The Long Game The project took some time to reach completion, but the result was worth the wait for the owners of this Sydney terrace.

Slowly but very surely, a rundown terrace house in Sydney’s inner west has evolved into a spectacular family home.

Renovation projects come in all shapes and sizes. This one, in Sydney’s inner west, was completed in four stages over almost a decade. “It wasn’t ideal,” says homeowner and interior designer Annie Bowen, “but it was the best way for us to be able to afford what we set out to do.” From the minute they bought it, Annie and her husband Sam had ambitions of restoring the 1901 terrace and extending it for their growing family. Others might have run a mile when the initial quotes – best described as eye-watering – came in, but Annie took it all in her stride and applied her considerable design experience to breaking the project into smaller, much more doable portions.

The house had been a purchase from the heart. “It was 2011 and we’d not long finished a previous renovation so we weren’t looking to buy,” she says, “but I fell in love with the history of this place.”

The two-storey terrace was built for a wharf-master who proudly displayed his support for Federation in the motifs of its street-facing stained-glass windows. It had ornate ceilings, a beautiful timber staircase and lovely marble fireplaces ... but it had also been subject to some questionable DIY renovation over the decades. “Once, Sam took a sip of water from the bathroom tap and felt his lips tingle. It turned out he was getting electrocuted because the house hadn’t been grounded. The bathroom wasn’t waterproofed, the oven didn’t seal and only one burner worked on the cooktop.”

When they moved in, Annie and Sam had two small children – Ava, now 13, and Billy, 10. When Annie fell pregnant with their third child Ted, now seven, they decided to tackle the dire, tiny bathroom and improve the layout of the upper level. Next, all the timber floors were repaired and stained for consistency, then the kitchen was gutted and overhauled. In 2018 the biggest element of the renovation got underway: the attic was extended and turned into a parents’ retreat, plus a lower-ground floor for family living was added. The final stage involved installation of a pool and beautifying the garden.

Knowing she would be working on this project for some time, Annie’s focus was firmly on longevity. “My first step was to devise a colour palette that would work right through the house and over time, and to choose fixtures and finishes that wouldn’t date,” she says. It’s an approach that has paid huge dividends, with new and old elements of the home linked beautifully and cohesively.

Two restored rooms at the front of the house are now used as the formal sitting

room and formal dining room. “They are dark rooms and you just can’t get around that, so I decided to embrace the darkness with a deep colour on the walls. It creates mood and feels really appropriate there,” says Annie. Upstairs, she opted for a softer grey. “We’re up so high – we call this our sky chamber – so I wanted a colour that would feel fresh and provide a nice connection to the view beyond.”

Liveability and practicality are seamlessly woven into every element of this home. This is a family that loves to entertain, so the industrial-inspired kitchen is kitted out with a generous cooker and both stainless-steel and polished-concrete benches. On the lower-ground floor, an expansive sofa makes for a stretch-out-and-relax family room that opens out to the frequently used outdoor kitchen and the backyard and pool beyond.

“I used to love gardening, but with a busy job and three kids, I recognised that I needed some help,” says Annie. Landscape designers Garden Society stepped into create an outdoor space that is as gorgeous and inviting as the home itself. “It’s the finishing touch – and it represents a point in the renovation process that we were thrilled to finally reach. Now we get to just enjoy our hard work.”

Annie Bowen Design, Rosebery, NSW; anniebowendesign.com. Garden Society, Cromer, NSW; gardensociety.com.au.

REAR EXTERIOR Interior designer and homeowner Annie Bowen looks out from the living room balcony. Pictured opposite is Annie’s son Billy, 10, with the family’s groodle, Biscuit. Luscious clumps of Casuarina glauca ‘Cousin It’ cascade over the edge of the balcony garden bed. Landscape design by Garden Society. Exterior painted Wattyl Dawn Rain. Bluestone pavers from Artisan Stone.

KITCHEN The island’s polished-concrete bench is paired with stainless steel for the wall-side bench and splashback. Ilve 1200 cooker. Fisher & Paykel french-door fridge. Bush medicine painting by Minnie Pwerle – “The first artwork we ever bought,” says Annie – and artwork shown top right by Jasper Knight. Pendant lights, Coco Flip. FAMILY ROOM Sunny sofa and Wilfred armchair, Jardan. “I’m a huge supporter of Australian design,” says Annie. Sherpa rug, Armadillo. Artworks by George Byrne from Olsen Gallery.