124+ pages of forever homes Moving on up, side-sizing or downsizing? Inspriation abounds!
Seeking a more family-friendly home, Andrew and Michelle Algar swapped their inner-city terrace for this Modernist beauty on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
The beach is at the end of the street. There’ s a palm tree out the front, planted when the house was built nearly 70 years ago. And then there’s the home’s crisp Modernist roofline, so redolent of its architectural era. The character and beauty of this property on Sydney’ s Northern Beaches held instant appeal for Andrew and Michelle Algar, who are now its proud owners. “We were living in a three-level terrace we’ d renovated in Bondi Junction[ in the city’ s inner east] and, although we loved it, we had one young child and another on the way,” says Andrew. “It just wasn’t working for us. We needed something more family-friendly.”
Both Michelle and Andrew have family on the Northern Beaches, but they weren’t specifically looking to buy in that area. “My dad and I just happened to spot this house for sale,” says Michelle. “When I stepped inside for the first time, I recognised the place for what it was: our dream home.” Andrew took a look as well and agreed that it was right, but there was a hitch. “The property was being marketed very intensively,” Michelle explains. “People were coming from all over Sydney to inspect it. I assumed we had no hope of owning it.”
By that time, the couple had already sold their terrace and Michelle was heavily pregnant. They needed to secure a new home fast. “I got home from work one evening and Andrew showed me that the house was on the cover of a local real-estate magazine. My heart sank. But when I opened the magazine, there was the contract for the house – Andrew had made an offer and the vendors had accepted. It was truly the best surprise ever!”
The deal on their move was sealed, and the young family hasn’t looked back. “It still feels a bit like I’m on holiday when I pull into the driveway after work,” says Andrew, the owner of furniture and homewares store Contents International Design, which has a showroom in Sydney’s Moore Park Supa Centa. “Life is more relaxed now. That’s not a feeling we had when we lived closer to the city.”
Given Andrew’s line of work, the focus for this house was always going to be on fitting it out beautifully. He finds himself exposed to all manner of exquisite homewares through the process of
“THIS IS A ROOM THAT’S TV-FREE AND ALL ABOUT CONVERSATION.” Andrew Algar, owner
buying stock for his business – to the point that it’s something of a professional hazard. “I see all sorts of beautiful pieces on a daily basis, and there are so many amazing ways we could decorate our home with them that narrowing down which style I like best seems impossible sometimes.”
Despite the abundance of decorative choices at their fingertips, both Andrew and Michelle had a distinct vision for how they wanted their home to look and function. “The plan was to keep it nice and light, with an easy-living feel, but it was important for there to be a designer edge at the same time,” he says. With access to furniture and homewares from across the globe and some made in Australia, the pair have picked out pieces that are timeless, well constructed and durable. “Our children are young,” says Michelle, “so the emphasis at this point in time has to be on hard-wearing fabrics and surfaces.”
After they bought the house in 2017, Andrew and Michelle freshened it with a lick of white paint inside and out. They also sanded the red-toned floors and stained them dark, plus they improved the backyard and relined the pool. As the home had been wellmaintained over the years, very little structural work was required. “The layout works brilliantly for us now,” says Michelle. “We plan to go up a level
“VISITORS TO OUR HOUSE OFTEN COMMENT ON WHAT A LOVELY FEEL IT HAS.”
Michelle Algar
and create a main bedroom suite and another bedroom eventually, but it will be a matter of finding an architect who can achieve that while staying true to the house’s roofline.”
Opening the doors or windows allows refreshing sea breezes to flow through the house, negating the need for artificial cooling. Positioned by the front door is a formal living room with a fireplace and windows that look to the ocean. A corridor leads either to the home’s four bedrooms or the open-plan kitchen, dining and living area.
All summer long, the kids spend hours in the pool and play under the pergola installed just after Michelle and Andrew moved in. “This was unused space, just an old garden bed really, but now it’s a spot we gravitate to,” he says. With its breeze-block screen, the pergola ties in wonderfully with the home’s Palm Springs vibe.
Sometimes, seeing your home through the eyes of others can sharpen your focus even further, adds Andrew. “Not long ago, we had someone make us a serious offer to sell our house to them out of the blue, but we’re nowhere near ready to move. This is exactly where we want to be.”
Contents International Design; contentsid.com.au. Moore Park Supa Centa, Kensington, NSW; (02) 9662 2443. New showroom opens in Castle Hill, NSW, in April 2021.
“THIS WAS AN UNUSED SPACE, JUST AN OLD GARDEN BED REALLY, BUT NOW IT’S A SPOT WE GRAVITATE TO.” Andrew