Tuesday July 15 2008

When the owners of this house in Sydney’s eastern suburbs bought it 32 years ago, it was a typical two-bedroom Californian-style bungalow. In 1987, the changing needs of their growing family inspired a renovation to enlarge the living areas and add a second storey, transforming it into a spacious four-bedroom family home.

Some 20 years after the initial renovation, the family situation changed once again, and the owners felt their home needed to reflect their new lifestyle. “We loved the house but, with our two children having left home, it was time to redirect the spaces to suit our lives better,” says the owner.

For this second makeover, the couple called on Sydney interior designer Thomas Hamel, whose new plans for the ground floor opened up the rear of the house to let in more natural light and create a flow between indoors and out.

To create this sense of flow, Thomas turned the home’s original bathroom into an open-plan family/dining area, with a bank of sliding glass doors leading out to the garden. The wall between the kitchen and family room was opened up, too, allowing more light into both spaces. Thomas designed a timber-topped island bench as a focal point and to soften the look of the existing granite benchtops, while the cabinetry was updated with a lick of paint and slick new handles.

Thomas also revamped the guest bathroom. Previously, a large shower dominated the room and blocked all the light from the nearby window. The shower was removed to create light and space, and the period vanity – formerly crammed into a corner – was given pride of place and complemented by an antique Venetian mirror and Osborne & Little wallpaper. The plain ceramic floor tiles were replaced with beige Giallo Antico marble to complete the ultra-luxurious look.

The formal living and dining areas, in the front of the house, had “good bones”, says Thomas, and needed little structural work, only a cosmetic revamp. Mouldings were installed along the walls of the formal dining room “to give the space more structure”, and a contemporary surround was added to the fireplace. To enhance the scale of the room, the height of the doors was raised. The makeover of these areas was done in the first phase of the project, and “provided the base of the palette for the rest of the house”.

Last decorated in 1987 – in the English country style popular at the time – the entire interior needed an update. For the new decor, Thomas wanted to create a look that was “soft, but not beige” and selected a palette of creams, with hints of pale blue and terracotta – a scheme inspired by the cushions in the formal living room, which are made from a Brunschwig & Fils fabric. “The decor previously had much stronger colours,” says Thomas. “Now, nothing screams at you.”

No structural work was required in the 10-year-old second storey, but Thomas redecorated the main bedroom and the children’s rooms, which are now guestrooms.
“In the main bedroom, the couple had slept with their heads against a window for many years, which is not ideal,” says Thomas. “A screen now hides the window and also gives the room a bit of drama.”

Thomas selected an eclectic mix of bespoke, contemporary and antique furniture for the house, as well as items sourced from his frequent overseas travels. “Whenever I travel, I look out for unusual pieces to use in my projects,” explains Thomas. “It adds a special touch that the homeowners love.”

The home features several examples of these treasures from every corner of the globe, including an inlaid cabinet from India in one of the guestrooms, antique Chinese leather trunks in another bedroom, coffee tables from Belgium in the family room, as well as a hurricane candleholder in the dining room and numerous artworks sourced in Los Angeles. The neutral colour scheme employed throughout helps create a sense of unity between the different objects.

The garden was not exempt from the makeover: sandstone steps lead through multiple terraces, but the star attraction is the paved entertaining area, where bespoke teak benches follow the curve of the retaining wall. “There’s a wonderful flow out to the garden now, which is a great space for entertaining,” says the owner. “The lovely soft palette in the interiors carries naturally through to the garden.”

“I am very happy with the finished house – it is still a family home, not a statement to a decorator,” says Thomas. “The design and decor look as if they evolved.” The owner is also delighted with the result. “It’s a more sophisticated home now,” she says, “and marvellous for entertaining.” Her children clearly agree: they have both since engaged Thomas to decorate their own homes.