heritage do-up
A family fell in love with a historic home that was in dire need of a do-up, writes John McDonald. Now its beautiful original features have been restored in classic style.
Moving a household from one side of the Earth to the other is challenging, but perseverance and a little good luck will see things through. Such was the case for Andrea Stark and her family, who had been living in London for 15 years until a move to Sydney in 2013. They put their furniture into storage and moved into a serviced apartment while they searched for a place to buy. Four months elapsed before Andrea and her husband, both originally from New Zealand – plus their children Olivia, now 15, and Luke, 13 – found this 380sqm Federation property a stone’s throw from a harbour beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. “From the moment we set foot inside, we knew we wanted to make it home,” says Andrea.
The interior of the 1910 house was very dated, with creamy yellow walls, blue floor tiles and lots of chintz and clashing patterns. But, says Andrea, “it had all the features we were looking for: high and detailed original ceilings, tall French doors, beautiful cornices and generously sized rooms. It felt really unique, different to anything we’d viewed.” However, it was in need of renovation.
Andrea approached Tania Handelsmann and Gillian Khaw of Sydney architecture and interiors firm Handelsmann + Khaw. “I’d read about Tania and the beautiful work she’d done in New York on a style blog, and was thrilled that she’d recently returned to Sydney and was launching a new business here. We loved all the concepts Tania and Gillian presented to us.”
Stage one of the project took just under a year, including the design component. “The main architectural gesture was to create one large doubleheight entry foyer out of two small existing rooms, with a new staircase and custom Jacobean-style panels to convey a sense of grandeur,” says Tania. “Bathrooms were renovated in a classic style, with grey tonal materials and more wall panelling in place of tiles to give the spaces warmth and character.
“Initially we weren’t going to do that, as bespoke bathrooms are costly, but [we] decided it was worth the expense,” she adds. “We converted one of the external verandahs into an en suite for Olivia, too.”
The family moved in before the kitchen, dining area and laundry were renovated. “The original kitchen was tiny and tucked into one end of the space that forms the bigger kitchen today,” says Andrea. They waited two years to remodel the kitchen – much longer than planned – but this had its advantages. “Living with the existing kitchen meant we had a much better idea of where best to position new windows, new doors, joinery and utilities,” says Andrea.
The second stage of the project was completed in 2017, and the end result is splendid. Enter and you find yourself in the airy and inviting foyer. Walk around a table filled with treasures gathered during the family’s travels and you head straight into the kitchen and dining area, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that lead out to the patio and pool. The kitchen is painted in a bespoke grey that Andrea concocted after numerous visits to her paint supplier. To the left of the foyer is a library, powder room and the laundry; to the right is a formal lounge. And behind the dining room lies the family room. Up the new staircase are four bedrooms; the main bedroom has an en suite and also a walk-in wardrobe. There is also an office where Andrea, a graphic designer, can work.
The terrace’s solid double-brick construction helps regulate the temperature year-round, says Andrea. There is an air-conditioning/heating system and fans in the bedrooms, which keep things cool in summer. It’s a beachy, breezy home, quite different from their house in London, but holding the same precious memories and memorabilia.
Q Can you paint raised garden beds and, if so, which products and colours are best? A
Yes you can. Simply follow these steps for a fresh look:
l Clean any dirt off with Resene Timber and Deck Wash, and treat any moss and mould with Resene Moss & Mould Killer.
l Apply two coats of Resene Water Lockout to the interior of the planter box with a brush or roller. (Use a “high solids” sleeve for your roller.)
l Apply two coats of low sheen Resene Lumbersider, tinted to the desired colour, to the front and sides of the planter box, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.
l To select the right colour for your planter box, first look around your backyard. Think about what other colours you see, and the tones of your house, fences and paths. If you are planning on growing green leafy plants or vegetables, try an intense black such as Resene Noir to allow the greenery to pop. Or try painting an interesting shape on the planter box. Colours I like for a planter box are Resene Family Tree, Resene Untamed and Resene Soulful.