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Real reno: the $2.5 million transformation of one of Sydney’s grandest estates

May 27, 2015 Leave a Comment

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When a renovation takesย two years to complete and costs a whopping $2.5 million, you know youโ€™re in for a pretty spectacular end result!

Home Facade

Restored by Sukari Design, the 1930s estate in Sydneyโ€™s Wahroonga features three dwellings: a main home, a gardenerโ€™s cottage and a pool house, alongside horse stables, a swimming pool and a tennis court! And the main homeโ€™s far from understated either, with six bedrooms, 10 bathrooms (yes, 10!), three kitchens and a theatre.

Before - Formal Lounge
Before – Formal Lounge
After - Formal Lounge
After – Formal Lounge

However, whileย the home isย a testament to exemplary architecture, prior to itsย renovation it was a far cry from its glory days. Extremely worn and featuring some rather unsightly green carpets and yellow walls, the home had to be completely gutted. โ€œIt was very neglected however the beautiful curved walls, Juliette balconies and domed ceiling in the foyer showed that this home was once amazing and had the potential to be extremely special,โ€ says Joumana Sukari, one half of Sukari Design. โ€œSo we completely gutted the home and several walls were removed to allow for an open plan kitchen/family room. Revitalizing the home was a key factor in the clientsโ€™ brief.โ€

Before - Kitchen
Before – Kitchen
After - Kitchen
After – Kitchen

With the new owners (who have chosen to remain anonymous) wanting to maintain the integrity and history of the estate, but with a more transitional design style, Joumana and her sister-in-law/co-owner Michelle Sukari created a grand and luxurious home, that they refer to as one of their all time favorite projects.

Before - Entrance Hall
Before – Entrance Hall
After - Entrance Hall
After – Entrance Hall

Yetย that doesnโ€™t mean it came easy, with the project seeing some nasty surprises and unexpected expenses pop up along the way. โ€œWhen the old carpet was removed we discovered that the timber flooring, which we were hoping to retain, was infested with termites,โ€ explains Joumana. โ€œNew hardwood timber flooring had to be installed, luckily we had budgeted for unexpected expenses.โ€

Before - Library
Before – Library
After - Library
After – Library

Challenges also came in the form of a rather testing brief, to create 10 different bathroom schemes! โ€œOur clients wanted each bathroom to have its own individual look, so creating 10 schemes that complemented each other but were different was definitely the biggest challenge!โ€

Before - Main Bathroom
Before – Main Bathroom
After - Main Bathroom
After – Main Bathroom

While the home obviously went through quite the transformation, for Joumana the biggest change came in the form of the new kitchen and the decorative wall mouldings. โ€œThe location of the original kitchen and its deteriorated state devalued the home, however the new kitchen is fresh, elegant and sophisticated and has an abundance of natural light. Also the mouldings, architraves and skirting boards all made a huge difference. The walls seemed very bare prior to installing these.โ€

Before - Master Bedroom
Before – Master Bedroom
After - Master Bedroom
After – Master Bedroom

Undoubtedly a huge project, Joumana learnt some invaluable lessons during the renovation. โ€œMake sure that every aspect of your renovation has been accurately budgeted for and allow for unexpected expenses (such as termites) to appear! Importing products from overseas and dealing with shipping companies, customs brokers and tax law isย also a huge learning curve.โ€

But, when all is said and done, would she and Michelle do it again? โ€œIn a heartbeat!โ€

For more information.

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A glass shower screen is not the only option! In A glass shower screen is not the only option!

In this 80s villa reno, @trentinidesign took inspiration from an archway typical of the era and used it throughout the home.

The bathroom was transformed from a classic three-piece set up that included a shower, bath and vanity. Kathryn removed the bath and split the room in half and designed an arch to sit between the two zones. 

โ€œI wanted something spectacular. Rather than having a vanity with a piece of glass like you would typically see, I was really trying to push myself as a designer. It was costly but it worked out well and the feedback has been great."

Swipe for the before and follow the link in bio to see the rest of this home.

#bathroomdesignideas #bathroomtrends2023 #showerscreen #showerscreens #archways #apartmentrenovation #interiorsblogger #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #realreno
One half of popular parenting podcast @wedonthavet One half of popular parenting podcast @wedonthavetimeforthis, turns out former Neighbours actor @gemma_peanut is even more multi-talented than we thought! Will you check out the joyful and colourful reno of her holiday home (and airbnb) @yo_caba_caba?!

