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FRONT FACADE A path of granite cobblestone pavers from Cinajus leads to the home. Feature plants include oakleaf hydrangea, New Zealand rock lily

(Anthropodium cirratum) and Plectranthus argentatus ‘Silver Shield’. ENTRY A Mod table from Conley & Co and a serene artwork, Painting 221 (Moonee Beach) by Alan

Jones from Olsen Gallery greet the family when they return home. Decus Interiors custom-designed the window seat upholstered in Kvadrat Maharam ‘Bask’; the

cushions were made from de Le Cuona ‘Watercolour Paisley’ fabric from Boyac.

A sympathetic renovation brought this Sydney home into the 21st century without losing its Federation charms.

STO RY Judy Pascoe | ST Y L I N G Alexandra Gordon | P H OTO G R A P H Y Prue Ruscoe

IN THE DETAILS

FINAL

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HOUSES H GSITTING ROOM The home’s original features are brought into the present with the addition of two Minotti ‘Fil Noir’ armchairs, a ‘Calder Bronze’ coffee table from Dedece, a Christophe Delcourt ‘Iko’ side table from Ondene and custom square walnut coffee table by JP Finsbury. Custom rug, Robyn Cosgrove. David Band Self Portrait (Pink) artwork from Olsen Gallery. ENTRY/STAIRS Popham Design ‘Zulu’ floor tiles from Onsite Supply+Design give another nod to the home’s past. Stairway custom joinery by Decus Interiors. Untitled artwork by George Tjungurrayi from Utopia Art Sydney. FORMAL DINING Bold furniture choices pack a contemporary punch. Adam Goodrum ‘Molloy’ table, Cult. ClassiCon ‘Roquebrune’ chairs, Anibou. Garrison Hang chandelier, The Urban Electric Company. Michael Cusack Sonnabend artwork from Martin Browne Contemporary.

Having never renovated before, the owners of this Federation bungalow in Sydney’s eastern suburbs were determined to do it properly. They lived in the house for two years before engaging Luigi Rosselli Architects, who came

highly recommended by a work colleague. Space for the family of four was tight in the single-storey house, so Luigi and his team proposed a first-floor extension to accommodate the bedrooms, freeing up the entire downstairs area for generous living spaces.

A year-long build ensued, during which time Alexandra Donohoe Church, principal of Decus Interiors, came on board to take care of the interior design. “The house had a lovely traditional feel and we wanted to retain that in the front of the home, transitioning to a more contemporary mood at the back,” she says.

Echoes of the home’s past can be seen throughout, from the tiles in the entry that are reminiscent of old tiled verandahs, to the reinstated moulding on the joinery. The formal front sitting room remains, its fireplace updated with a stone hearth and mantel. “The original wedding-cake detailing on the ceiling was too beautiful to do away with,” says Alexandra. So it stayed, along with the vintage pendant lights. An antique-style mirror above the fireplace and heirloom floor lamps blend >

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LIVING The open-plan living and outdoor space have been designed to make the most of those amazing views. Walter Knoll ‘Jaan’ sofa, Living Edge. Nau ‘Nest’ side table and Adam Goodrum ‘Plum’ armchair, Cult. Iko coffee table, Jardan. Drawn Together artwork by Ildiko Kovacs from Martin Browne Contemporary. Rug, Cadrys.

“ PA I N T I N G T H E D O O R S A N D W I N D O W S W H I T E W O U L D H AV E B E E N T O O B L A N D ; T H E D A R K F R A M E S G I V E T H E H O M E S T R E N G T H A N D A B I T O F D R A M A .”

Alexandra Donohoe Church, interior designer seamlessly with shapely armchairs and low-slung marble and walnut coffee tables.

A central hallway runs from the front of the house to the light-flooded rear, where the kitchen, casual living and children’s study open to a deck overlooking the pool. While large-format porcelain tiles were a practical flooring choice in this back section, at the front, original narrow timber floorboards were stripped and stained a more modern chocolate tone. Panelling on the new joinery mirrors that in the front of the house, albeit with slight differences. Alexandra says these changes make it “clear in a subtle way where old and new intersect”.

