Design lines Passion prevails in this striking Sydney home

WITH BUILDING AND CREATIVITY IN THEIR BLOOD, A SYDNEY COUPLE HAS DRAWN ON THEIR INNATE SKILLS TO CREATE A WONDERFUL HOME

If you had to predict the future career of three-year-old Georgia, it would be a safe bet to land on something within the design or construction fields. It’s in the DNA of her parents, Lisa and Ziad, just like their parents before them. “Both of us grew up in families of builders and engineers,” explains Lisa. “It was a constant influence in our lives, and has helped shape how passionate we are about the process of creating a place to call home.” The couple’s passion for craftsmanship and beautiful spaces is on full display in their striking modern abode in Sydney’s inner west. When they first bought the site and modest bungalow that sat upon it, they were unsure of their next move. “I had never even heard of the suburb before!” says Lisa. On Ziad’s coaxing, she pulled out a map, and with an eye on its local village vibe and closeness to the city, agreed it could be the perfect position to build a family home. Compared to the pair’s previous city apartment, the site was relatively generous. However, with the arrival of baby Georgia, their needs took on a family-sized focus, so they engaged architect Andy Macdonald of MiArchitects to optimise the space. Incorporating four bedrooms and putting every available centimetre to work, the design answered the brief with aplomb. While the build may have run over schedule by six months, the couple don’t regret taking the extra time. “Detail is in my veins,” says Ziad, who would visit the site twice a week before work to go through the decisions of the day to ensure it met his own exacting standards. And it shows – every corner of the structure presents a painstakingly planned, cleverly crafted feature. As the home took shape, a distinct aesthetic emerged organically. Layering concrete between the two floors had been a structural and acoustic decision, but as the gyprock was about to line the ceilings, Ziad suddenly called work to a halt. “I thought, ‘Why are we covering up this beautiful, honest material?’” he recalls. The smooth, solid surface now forms the downstairs ceilings, beside white walls, custom timberwork and liberal lashings of black to form a muted palette that appeals to the couple’s shared love of Japandi-inspired design. “Those two aesthetics – Japanese and Scandinavian – give you the most authentic looks in furniture,” says Ziad. While Ziad was instrumental in the build process, Lisa, an interior stylist and owner of Ziink Interiors, led the way with the decorating. “We did a lot of shopping around,” she says “We’d like to think we’ve become better at knowing where you need to spend money and where you can compromise.” One of the couple’s biggest splurges was the Flos ‘Aim’ pendant light from Euroluce, which is suspended like an art installation over the dining table and sets the matt black cues for all the lighting in the house. Creating their beautiful home together was an enjoyable process for the design-savvy duo, whether it was selecting a print for the study or workshopping the blueprint of the oversized pivot front door. Now, with another potential designer-in-waiting – a sibling for Georgia – soon to arrive, the family has moved on to their next home and project, where the talents in-built in their DNA can be put to use again.

HALLWAY & LIVING

Georgia sits on the concrete base of the stairs (above right), which were designed with open treads to keep an airy flow to the hallway, and concealed LED lighting to wash the area with a muted glow in the evening. An abundance of glass in the living room (opposite) adds to the breezy atmosphere, where a crowd-pleasing sofa from GL Furniture stands beside a pair of ‘Soho’ coffee tables from Hub Furniture. Lea Ceramiche ‘Oak Noisette’ tiles from the Bioplank range line the downstairs domain in a durable yet stylish fashion.

KITCHEN & DINING

As a lover of white kitchens, it took some convincing for Lisa to embrace a scheme that had no white whatsoever. “Ziad really felt that we needed to go bold, and he was right,” she says. The deep and moody hues are brought to life with the warmth of timber cabinetry, and the textural look of the Antique Brown in leather finish granite bench tops from CDK Stone. Ziad introduced pockets of open shelving to architect Andy Macdonald’s concepts to break up the scene and enable the couple to put their personal style on display. Seeking a statement piece worthy of the spectacular ‘Aim’ pendant chosen for the dining area, the couple engaged a furniture maker to craft a 2.6-metre bespoke table from solid American oak in a black stain. “It was designed with a central support base so that the table legs wouldn’t get in the way,” explains Ziad. The table is matched with eight ‘Oscar’ chairs in Soot from Home Concepts.

“EVERY SITE COMES WITH ITS constraints – FOR ARCHITECTS, CONSTRAINTS ARE THE DRIVERS BEHIND creativity” ~ ZIAD

“A monochrome COLOUR BASE CREATES A SENSE OF calmness AND ALLOWS ME TO MIX UP THE artwork AND CUSHIONS WITH THE season, OR WHEN I JUST FEEL LIKE A CHANGE” ~ LISA

MAIN BEDROOM

“Our inspiration for the bedroom was to capture that real hotel feel,” says Lisa. The large scale of the room (above) was a challenge, so the couple had Snooze make a custom bed and oversized bedhead “as wide as possible”, says Lisa.

The open ensuite injects its own note of indulgence, while a pair of Universo Positivo bedside tables (try Clickon Furniture for similar) and prints from Olive Et Oriel cut a sleek silhouette. A pair of suspended ‘Aim’ pendants from Euroluce add a touch of drama.

BATHROOMS

A Vizzini ‘Alberta’ stone bath headlines the luxury in the ensuite (far left), which is floored in Lea Ceramiche ‘Timber Plank’ tiles from Bisanna. Black tapware provides a visual link to the main bathroom (left), where timber veneer and an Ikea ‘Stockholm’ mirror deliver warm detailing.