Shades of cool In a palette of white and pistachio green, this mid-century home offers stylish respite from the Sydney sunshine

Choosing to tease the reveal of its harbour view, this softly tropical home offers stylish respite from the bright Sydney sunshine

Take the five-minute stroll from Watsons Bay, with its views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and you will spot this curious home, built in 1969 by Peter Muller. Brilliantly different from its more modern neighbours, the pavilion-like property is a mid-century gem, but decades of ill-judged additions had turned it into what Gillian Khaw, co-founder of interior design brand Handelsmann + Khaw, lovingly describes as ‘a bit of a barnacle’.

Her challenge was to reconcile all of these architectural missteps while providing the new owners, an ex-pat family who had been living in Singapore for years, with the luxury holiday-inspired interior of their dreams. First job was to level the ground floor, getting rid of the steps that led between the different extensions to create a more open, fluid flow between the living, kitchen and dining spaces.

Next, in a step that took a little convincing of the clients, glazed sliding doors to the terracewereremovedandreplacedbysmaller French doors edged in pistachio paintwork. ‘It’s perhaps the opposite of what you want when you pay a lot of money for a harbour view,’ admits Gillian, ‘but we were convinced it’s also about what you don’t see. The first instinct is to bring the outside in, but we played with that idea; made it less obvious.’

Without that expanse of glass and 180degree view, this home is naturally more shaded than most Sydney homes which, Gillian remarks, can be so white and bright ‘you almost have to wear sunglasses on the inside’. Offering respite from the heat, the interior favours pastels, touches of buttery yellow and dusty, chalky finishes – from the limestone flooring to the plaster finish on thewalls.‘Whenyouspendtimein1950s-style Mediterranean resorts they appear shadowy at first, and then you walk outdoors and can feel the sun glaring down at you. We wanted to create that same contrast,’ explains Gillian.

Her choice of furnishings is eclectic and feminine, but selected with a minimalist’s restraint. The fantasy element of this home’s architecture offered a certain freedom, so you’ll find a bespoke dining table inspired by a piece from 17th-century Spain alongside wall lights intended to reference the 1940s look of French designer Jean Royère and seats with ruffled skirts that speak to 1980s British excess. ‘We wanted the furniture to look like it could come from a beach house in some colonial outpost,’ says Gillian.

‘Heritage buildings are rare in Sydney,’ she adds.‘Theycanthrowyoumorechallenges, but ultimately they are more satisfying to live in; more humble.’ Welcoming without being showy, this home is no longer an architectural barnacle. Instead, it’s a place that celebrates its uniqueness. handelsmannkhaw.com

‘THE FIRST INSTINCT IS TO BRING THE OUTSIDE

IN, BUT WE PLAYED WITH THAT IDEA; MADE

IT LESS OBVIOUS’

Sitting room Two armchairs and a sofa, all upholstered by the owners in a neutral cotton, take their colour scheme from the natural fibre of the rug, bought from The Grey House. The wooden side tables are from Orient House in Sydney

Dining room A custom-made table, inspired by a Spanish design from the 17th century, and bespoke cane chairs allow form to do the talking instead of colour. The wall lights are the ‘Gild Montreuil’ design from Aerin, repainted to more closely reflect Jean Royère’s designs of the 1940s

Living room French doors, with woodwork painted in Dulux’s ‘Wintergreen’, replaced glass sliding doors to give this room the feel of a resort in Barbados. The built-in sofa is upholstered in pink striped fabric from Kravet, while the ‘Shell’ chair is from Singapore-based Elizabeth Hay Design. The bamboo chair and the mid-century coffee table are both vintage pieces

Terrace A forged iron table and chairs by Le Forge, with custom-designed scalloped seat pads, are placed beside the pool, offering the perfect spot for al fresco dining Portrait Gillian Khaw (right) of Handelsmann + Khaw and the homeowner enjoy the shade Kitchen The Tunisian mosaic tiles on the splashback, featuring many different colours of marble, were bought from Aeria Country Floors. Their subtle matt quality complements the limestone used for both the flooring and countertop. Custom-made cabinets, inset with rattan, and sunny built-in seating completes the look. The traditional range oven is a Lacanche

Hallway New iron balustrades lead to the top floor, where a cheerful painting by Sydney-born abstract artist George Raftopoulos hangs on the wall Bathroom The pale, dusty pink Moroccan zellige tiles in this space are from Onsite, and the scalloped floor tiles are by Australian brand Bisanna. Rattan also features in the custom-made cabinets here, while the shell-shaped wall light on the mirror was a lucky online find. Below the sink, striped yellow fabric sourced by the owners from a local haberdashery shop adds a beachy touch