The home’s “soft and gentle” palette is made up of blues and greens to suit the beachside location: furnishings in cobalt and navy, a bottle-green island bench and cool blues and aquas in the modern Australian artworks. In contrast, dark accents bring a layer of sophistication, such as the balustrading in Porter’s Paints Nautilus, kitchen island in Porter’s Paints Toy Soldier and black pendant lights over the kitchen bench. “Painting the doors and windows white would have been too bland,” says Alexandra, “but the dark frames with the white external shutters give it some strength and a bit of drama”.

In the former storage area beneath the kitchen, extra space has been carved out for a wine cellar and bar, a family room and a bathroom convenient to the pool. This area is furnished with robust pieces including an indoor/outdoor rug and a beachy Aquabumps print.

Up on the top level, the parents’ retreat, girls’ bedrooms and family bathroom are classic yet contemporary. “It was a simple and tonal approach – not too fussy,” says Alexandra, who continued the colour palette with walls painted in Porter’s Paints Mist and navy bedlinen.

The owners were keen to make the right choices for the home had complete trust in Alexandra’s vision, and. “I found an artwork at Martin Browne Contemporary that I thought would work well – and they bought it the very next day!” says Alexandra. >

Luigi Rosselli Architects, Surry Hills, NSW; (02) 9281 1498 or www.luigirosselli.com. Decus Interiors, Woollahra, NSW; (02) 9363 4004 or www.decus.com.au.

THIS IS THE LIFEThe family enjoys the flexibility that their home now offers for both formal and informal living. In particular, the mother likes having a vantage point in the kitchen from which she can supervise her children’s activities in the living area, through to the study, the dining room and even down to the pool. The second entry, leading from the garage straight to the kitchen, gives them easy access with shopping bags.

The palette

Dulux Canvas Cloth (exterior)

Porter’s Paints Mist (bedroom

walls)

Porter’s Paints Nautilus (frames and balustrade)

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KITCHEN Decus Interiors designed the custom joinery. Benchtop in Super White Dolomite, CDK Stone. Gubi ‘Ronde’ pendant lights, Cult. Marte floor tiles in Grigio Egeo, Bisanna Tiles. VERANDAH The family gets plenty of use out of the Teka outdoor table and Roda ‘Harp’ dining chairs and ‘Spool’ armchairs from Domo. Hay ‘Cacti’, Cult. LANDING The upstairs hallway features a Michael Verheyden suede ottoman from Ondene and Porta Romana ‘Lilburn’ wall light from South Pacific Fabrics. MAIN BEDROOM Alexandra created a tranquil parents’ retreat, complete with custom bedhead made by Paul King, Bemboka bedlinen and Gubi ‘Bestlite BL7’ wall sconces from Cult. Artwork by Alan Jones, Olsen Gallery. POWDER ROOM Walls covered in honed Carrara marble from CDK Stone add a luxe touch to this small space. Porta Romana ‘Emperor’ wall sconces, South Pacific Fabrics. Brodware ‘City Plus’ tapware, Cass Brothers. Iittala ‘Ruutu’ vase, Anibou.

‘ S A M E B U T D I F F E R E N T ’ D E TA I L I N G S U B T LY D E F I N E S T H E I N T E R S E C T I O N B E T W E E N O L D A N D N E W.

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POOL TERRACE Lush greenery by Matthew Cantwell of Secret Gardens lines the terrace and pool fence. Roda ‘Harp’ sunloungers, Domo. Henry Dean ‘Tsjmoloenga’ stool, Ondene. ENSUITE The bathroom’s custom vanity by Decus Interiors is topped with Carrara marble

from Artedomus and features brass Victorian pulls. Custom mirror by Decus Interiors framed in Centauri from Astor Metal Finishes. Vaughan ‘Parma’ wall sconce, Walter Herman Interiors. Bianco Carrara C herringbone floor tiles, Bisanna Tiles. For Where to Buy, see page 222. #

The layout

T H E K I T C H E N , C A S U A L L I V I N G A N D C H I L D R E N ’ S S T U DY A L L O P E N T O A D E C K O V E R L O O K I N G T H E P O O L .

LOWER GROUND

Bed

Feature plants_______Lomandra

‘Crackerjack’ Periwinkle (Vinca

minor ‘Alba’)Lilly pilly (Syzygium australe ‘Resilience’) Carissa ‘Desert Star’

BedBed

Bath

Bath

War

drob

e

Family

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

Outdoor dining

Kitc

hen

Living

Sitting

Study

Dining

EntryC

ella

r

Laundry

Pantry

Pool

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