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Sydney Houzz: Bob Hawke's Iconic Northbridge Home Made Modern
The old home of Australia's longest-serving Labor prime minister and his wife Blanche d'Alpuget has had a new makeover
Oh for the walls to talk! Rarely does a catchphrase ring truer than with the Northbridge home of Bob Hawke and Blanche d’Alpuget – a property on Sydney’s North Shore, which they built as their forever home in 1993 and lived in until Hawke’s passing in 2019.
The new owners of the famous Sydney site lived just one street away and had walked past it regularly for 10 years, long admiring the fact it was one of just three houses in the area bookended by parcels of vacant parkland. When the opportunity arose to purchase the former prime minister’s much-loved home, they didn’t hesitate – despite being busy with plans to sail the world for the next few years. However, Covid-19 cut their travelling plans short, so instead they turned their attentions to renovating the property, calling upon the expertise of architect Ian Traill of Ian Traill Architects for assistance. Read on to learn what they did.
The new owners of the famous Sydney site lived just one street away and had walked past it regularly for 10 years, long admiring the fact it was one of just three houses in the area bookended by parcels of vacant parkland. When the opportunity arose to purchase the former prime minister’s much-loved home, they didn’t hesitate – despite being busy with plans to sail the world for the next few years. However, Covid-19 cut their travelling plans short, so instead they turned their attentions to renovating the property, calling upon the expertise of architect Ian Traill of Ian Traill Architects for assistance. Read on to learn what they did.
How did you use Houzz for this project?
We used Houzz to review examples of finishes and window-wall options.
What’s on each level?
Ground level: Services, such as pool and air-conditioning equipment.
Level one: Entertainment floor with a bar, family room featuring Bob Hawke’s original billiards table, a bedroom and ensuite. This level leads out to an entertainer’s terrace, new swimming pool and spa.
Level two: Kitchen, main living, dining and casual meals, terrace, laundry, wine cellar, powder room and storage.
Level three (street level): A study and a bedroom with an ensuite.
Level four (top level): Main bedroom suite, a bedroom with an ensuite and a gym.
We used Houzz to review examples of finishes and window-wall options.
What’s on each level?
Ground level: Services, such as pool and air-conditioning equipment.
Level one: Entertainment floor with a bar, family room featuring Bob Hawke’s original billiards table, a bedroom and ensuite. This level leads out to an entertainer’s terrace, new swimming pool and spa.
Level two: Kitchen, main living, dining and casual meals, terrace, laundry, wine cellar, powder room and storage.
Level three (street level): A study and a bedroom with an ensuite.
Level four (top level): Main bedroom suite, a bedroom with an ensuite and a gym.
The original main living area.
“The house was in good, original condition when we came onboard, with impressive joinery, apart from normal wear and tear,” says Traill. “But it was obviously decorated in the current trends of the time it was completed.
“The house was typical of its time – the planning was much less open than today’s designs, with separate rooms and lots of passages. Plus, it felt disconnected from the northern garden and the exquisite harbour views, mostly because of the overgrown balcony planters and solid balustrades,” he says.
Looking to renovate? Find an architect near you on Houzz
“The house was in good, original condition when we came onboard, with impressive joinery, apart from normal wear and tear,” says Traill. “But it was obviously decorated in the current trends of the time it was completed.
“The house was typical of its time – the planning was much less open than today’s designs, with separate rooms and lots of passages. Plus, it felt disconnected from the northern garden and the exquisite harbour views, mostly because of the overgrown balcony planters and solid balustrades,” he says.
Looking to renovate? Find an architect near you on Houzz
“The house was also quite dark inside owing to the deep floor plans, which receded south away from the northern glass wall, which itself was not continuous or full-height to the ceiling.
“It was a rabbit’s warren of rooms and corridors. Each floor level layout was different to the next, and they were connected by different-shaped stair flights that made navigating the house confusing,” he says.
“It was a rabbit’s warren of rooms and corridors. Each floor level layout was different to the next, and they were connected by different-shaped stair flights that made navigating the house confusing,” he says.
“The new owners wanted a contemporary house with modern fixtures and finishes and a swimming pool connected to a living level; a home for entertaining friends and family that was full of light, with views to the garden and harbour,” says Traill.
“They sought clean lines, light-coloured, maintenance-free, finishes and relaxing and comfortable furniture. They also wanted to remove the existing bulkheads to maximise ceiling height, and to take the glazing higher to make the most of the light and views.
“In addition, they wanted a butler’s kitchen, which is closed off behind French doors to the meals area, and separate back-of-house functions for the entertaining areas,” he says.
“They sought clean lines, light-coloured, maintenance-free, finishes and relaxing and comfortable furniture. They also wanted to remove the existing bulkheads to maximise ceiling height, and to take the glazing higher to make the most of the light and views.
“In addition, they wanted a butler’s kitchen, which is closed off behind French doors to the meals area, and separate back-of-house functions for the entertaining areas,” he says.
