Originally a rundown 1980s build with multiple confusing additions and extensions, this now luxurious home finally boasts a cohesive feel and a floorplan that makes sense.
The kitchen was originally upstairs, with three bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs. The vision for the full-house revamp home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, was to create a modern Mediterranean sanctuary with the inclusion of arches, Venetian render and natural materials where possible. And a kitchen downstairs!
“It was extremely dated with red brick walls throughout, and disjointed after multiple additions,” says interior designer Sabina Contreras. “A lack of flow or thought had gone into previous renovations.”
She created a dedicated mudroom in the entry, moved the kitchen downstairs, added a fireplace and additional media room downstairs, redid the deck, cabana and pool. Upstairs, she renovated the current bedrooms, adding a fourth. She turned the original kitchen into a large upstairs lounge room, and renovated the bathrooms.
“The largest difference was made by moving the kitchen downstairs and bedrooms upstairs,” Sabina said. “This made it much more family friendly. We kept the colour palette warm, added French oak herringbone flooring, Taj Mahal stone to the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms and handmade Moroccan tiles to the bathrooms. The largest splurge was the flooring and stone. The biggest bargain was keeping most of the original windows and getting the painters to spray them black.”
The new space feels luxurious, warm and inviting. “We love the arch detailing in the doors, cabinetry and fluted shower screens. It adds a softness to the house that was previously lacking.”
Suppliers and products
- Interior and exterior paint colour: Dulux White Dunne Quarter
- Doors: Hardware Concepts
- Taps: Yabby
- Vanity: Marqui
- Stone: Taj Mahal Quartzite
- Kitchen: Sydney Kitchens and Bathrooms
- Builder: Zaia Custom Build
- Flooring: The Flooring Guys
- Cabinetry: 7am Wardrobes
- Photographer: Muse Photography
- Stylist: Maret Lanarch Styling
