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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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Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
Kids and husband messing with my vignettes again๐Ÿคจ

PS. The coaster was RIGHT THERE ๐Ÿคช
#weatherforit ๐Ÿฅถ Need a new blanket? Look no fu #weatherforit ๐Ÿฅถ

Need a new blanket? Look no further than these gorgeous South African blankets from @baobabcollective, sustainably sourced, ethically crafted and imported by a Southern Highlands couple.

On the blog now via link in bio.
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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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