SYDNEY

Interior architect Phoebe Nicol has brought a modern, refined femininity to this elegant abode.

Considered choices and a feminine sensibility are at the heart of the elegant reinvention of this Sydney eastern suburbs home.

The surprise element in this bijou Sydney eastern suburbs house, perfectly composed by interior architect Phoebe Nicol, is the pink carpet in the upstairs bedrooms. A brave colour choice it is not too ‘baby’ or ‘nursery’, says Phoebe, nor is it too ‘look at me’. Rather, the custom floor covering is a warm blush of softness that enhances the femininity and individuality of the elegant home. “It was definitely a brave move but I think we pulled it off,” says Phoebe. “The owner wanted a soft and feminine home and we had been looking at terracotta shades, but then the pink just seemed right and the client was happy to go with it.”

The pink carpet could just be the icing on the cake but there are so many other notable elements in the home, from the peppering of eclectic antiques and the impressive light fixtures to the captivating Thibaut ‘Venus’ wallpaper in the powder room that references the years when the client lived in Florence.

Moving into the home was a significant downsize for the owner who had left a substantial-sized residence and wanted a new look and a fresh start. She consigned most of her existing furniture to storage and embarked on the project with enthusiasm, placing her complete trust in Phoebe. “She was a dream client,” says the designer. “She told me, ‘I know I get the best results when I trust you’. She wanted to get it right and wasn’t willing to compromise.”

The property needed to be completely gutted, and the first move was to apply a waxed plaster marmorino finish to the walls to help bounce light around. “The client was worried that the house would be dark so we worked hard to ensure there’s lots of natural light flooding the rooms,” says Phoebe. »

« A massive skylight over the casual sitting area admits shafts of sunlight and offers blue-sky views, while the new steel-framed doors opening to the leafy-fringed courtyard create the desired indoor-outdoor flow.

Because the owner was accustomed to abundant storage and high ceilings Phoebe was very careful about spatial arrangements. “We had to be smart about how we used the space and the house had to be really well planned,” she says.

From the French-inspired formal sitting room at the front of the house designed as a reading retreat, through the timber and limestone kitchen to the dining area and informal living, the mood is restrained and tonal. A custom curved sofa in white linen is attended by French armchairs and an antique chair in a jaunty Schumacher stripe, all on a custom hand-knotted rug. A chandelier – from the owner’s former home – hangs low over the ottoman and even in daylight it shimmers and sparkles. In the dining space, the owner’s existing table and tailored chairs reupholstered in a Dominique Kieffer linen sit under a Spanish forged-iron light fitting from The Vault Sydney, presided over by an artwork by Jenny Topfer. Accent pieces are spare and carefully chosen, such as a Murano glass vase with relief detail and a ceramic bowl by Meg Michell, as is the art, including the striking Winter King by Graeme Townsend and a 19th-century Flemish tapestry that hangs in the stairwell.

“Every room has its own personality, but they are all related,” says Phoebe, and this is certainly evidenced upstairs, where the walls of the guest bedroom are in a custom waxed-pink stucco by Porter’s Paints to echo the pale-pink carpet. The room’s dormer window overlooks the leafy street and, reclining against the velvet bolster on a window seat edged in silk fringing, you feel you could be looking onto a Parisian boulevard. The European feel is further enhanced by a Louis XVI-style painted console table and a carved and painted stool with scrolled arms and fluted legs from The Vault Sydney. The lavish effect is cut through with accents of rattan, timber and brass so it does not seem precious.

The main bathroom answered the client’s wish for a bath and it is neatly enclosed in voluptuous Calacatta Viola marble, which plays off against a limestone-topped vanity. “You wouldn’t think these would go together but they do,” says Phoebe. “There are lots of unexpected combinations in the house but they all work.”

Cue the master bedroom, also carpeted in pale pink and furnished with burl walnut bedside tables mixed with bronze French Empire lamps, a burl walnut chair and gilt mirror. The scalloped white bedhead, walls painted in Resene ‘Spanish White’ and curtains in a glazed linen provide tonal consistency. Outside, a private, sunny terrace with a green screen of trees devised by Wyer & Co. offers a tranquil relaxation spot.

Throughout the home it is apparent that each artwork, light fitting, piece of furniture and colour has been very carefully considered and the exactness of the choices really makes an impact. Able to mine the wonderful cache of treasures that is her business, The Vault Sydney, Phoebe blended pieces of disparate provenance with items that had been in the owner’s collection for years. It is a sophisticated expression of how successfully antiques and personalised objets can exist together in a modern setting.

phoebenicol.com; wyerandco.com.au; dunnandpilcher.com.au

“The owner wanted a soft and feminine home and we had been looking at terracotta shades, but then the pink just seemed right and the client was happy to go with it.”

