Endless Summer Seaside living has never looked so good as in this Sydney home.
In Sydney, a dramatic addition to a 1930s semi enables its owners to take full advantage of the myriad pleasures of beachside living.
Bill and Kate Clifton had earmarked this vibrant coastal suburb in Sydney’s east as an ideal spot for their children, George, three, and Millie, two, to grow up in. Their first visit to this 1930s semi left them in no doubt it was the ugly duckling in the street, however. “It was pretty uninspiring at first sight,” says Bill. “It faced south and consequently felt dark and cold. It had a classic semi layout – a series of sequential rooms – which didn’t help, and a really awkward connection to the garden.”
Some may find the process of making an old home fit for contemporary living daunting, but Bill, head of architectural building company, Robert Plumb Build, was unfazed. “I could immediately see what was possible and the first floor plan that Kate and I drew up aligned with that of our architects,” he says.
Having worked with Imogene Potter and Simon Wilson of architects Potter&Wilson on a previous job, Bill was aware of how they operated and liked their
collaborative and problem-solving style. The same went for interior designer Briony Fitzgerald. “From my experience, the best homes come from having a design and construction team that works really well together. That is what we wanted for our own project,” says Bill.
Equally, Kate’s approach was to give a concise brief of what she liked, how she wanted the home to feel and to function, and then trust the process. The wish list was extensive: a generous living, kitchen and dining area connecting to a garden with a pool, a main bedroom with ensuite, two additional children’s bedrooms and a bathroom, a study/guestroom, and a downstairs laundry and bathroom. All on a tight 270m2 block.
The architects retained the ground-floor facade and front bedrooms while pumping up the sense of volume in the living room – where the ceiling height is 2.9m – and enhancing its engagement with the garden. “It was important to get light and cross-ventilation into the long, narrow building which we managed to achieve with a large picture window on the southern side and skylights in the upper storey rooms,” says Imogene. The home
“THE BEST RESULTS COME FROM HAVING A TEAM THAT WORKS REALLY WELL TOGETHER .” Bill, owner-builder
is not heritage listed, but Imogene and Simon were mindful of minimising the appearance of the first-floor addition from the street. By playing off the existing gable angles, they achieved a structure that, while clearly contemporary, has a distinct relationship to what existed.
Interior designer Briony Fitzgerald came on board early in the process, advising on the relationship of the scale of furniture to the built form. “One of the wonderful things Briony suggested was that we have two sofas opposite one another and a TV hidden in custom-built joinery,” says Kate.
In fact, with the brief to bring a relaxed beachy style to the home, Briony kept the palette broadly fresh with soft blues and greens while knowing when to dial up the drama. “In the TV room, which has 1930s proportions, we delivered intensity with a deep blue across both walls and joinery, which contrasts with burnt-orange velvet scatter cushions on a wall-to-wall denim sofa,” says Briony. In the front room, which doubles as a study, Briony specified a geometric wallpaper to again denote a different aesthetic.
What both Bill and Kate love about the house is how function and aesthetics combine. “The downstairs bathroom can be accessed directly from a passageway along the southern side of the house,” says Kate “It means kids coming from the beach or the pool can go straight into the bathroom rather than tracking water and sand through the house.” For builder Bill, the seamless resolution of the steel framing at the rear elevation is a highlight. “The external blind has been so well integrated that it is invisible when not in use,” he says. The deck is another favourite haunt. “Watching the kids in the pool and firing up the barbecue for dinner has become an everyday occurrence.”
Bill’s business partner is William Dangar of landscape design practice Dangar Barin Smith, so it was only natural that William would be the one to makeover the garden. “Oneday,Iaskedwhenhewasgoingtodesignmygarden,” says Bill. “Forty minutes later he had it all drawn up and I showed it to Kate, who agreed it was perfect.” The result is strong and simple with two mature palms, a grassed area and a cactus garden outside the huge picture window in the main bedroom. “It has the effect of creating an oasis in an urban environment. We are very lucky – and very grateful,” says Bill.
“IT FEELS LIKE AN OASIS IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT .” Bill
Potter&Wilson, Sydney, NSW; potterandwilson.com. Briony Fitzgerald Design, Darlinghurst, NSW; brionyfitzgeralddesign.com.au. Robert Plumb Build,
Botany, NSW; robertplumbbuild.com.au. Dangar Barin
Smith, Botany, NSW; dangarbarinsmith.com.au.