Houzz Tour: A Cleverly Designed Home in Sydney Becomes a Family Oasis
Two decades after moving in, a much-needed makeover provided a large family with ample space and more than a little luxury
With a gorgeous beach just a 10-minute walk from their house, Vanessa and Liam had no issue with their home’s location. However, living with four children aged from 7 to 21 years old – and no real sign of anyone moving out anytime soon – meant the time had come to create more room to breathe. ‘After living in the original house for 20 years, Vanessa and Liam knew exactly what they wanted,’ says Liam Flood, director of construction company To The Mil. ‘The house was tired and old and needed major work.’
Busy professionals Vanessa and Liam love design, clever architecture and art, so one of the first requests they made was for a bigger living area with space to hang their art collection. They also wanted more bedrooms, an abundance of natural light and better air circulation. ‘They pretty much left the architect to run with that and he has done more than they could ever have imagined,’ Flood says. While Andrew Schultz from ASA Architects designed the addition, To The Mil built it with care – many of the home’s features are handcrafted and laid by hand. The home is now a happy haven for parents and kids alike; the smiles Flood sees on the owners’ faces says it all.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Vanessa and Liam, with their four children aged 7, 14, 18 and 21
Location Bronte Beach, Sydney, Australia
Size 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
Busy professionals Vanessa and Liam love design, clever architecture and art, so one of the first requests they made was for a bigger living area with space to hang their art collection. They also wanted more bedrooms, an abundance of natural light and better air circulation. ‘They pretty much left the architect to run with that and he has done more than they could ever have imagined,’ Flood says. While Andrew Schultz from ASA Architects designed the addition, To The Mil built it with care – many of the home’s features are handcrafted and laid by hand. The home is now a happy haven for parents and kids alike; the smiles Flood sees on the owners’ faces says it all.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Vanessa and Liam, with their four children aged 7, 14, 18 and 21
Location Bronte Beach, Sydney, Australia
Size 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
The colours in the hand-laid stone wall cladding, in the timber bridge and front door, as well as in the landscaped gardens, create a simple but defined palette that works well against the charcoal and white paint.
Open the front door and you enter a wide hallway flooded with natural light from the clerestory windows. Liam and Vanessa’s artworks fit in perfectly.
Check out these easy ways to pep up your hallway
Check out these easy ways to pep up your hallway
The bedrooms and bathrooms in the home’s new upper storey capture the heat from the lower section of the house, but cleverly placed windows create a natural cooling airflow through these rooms in the warmer months.
A master bedroom and en suite to the rear give the owners their own private tropical outlook and personal oasis.
Curtains: Australian Shutters & Blinds
Curtains: Australian Shutters & Blinds
The en-suite bath, from ACS Designer Bathrooms, is positioned just right to take in the leafy outlook.
Wall tiles: Amalfi; floor tiles: Teranova
Discover more baths with stunning views
Wall tiles: Amalfi; floor tiles: Teranova
Discover more baths with stunning views
The yellow chairs on the balcony add a burst of colour against the lush green backdrop.
Chairs: Domayne
Chairs: Domayne
A handmade banister leads down the curved stairs into the main living area comprising the kitchen, living room, dining room and back patio.
The artworks take centre stage in the living and dining areas; the furnishings and accessories complement rather than compete with them.
Cushions: The Gallery Shop
Cushions: The Gallery Shop
The flooring in the open-plan living/dining area is 200mm American oak from Austimber.
‘This open-plan area is large enough for socialising and filled with natural light, but designed in a way that, if you are on your own, it never feels cavernous,’ Flood says. To The Mil made the dining table while the chairs are from Ikea.
In the kitchen, the black granite worktop has a honed finish. The kitchen’s sleek lines and subtle colour palette draw the eye towards the view outside.
Taps: Winning Appliances; island seating: Harvey Norman
Taps: Winning Appliances; island seating: Harvey Norman
The cloakroom is both dramatic and luxurious.
Wallpaper: Eurowalls
Wallpaper: Eurowalls
The lower level houses a private area for visiting guests and relatives, complete with library, study, living room and bathroom. ‘This lower level also has hydronic underfloor heating to the concrete slab, so in summer the cool slab cools the whole house, while in winter the thermal mass from the heated concrete floor radiates through all areas and heats the entire house,’ Flood explains.
Sofa: Sofa Studio
Sofa: Sofa Studio
The back deck leads out to a mosaic-tiled pool, rear decks (built around existing palm trees) and tropical-style gardens. ‘This is the kids’ haven, but the parents don’t mind hanging out here with a cocktail in the evenings,’ Flood says.
The stone-clad walls seen from the front of the house are echoed at the rear.
Engineering for the pool called for 18 piers that, because of tight access, had to be dug by hand. ‘It was the biggest challenge not only for us but especially for the boys doing the digging,’ Flood says. ‘Once this was completed, the rest was plain sailing.’
What do you think of this oasis in Sydney? Tell us in the Comments below.
What do you think of this oasis in Sydney? Tell us in the Comments below.
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‘A sculptured garden from 20 years of planting and a 200-year-old fig tree give you the feel of a tropical oasis in the heart of the city,’ Flood says.