deco House: A Designer’s Masterclass on Curves & Colour
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A recently retired couple with adult children
Location: Mosman, NSW
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms: Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Interior designer: Lori Murray, principal and lead designer at March Twice Interiors
Builder: Built by Dezign
Joinery: Janz Designs
How did Houzz help?
In the early stages of any project, visual references are very important to us for demonstrating ideas and concepts to clients, prior to moving onto the more detailed and technical design stage. Houzz is always a great place to find images that we can show clients to help convey our ideas.