Calm horizons Classic details meets contemporary sensibility

PERFECTLY POISED, THIS SYDNEY HERITAGE HOME BALANCES CLASSIC DETAILS WITH A CONTEMPORARY SENSIBILITY

“THE craftsmanship AND BRUSH STROKES IN HAND-PAINTED CABINETRY MAKE IT MORE PERSONAL AND BESPOKE” ~ HELEN

Helen and husband Harry’s freestanding heritage home may have an outlook over a stunning oval and beyond to envy, but it wasn’t exactly love at first sight for the couple. “I didn’t like it,” Helen confesses of the home. “It hadn’t been renovated in 25 years, the garden needed an overhaul, downstairs required gutting and I’d been looking for something bigger.” However, when the couple reached the top floor, a game of cricket changed everything. “Harry heard the sound of bat on ball through an open window and said, ‘I love this house’… and he doesn’t say that about anything!” laughs Helen.

On closer inspection, Helen saw potential in the elevated three-storey home. “It had good bones and the layout worked,” says Helen. “I liked having all living areas downstairs; on the middle floor was a bathroom, laundry and three big bedrooms for the boys; and at the top, a master suite. It was more compact than the house I’d imagined buying, but the floor plan would give everyone more privacy – which was important as the boys grew up.” The couple and their boys, Oliver, now 20, Finlay, now 17, and Benjamin, 14, moved here in 2013 near their former home, which was in a suburb a little more ‘city’ than this. “I’d had enough of walking out on to a busy street with lots of people,” admits Helen who relished the idea of peace… and a parking spot. However, leaving the overall district was never an option, as the family had lived in the area for 25 years.

After buying the home, the couple renovated in stages over four years. Firstly, they painted the interiors in Dulux Vivid White and replaced old venetian blinds to make it instantly more palatable, then they levelled the garden and built the patio out back to take in the district views. The interior renovation began with new bathrooms and, later, the living areas.

The open-plan area is home to a sensational galley kitchen and island (plus an equally appealing and practical butler’s pantry). >

KITCHEN The fully integrated kitchen is effortlessly elegant (left), thanks to the classic profile and simple detail of the cabinetry, hand-painted in a custom-mixed grey. “It’s warm and soft in contrast to all the light,” says Helen (pictured). The island bench sink from The Classic Outfitter features Perrin & Rowe taps from The English Tapware Company. While Helen admits choosing Carrara marble benchtops with three children is “crazy”, she’s even crazier about its beauty, colours and warmth. “I love its organic nature, and don’t mind that it wears and ages just as a house does.” Hanging majestically above the marble are Helen’s prized antique French cloches that she bought from Parterre before the renovation.

“I DON’T BUY decorative ITEMS FOR THE SAKE OF IT. MOST ARE PERSONAL” ~ HELEN

This hub of the home shares a border with beautiful living and dining zones that capture light. “Making the square room rectangular and reorientating the doors and windows to open outwards meant the space worked much better,” says Helen. One of her favourite features is the integrated television, cleverly hidden in the kitchen island cupboards. “I didn’t want a second TV permanently on show, so if the boys are in the TV room I can watch something else in here, from the sofa,” she says.

The grand four-metre-high ceilings complement Helen’s aesthetic, which she says is “classic with a modern sensibility”. “My last home was specifically ‘Hamptons’, but this feels more grown up,” she says. It also feels comfortable and personal, which Helen puts down to working closely with designer Nellie Tilley and also kitchen designer Julia Gordon. “The kitchen designer and the interior designer are friends who understand how we live and know me well,” says Helen. “I wanted the interiors to feel inviting, feminine and a reflection of me, while acknowledging it’s also home to four males. Nellie knows I love neutrals and blues, and she nailed the colours.”

Six years after the fortuitous bat-andball incident, Helen loves the home they’ve created. “We’re never on top of each other and can easily entertain separately,” she says. “I thought I wanted a bigger house, but I’ve realised it isn’t about size – it’s about creating functional spaces that work well for you.”

