Reno Ready?
Kitchen & bathroom tips
Having lived in their house in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for 10 years, this family has put down deep roots in the local community. So when the youngest of their four children approached teenage territory, they opted to renovate and create space rather than move from their beloved home.
In 2014, they commissioned architect Peter Hurley of Lawton Hurley to oversee a project that gradually grew in both size and ambition. Interior designer Lynda Kerry joined the project team during the construction phase to help deliver a consistent tone across the old and new spaces.
The ground floor is zoned for socialising and entertaining. From the elegant entry hall, formal living and dining rooms lead on to a dark and cosy games room with bold red accents. To the right of the entry are the more casual living spaces, including a reworked open-plan kitchen/dining/ living area oriented towards the north.
Upstairs, five bedrooms, including a main suite, offer spaces for solitude and retreat.
An oversized laundry on the first floor is the organisational linchpin of this lively household. “Besides the kitchen and family room, the laundry is the busiest space,” says the owner. “I wanted it tobeautilityroomaswellasaplacetowashclothes, so we doubled its size and installed cupboards all the way around it. Now, instead of everyone’s stuff being strewn all over the house, it’s all neatly stored in the laundry and can be easily found.”
Laundries are often treated as secondary spaces but this one received the same attention as the rest of the project, right down to custom blinds and antique Chinese pots. At the owners’ request, US-born Lynda blended East- and West-Coast Americaninfluencesthroughout,withasprinkling of Asian and European antiques for good measure.
“I had a small collection of English and Asian antiques, as well as blue-and-white china,
HALLWAY This well-balanced composition leads the eye through formal areas to the new games room at the rear of the house. The owners’ Biedermeier console was refinished in a darker tone. Custom dining chairs in Ralph Lauren Palm Leaf Weave fabric from Radford. Hampton pendant lights, Magins. Urns, Orient House. Foliage and flowers throughout, Sweet Pea Floral Designs.
FORMAL DINING This Gainsborough-style chair, one of a pair bookending the antique buffet, was custom designed by Lynda. Chair covered in Ralph Lauren Montane Linen in Navy, and cushion in Antibes Batik in Denim, both Radford. Wall light, Laura Kincade. Artwork by Stuart Membery.
KITCHEN Jet granite and white cabinetry set up a timeless Hamptons-style scheme. Joinery by Pezzutto Holdings. Subway tiles, Bisanna Tiles. Stools by Lynda Kerry. Pendant lights, Côté Maison.
INFORMAL DINING This open-plan space is the ideal spot for casual entertaining. Dining table, Original Finish. Ceramic planter, Orient House. Armchairs, CTR Imports. Curtains in Jane Churchill Glipin Stripe fabric from Domus Textiles. Steel doors, Award Architectural Aluminium.
‘Our aim was to create a comfortable and relaxed home where we could use and enjoy all the rooms.’ Owner