Head over to the blog via link in bio to read all about why she went bold and full of pattern in this project, which is a stark contrast to her zen and neutral Northern Beaches abode.

There's also plenty of details about where things are from etc.

"Iโ€™m not an interior designer so I just chose what I liked and followed my gut. Ultimately this home has been an opportunity to explore my alter ego โ€“ it allowed me to do things that I wouldnโ€™t normally do.โ€

๐Ÿ“ท @tanikablair_photography 

#interiorsblog #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #gemmapeanut #wedonthavetimeforthis #parentingpodcast #parentingpodcasts #holidayhousesofinstagram #cabaritabeach #airbnbstyle #airbnbstyling #colourandpattern #wallpapergoals #patternedtiles #featuretiles #poolgoals #sparkjoy #yocabacaba #boldinteriors #funinteriors #colourfulkitchen
Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial family category and they're a special gift. So ends three weeks with @danisteve81 who left her husband and son in the UK (I'm forever grateful they lent her to me!) to come and cheer me up and help me in the most practical ways after I spent Christmas and New Year in hospital. There were tears and I miss her so much already but how amazing to have had all that time together as adults. Such a rare treat and would never have happened without having been through something so challenging. Silver linings and all that. So many other friends have also been incredibly thoughtful and kind. There aren't many times I'd say this without cringing but I am 100% blessed!

I still cannot believe we have been friends since we were 12! 12! Are you still close with your childhood besties?
The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_ho The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_house is a work of art and while almost every surface was updated, the decision to keep the original slate floor was genius if you ask us. 

Owner @clarehillier__ says: "With its purple, pink, red and brown tones, the slate was the starting point for our interior palette."

Come and check out the before and afters via link in bio now and read the reno story. It's a real beauty.

And you can book it for your next holiday too!

Blair Smith Architecture @kateshanasy

#slatefloor #slatefloors #80shouse #80sbeauty #camillohouse #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #realreno #holidayhousesofinstagram #morningtonpeninsulahomes #morningtonpeninsula #morningtonpeninsulasmallbusiness #blairgowrie #blairgowriebeach #airbnbstyle
Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’— Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’—
Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for thr Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for three decades going out for a child-free dinner ๐Ÿ’“๐Ÿ˜
Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damia Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damianfrancis 

This doesn't happen often these days!
Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks since leaving hospital and I'm doing much better than I expected to be at this early stage. A long recovery road ahead but making progress in how much I can move my arm and although I drag myself through some days non-stop yawning, others I can go for a little walk or out for lunch before collapsing on the couch! I can now tie my own hair back and put on a real bra which is very exciting ๐Ÿคฃ Having my bestie here to help us with the boys, drive me places and just be brilliant positive company is the best thing I could have asked for not to mention the many Dinner Ladies vouchers from friends! Thanks for all your kind messages, cards, flowers, gifts and offers of help โค๏ธ
I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping to raise some awareness off the back of my misfortune (and also very lucky escape).

@newsouthwaleshealth have just put out this warning about a rise in serious bacterial infections. iGAS (invasive group A streptococcus) is what caused my necrotising fasciitis and sepsis.

Apparently there's similar happening in VIC too.

It's extremely rare but very serious nonetheless so please have a read and be aware of symptoms. I've linked to the article from a button via my link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #jenbishop #necrotisingfasciitis #groupastrep #groupastreptococcus #sepsis
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About Olivia Shead

When she's not writing for Interiors Addict, Olivia is now a TV and radio news producer. She's a journalism graduate of UTS Sydney.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarDaisy says

    May 27, 2015 at 11:42 am

    Sensational transformation! Joumana and Michelle have brought this home back to life.

    Daisy xo

    Reply
  2. AvatarJoumana Sukari says

    May 27, 2015 at 11:55 am

    Thank you for the amazing article Olivia! For enquiries re full interior design services visit http://www.sukaridesign.com. If you require online interior design services visit http://www.theinteriorestablishment.com. You can have a room scheme created for you for as little as $349!

    Reply
  3. AvatarSally Byrne says

    May 29, 2015 at 1:02 pm

    So elegant! I’d love to know what the paint colours in the kitchen are.

    Reply
    • AvatarJoumana Sukari says

      June 1, 2015 at 7:57 pm

      The paint colour is Dulux raw cashew nut and accent colour is Dulux whisper white.

      Reply

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