“FOR A softer LOOK WE ONLY TILED HALFWAY UP THE WALL IN THE BATHROOM. OTHERWISE IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE A COLD CELL” ~ HELEN

FRESH OUTLOOK It’s the rare sense of space and tranquillity so close to the CBD that homeowners Helen and husband Harry love about the Victorian home in Sydney’s inner west they share with their three teenage boys. “We have a clear, open view over the oval and out to Sydney harbour and only one neighbour, whose house we can’t even see,” enthuses Helen. “It feels like living in the country.” To capture the beautiful light and outlook, the couple extended the back of the home and added soaring bi-fold doors. The lounge showcases Helen’s liveable timeless style (above). “This is our favourite place to chat, drink and listen to music with the kids,” explains Helen. “We’ve created a ‘U’ shape instead of an ‘L’, which makes it much more comfortable and social.” >

DINING ROOM Penny the family Cavoodle happily matches the refined palette and sits by the MCM House table and the custom upholstered chairs from Nellie Tilley (below). Antique French water jugs, made into lamps by Orient House, sit atop the repurposed Buddhist altar that is now a side table. “We bought this when we lived in Shanghai and, while it’s a bit deep for the room, it has a history and we’d never get rid of it,” says Helen. An antiqued mirror from MCM House provides a light-reflecting backdrop while a Chinoiserie planter from Zjoosh takes centre stage on the table. But the star of the show is an original nineteenth century light from Conley & Co.

LIVING ROOM Helen’s classic style and exquisite choice of materials make this area both comfortable and luxurious (above right). Covered in Westbury Textiles’ vintage linen, the custom sofas and armchairs champion her signature neutrals of dove grey and off-white. A coffee table from MCM House and wool sisal rug from International Floor Coverings brings the space together. Helen’s muted colour of choice, blue, is showcased in the artwork and piece of coral. “The painting, titled ‘Robertson’, is by Guy Maestri, who I love,” she says. “When anything significant happens, we buy a piece of art or an artefact to mark the occasion.” Helen bought this painting from Olsen Gallery in Sydney and the large blue coral from Parterre when one of their sons started school. On a more functional note, hidden fly screens in the doors were a must for keeping the ambience in and the mozzies out. >

MAIN BEDROOM Before the renovation, Helen found it a little tricky to make their bedroom (top right & opposite) work with the pitched ceiling, so they added a wall and used the space behind as handy storage. “We put a frame around the bedhead to make it feel like the wall had always been there,” explains Helen. “I imagined this room to be elegant, soft and comfortable; feminine, but not overly so.” As a ‘big reader’ she chose the wall sconces, from Circa Lighting, which sit above French-inspired bedside tables made by her joiner James Warner. “Above the drawer a ‘tray’ pulls out to give me more room for my cup of tea. I don’t have to go downstairs as I keep a kettle and supplies in my cupboard,” she smiles.

BOYS’ BATHROOM “This used to be the biggest laundry I’ve ever seen in my life,” laughs Helen, who decided to swap rooms and create a spacious bathroom (top left & left) for the boys. “With three of them using it, we needed lots of storage: the cupboard is fantastic for hiding all their linen, towels and beach towels,” she says. Light pours in from the verandah and highlights the shiny surfaces of the Victoria & Albert bath and subway tiles, while the travertine floor tiles and Carrara marble benchtop bring contrasting texture and natural beauty. Classic styling continues with Perrin & Rowe tapware and the charming wall sconces by Circa Lighting. “I chose a black frame for the mirror to bring definition to the space,” says Helen of the made-to-measure piece from Nellie Tilley.

PATIO Perfectly positioned to watch the fireworks on Sydney Harbour, the elevated patio plays host to the family’s annual New Year’s Eve open house (above). The faux bamboo furniture from Robert Plumb, styled with cushions from The Classic Outfitter and others made with Paul Bangay fabric, echo the soft interior palette. French cast-iron urns from Parterre complement Helen’s timeless style, as does the table she made from a sandstone pot and one of their Arbon tumbled limestone pavers, from Eco Outdoor.