“The five-level concrete floor, beam and column structure was to generally be preserved, but everything else was to be demolished, removed and replaced with all-new services, ceilings, double glazing, joinery, fixtures and finishes, plus a fireplace in the main living area,” he says.
The original stairs, which were a mix of different shapes and orientations, were demolished and replaced with a striking, U-shape design in stainless steel that creates a more consistent feel and opens up the views between the different levels of the house.
The original kitchen.
Central to Traill’s brief was to simplify the planning of the house, enhance the sense of flow, and create two distinct and separate entertaining levels.
The main living room, seen here, needed to be comfortable and inviting, with large glazed doors leading onto the terrace, which features a built-in barbeque and alfresco meals area.
The main living room, seen here, needed to be comfortable and inviting, with large glazed doors leading onto the terrace, which features a built-in barbeque and alfresco meals area.
Being passionate entertainers, the owners requested an extensive wine cellar that visually connected with the main dining space via a glass wall.
As for the AU$6 million budget? “Several parts [of this project] were expensive,” says Traill. These included:
- Demolition and remodelling [of parts] of the concrete structure.
- The logistics of craning everything from street level over the top of the house to the northern side.
- The cantilevered swimming pool.
- Fixtures and fittings.
- The feature staircase.
- Natural stone finishes.
Not long before construction commenced, interior designer Nina Maya was brought onboard to work her magic on the interior. “Nina worked closely with the client to select the furniture, colours, finishes and some of the artworks,” says Traill.
“Her initial brief from myself and the client was for the interiors to be light and calming in order to maximise the light levels throughout. The overall feel was then to be embellished with feature stone benchtops, bespoke joinery, new floor finishes, furniture and carpets.
“Her initial brief from myself and the client was for the interiors to be light and calming in order to maximise the light levels throughout. The overall feel was then to be embellished with feature stone benchtops, bespoke joinery, new floor finishes, furniture and carpets.
“The palette throughout was to be restrained and reasonably neutral, with pale, flat wall and ceiling paint and light-coloured stone floor finishes to maximise light levels. Fabrics, furniture and artworks were chosen to provide richness and contrast,” says Traill.
“The client wanted a relaxed and peaceful interior and a strong focus on the water views. The finishes were to be luxurious but also low-maintenance. Having returned from sailing the seven seas on a boat, where they would have experienced many calm moments, they wanted the house to recreate that feeling,” he says.
“The client wanted a relaxed and peaceful interior and a strong focus on the water views. The finishes were to be luxurious but also low-maintenance. Having returned from sailing the seven seas on a boat, where they would have experienced many calm moments, they wanted the house to recreate that feeling,” he says.
Originally, there was a small outdoor spa on the lowest level of the house. This was replaced with a dramatic, cantilevered swimming pool that connects seamlessly to the interior, while projecting northwards.
Browse more images on Houzz of stunning Australian swimming pools
Browse more images on Houzz of stunning Australian swimming pools
“The new plans moved several rooms in the house, while keeping some in the same general location, such as the kitchen, dining room and living room. Bob Hawke’s large study was changed to a bedroom and ensuite.
“We looked to locate as many non-habitable rooms as possible deep into the floor plan towards the south, away from the views, and push forward the habitable rooms so they could enjoy the views of garden and harbour,” says Traill.
“We looked to locate as many non-habitable rooms as possible deep into the floor plan towards the south, away from the views, and push forward the habitable rooms so they could enjoy the views of garden and harbour,” says Traill.
Photographic prints of Bob Hawke by Richard Freeman alongside the prime minister’s original pool table feature on level one, creating a lovely connection with the home’s past.
The butler’s pantry.
One of the bedrooms before works.
Bedroom three on level three.
Layers of soft grey and white in the bed linen, furniture and marble detailing create the serene feel the owners were after in this bedroom suite.
Layers of soft grey and white in the bed linen, furniture and marble detailing create the serene feel the owners were after in this bedroom suite.
An open, light-filled bathroom gives this bedroom a relaxed, resort-like feel – a design approach that was repeated in the master suite.
Your turn
What is your favourite feature in this landmark Sydney renovation? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images for your own inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Interested to see another renovation of a multi-level, harbourside Sydney home? Don’t miss this Before & After: A Dream Family Home on Sydney’s Waterfront
What is your favourite feature in this landmark Sydney renovation? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images for your own inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Interested to see another renovation of a multi-level, harbourside Sydney home? Don’t miss this Before & After: A Dream Family Home on Sydney’s Waterfront
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their teenage son, plus two teenage children who live here on occasion
Location: Northbridge, NSW
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms before works: Three bedrooms, three bathrooms and two studies
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms after works: Four bedrooms, five bathrooms and one study
Number of levels: Five
Budget: Around AU$6 million
Project commenced: March 2019
Project completed: October 2021
Architect: Ian Traill Architects
Interior designer: Nina Maya Interiors
Builder: Bellevarde Constructions
Structural engineer: PMI Engineers