Paradise Found
A beautifully restored Federation home, now with glamorous interior that’s perfect for its 21st-century owners.
It was an unorthodox move, but transferring already-drawn-up renovation plans to a new location delivered the home of this Sydney family’s dreams.
This grand Federation home, located on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, caught the eye of its new owners just in time. Busy professionals with three children between 10 and 14, they were about to begin renovating their existing residence when this house came up for sale in late 2015. As well as being slightly closer to work, this property had the extra space they needed inside and out.
Having engaged interior designer Greg Natale for their planned renovation, the owners were already armed with a full set of approved drawings. They briefed Greg to transpose that scheme here.
Although the house was in good condition and sited on a generous 1395-squaremetre block, various additions over the years resulted in interiors that felt “bitsy and messy”, says Greg. Maximising the home’s potential required unfolding the floor plan to open up the layout and improve the flow overall.
The deceptively simple solution was turning an existing staircase 90 degrees; in their new location, the stairs mark the transition point between formal and everyday living zones. To the left of the foyer is the formal living room, which flows through to a chic bar area with sitting nook. To the right of the entrance, is the main dining space, which flows through to the kitchen, living room and family room. In the spot formerly occupied by the stairs is a mud room where musical instruments, coats and schoolbags are kept handy but out of sight. The bold colour scheme on this level – sky blue, white, burgundy and black – is accented with leather, marble and polished nickel. The effect is soothing and decidedly refined.
Maintaining the integrity of the original features was a key part of the owners’ brief. To this end, Greg reconditioned and reinstated all of the decorative plaster mouldings, trims and panels, including the beautiful corbels in the archways. “Removing these details would have destroyed the spirit of the house,” says Greg. In addition, the house was re-roofed, new windows were installed, the paving redone and the gardens freshly landscaped.
The first floor is a ‘quiet zone’, containing four bedrooms (two with ensuites), a family bathroom, a study and a terrace. The palette here is softer and sweeter – predominantly coral, lilac andwhite–andiscontrasted with striking black-andwhite carpet for drama.
In a corner between two of the first-floor bedrooms is a north-facing terrace that is a favourite with the children. Paved in geometric-print tiles, the area was designed to be both beautiful and practical for a space that is predominantly used by the kids. “The furniture is plastic, the tiles are non-porous andwechosedrought-tolerantplantstoreducemaintenance to the absolute minimum,” says Greg. “We painted the exterior shingles blue for a bit of colour. It just feels like a very happy place.”
The top level of the home is dedicated to the main bedroom suite. The well-travelled couple was keen that their secluded sanctuary have a serene, luxury hotel-like atmosphere. To achieve this part of the brief, Greg
custom-designed a beautifully tailored bedhead with sumptuous velvet upholstery, faceted corners and button detailing. It’s teamed with Art Deco-inspired stools and a shapely blown-glass chandelier. Ombré wallpaper (Designers Guild ‘Saraille’ from Radford) draws the eye to the raked ceiling; combined, these elements visually increase the height of the room. A striking monochrome carpet, one of Greg’s own designs, connects the room with the rest of the home.
The suite’s success is all the more impressive given that it was formerly a small, dark attic and significant structural changes were required to create thenecessaryspace.Theengineeringwastime-consuming enough, but then a series of Covid-related setbacks dragged the project out even longer. The owners are philosophical about the delays, recognising that their room’s views – across the CBD to the Harbour Bridge – were worth waiting for.
The decision to move here might have been made at the eleventh hour, but the owners have no doubts it was the right one. “This house is just perfect for our family, inside and out,” says one. “We can see ourselves living here for a long time.” Greg Natale, Surry Hills, NSW; (02) 8399 2103 or gregnatale.com.au.
For this interior makeover, Greg employed a striking colour scheme and bold patterns to create a sophisticated yet familyfriendly home the owners simply adore. “We love the combination of blue and burgundy in the living room and bar area,” says one.
“It’s an unusual colour palette, but the whole space feels very calming. The rugs, too, are extremely appealing to look at and to touch. Every room is a treat for the senses.”
“EVERY ROOM IS A TREAT FOR THE SENSES.” Owner