Better Half

How a dark, draughty Sydney semi became a light and lovely modern home.

After four years in an east London apartment, including “a couple of miserable British summers”, Sydneysiders Anna Saunders and her husband Tim were pining for Australia. They yearned to live by the beach, in a home with a garden where they could have friends over for barbecues. Perhaps with a dog to complete the picture.

Come August 2013, they were back in Sydney and seriouslyhousehunting.Annaspottedthisthree-bedroom Federation semi in the city’s east one morning on her way to work and popped in to check it out. “The house was a deceased estate – dated, a little makeshift and not in great condition, but Tim and I knew instantly that it was exactly what we were looking for,” she says. “It had a great feeling, very relaxed, a bit like living in your grandad’s beach house.”

The home had been added to over the years by its late owners, who had lived there for 55 years. The floor plan was rather awkward: bedrooms at the front, separate living and kitchen/dining rooms in the middle, and bathroom and laundry bringing up the rear.

The couple settled into the house as it was – dark, draughtyandahavenforhuntsmanspiders–for18months while they planned their dream home with the help of architect Eva-Marie Prineas. “We wanted an open-plan kitchen/living room that opened onto the garden and lots of light,” says Anna. “It was also important for the extension to be contemporary yet complement the design of the original house,” adds Eva-Marie.

Reworking the floor plan was the first goal. The second bedroom was converted to a bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe for the main bedroom, while the living room became a third bedroom/study. The existing kitchen/ dining room, bathroom and laundry were demolished to make way for a fabulous open-plan kitchen/dining/living room that flows out to the garden and its new deck.

Opting to glaze the north wall of the extension was a turning point. “We were a little nervous about having such huge windows, but they work beautifully,” says Anna. Landscaper Adam Robinson planted a screen of slender weavers bamboo down this side of the house, which filters the light into the living zone and provides

screening from the neighbours. “The bamboo acts like a green curtain – it’s transformed the room,” says Anna.

Crisp white and warm timber are used throughout, unifying the heritage and modern elements. “We didn’t have much furniture since we’d been living overseas,” says Anna. “Shopping was a bit of a challenge as we had to buy a lot of the pieces before the spaces were even finished.” Anna’s friend, interior stylist Bianca Martin of Editor Interiors, offered invaluable advice and helped the couple to source key items, such as the bespoke rug in the living area and the custom-upholstered bedhead in the main bedroom.

By the time the project was completed in October 2015, Anna and Tim had welcomed their first child, a daughter named Isobel, now three. The family has since expanded to include son Harvey, one, and that longed-for puppy, a lively black labrador named Betsy.

“Our home is everything we dreamt of,” says Anna. “I love being able to move freely between indoors and out. Lying on the sofa reading a book while the kids play in the garden is my idea of heaven.”

Studio Prineas, Rushcutters Bay, NSW;

(02) 9332 2006 or studioprineas.com.au.