SPEED READ

» Interior architect Phoebe Nicol was tasked with the makeover of this two-bedroom Sydney eastern suburbs house for a client who was downsizing from a large home. » As a solo occupant, the client requested a soft and feminine look, and Phoebe delivered a highly personalised and French-inspired interior complete with nuanced decorative flourishes. » Tranquil living spaces with elegant furniture in muted shades, punctuated by graphic art, sculptural light fittings and curated accents on the ground floor give way to a delicate pink carpet-lined bedroom level filled with romantic touches such as a scalloped bedhead, silk-fringed window seat and European antiques.

This page Walls throughout the ground floor are in a specialty marmorino finish. A Spanish forged-iron light fitting from The Vault Sydney hangs above the dining table. The table and chairs were the client’s existing pieces and designer Phoebe Nicol of Phoebe Nicol Interior Architecture re-covered the chairs in a Dominique Kieffer linen. Murano vase from The Vault Sydney. Artwork by Jenny Topfer from Fox Jensen. Opposite page Phoebe created bespoke pieces in the living and reading room, including a hand-knotted rug, ottoman, mirror and fireplace surround in Statuario marble. The chandelier from Parterre came from the owner’s previous home. Murano ‘Rostrato’ wall sconces from The Vault Sydney. Visual Comfort standard lamp from Bloomingdales. Oak floorboards in Kimber from Tongue n Groove.

This page The owner uses the front sitting room as a reading retreat. Custom curtains and pelmet, ottomans, mirror, Statuario marble fireplace surround and hand-knotted rug, all by Phoebe Nicol. Chair from The Country Trader. Chair in foreground from The Vault Sydney upholstered in Schumacher ‘The Wave’ fabric in Sky from Orient House. Chandelier from Parterre. Opposite page, clockwise from top The console in the dining area is from MCM House and is flanked by 19th-century French leather chairs from The Vault Sydney. Lamp bases from Ralph Lauren Home. Dutch ebonised mirror from The Vault Sydney. Custom curved sofa by Phoebe Nicol. The dining table and chairs were the client’s existing pieces and Phoebe re-covered the chairs in a Dominique Kieffer linen from South Pacific Fabrics. Spanish forged-iron light fitting and Murano vase, both from The Vault Sydney. Artwork by Jenny Topfer from Fox Jensen.

This page A bespoke iron pendant light by Phoebe Nicol hangs above the island bench in the kitchen. The cabinetry is in oak veneer topped with a benchtop in travertine from Gitani Stone. Decorative cornice designed by Phoebe Nicol. Opposite page ‘Barbana’ bar stools from Boyd Blue. Ceramic bowl by Meg Michell.

These pages The generous skylight illuminates the casual living area. Phoebe created the custom sofa, armchair, ottoman and rolled-steel coffee table. Regency armchair and plaster sconces from The Vault Sydney. Gilt floor lamp by Visual Comfort from Bloomingdales. Bronze floor lamps by Kelly Wearstler. Abaca rug from International Floorcoverings. Winter King artwork by Graeme Townsend.

This page, clockwise from top left The top-floor bedrooms have a custom wool carpet in pink by Whitecliffe Imports. In the master bedroom, a burl walnut chair from The Vault Sydney. Curtains in Schumacher ‘Lange’ glazed linen from Orient House. Walls and custom joinery painted in Resene ‘Spanish White’. Custom bedhead and hand-forged door hardware by Phoebe Nicol. French Empire bronze lamp on burl walnut bedside table, both from The Vault Sydney. Artwork by Brett Whiteley. The main bathroom has a custom bath surround in Calacatta Viola marble from Gitani Stone. Walls in microcement finish. Perrin & Rowe ‘Deco’ tapware and fittings from The English Tapware Company. The ensuite has a wall sconce from 1stdibs. Tapware from The English Tapware Company. Walls in microcement finish. Opposite page, from top Walls in the stairwell are in a marmorino plaster finish. Custom-designed steel handrail. Oak treads in Kimber from Tongue n Groove. 19th-century Flemish tapestry from The Country Trader. Guest bedroom walls in a custom waxed-pink stucco by Porter’s Paints. Custom pink carpet by Whitecliffe Imports.

This page Walls in the guest bedroom are in a custom waxed-pink stucco by Porter’s Paints. Custom bedhead by Phoebe Nicol. Opposite page, clockwise from top left Rattan wall light from Arteriors. Unsigned 1950s French painting of a Tunisian landscape from Studio ALM. The powder room has Thibaut ‘Venus’ wallpaper in Sky from Boyac, a custom Carrara marble basin and oval mirror. Plaster sconce from 1stdibs. Perrin & Rowe ‘Deco’ tapware and fittings from The English Tapware Company. Louis XVI-style painted console table, carved and painted stool and 1940s Scagliola baluster lamp, all from The Vault Sydney. Artwork, Gold Square Painting 2, by David Serisier from Liverpool Street Gallery.