Houzz Tour: Punchy Patterns and Bold Hues Find a Home in Sydney
A family’s love of color and midcentury design takes center stage in this contemporary new house
When Jacinta Woods and Sonia Warner were asked to design the interior of this home in Sydney, it was the start of a bold artistic collaboration that had a fearless finish. The owners — a husband and wife with two grown sons — love midcentury design and weren’t afraid to go with energetic patterns and bright splashes of color throughout.
But the owners didn’t want a straightforward re-creation of their favorite midcentury style — the home had to embody a contemporary edge. “Progressive and fashion-forward is our clients’ style. They have a clear vision of their likes and dislikes,” says Woods, adding that the goal “was to pay homage to the midcentury Palm Springs era.”
But the owners didn’t want a straightforward re-creation of their favorite midcentury style — the home had to embody a contemporary edge. “Progressive and fashion-forward is our clients’ style. They have a clear vision of their likes and dislikes,” says Woods, adding that the goal “was to pay homage to the midcentury Palm Springs era.”
The designers added some finishing flourishes this year, including this striking mural by Australian artist Martine Emdur. The family is now happily ensconced in their new home.
Walnut veneer paneling: Briggs Veneers
Walnut veneer paneling: Briggs Veneers
The ground floor is home to three bedrooms, the media room, and the living, dining and kitchen areas.
Woods and Warner could easily have saturated each space with bold hues to quench the owners’ thirst for color, but they adopted a more curated approach. Look closely at the hard surface finishes on the ground floor, and you’ll see that the base design follows a monochromatic color palette of marble, steel and polished chrome. “These finishes act as the glue that binds the continuity of the scheme,” Woods says. “If you break down the interior finishes of flooring, paint colors, cabinetry and lighting, they are sleek, clean and minimal.”
Minimal, however, is unlikely to be your first impression of these dazzling interiors — the rich colors and bold patterns are what instantly command attention. Woods and Warner used injections of bright primary colors in the form of furniture and soft finishes to breathe life into the monochromatic base palette. Considering Kirby and Bauchet’s passion for color, the designers’ approach sounds counterintuitive, but it left their clients thrilled.
Red chairs and blue sofa: Jardan; chaise: Cult
Red chairs and blue sofa: Jardan; chaise: Cult
The owners collaborated closely with Woods and Warner when choosing vivid hues. “For instance, the color of the casual lounges was a nonnegotiable; our client wanted the pool reflected right into the lounge room,” Warner says. “We then had to work a concept around sky blue and midcentury design.”
Kirby and Bauchet travel frequently and already had a collection of artwork and vintage posters, which Woods and Warner added to during the build. In the formal lounge area on the ground floor, a Ned Kelly portrait takes pride of place. It was painted by Adam Cullen, the late, great Archibald Prize-winning Australian artist.
Vintage chair leather upholstery: Rino Mastrotto; Crosshatch chair with walnut frame and Mt. Stuart Dover upholstery: Living Edge
Vintage chair leather upholstery: Rino Mastrotto; Crosshatch chair with walnut frame and Mt. Stuart Dover upholstery: Living Edge
“The owners love, love, love artwork,” Woods says. “In the guest room, we could not resist Man About Town from The Artwork Stylist — a quirky yet distinctly placed tourist in Tokyo — peering out to the [property’s] pool.”
Kirby and Bauchet were adamant that they did not want a homogenous style of decor to be applied in cookie-cutter fashion throughout their home.
“Each room needed its own style and personality,” says Warner, adding that the owners and designers referred to Houzz to visually articulate concepts. “It’s a useful tool for clients and designers to communicate their ideas in a relaxed fashion,” she says.
In addition to color, the patterns and textural accents play an important role in delineating spaces and linking rooms. This guest room and en suite on the ground floor are united by bright pops of yellow, which you see in the shelf, chevron-patterned curtains and sunny velvet bedspread.
Blue velvet armchair: Jardan; curtain fabric: Jonathan Adler; curtain design: Woods & Warner; find chevron window treatments
“Each room needed its own style and personality,” says Warner, adding that the owners and designers referred to Houzz to visually articulate concepts. “It’s a useful tool for clients and designers to communicate their ideas in a relaxed fashion,” she says.
In addition to color, the patterns and textural accents play an important role in delineating spaces and linking rooms. This guest room and en suite on the ground floor are united by bright pops of yellow, which you see in the shelf, chevron-patterned curtains and sunny velvet bedspread.
Blue velvet armchair: Jardan; curtain fabric: Jonathan Adler; curtain design: Woods & Warner; find chevron window treatments
Woods and Warner carried this vein of yellow from the guest room into the guest en suite by virtue of the floor tiles. These visual cues — in the form of colors and patterns — link each space and express the occupants.
It’s a perfect example of how color can be used as a signature to express someone’s individuality, and signal when you are entering or leaving his or her personal quarters.
Wall and floor tiles: Academy Tiles + Surfaces; custom oak vanity: Briggs Veneer; Cirrus White countertop: Corian; Goccia collection sink: Abey Australia
It’s a perfect example of how color can be used as a signature to express someone’s individuality, and signal when you are entering or leaving his or her personal quarters.
Wall and floor tiles: Academy Tiles + Surfaces; custom oak vanity: Briggs Veneer; Cirrus White countertop: Corian; Goccia collection sink: Abey Australia
Nestled near the guest room on the ground floor is a striking powder room, resplendent in all its rebellious glory. The glittering black mosaics and dark finishes of this shared space sit in stark contrast to the adjacent private sleeping quarters, which are light and airy.
Wall tile: Bisazza; Wire pedestal sink: Parisi; browse black pedestal sinks
Wall tile: Bisazza; Wire pedestal sink: Parisi; browse black pedestal sinks
Like the powder room, the dark colors of the nearby media room on the ground floor give a nod to the space’s shared use. Here, black and midnight blue take center stage, while the softness of the textured wall treatment tempers the punch that’s packed by the stronger colors.
Teak crown-cut walls: Briggs Veneers; Arte wallpaper: Woods & Warner
Teak crown-cut walls: Briggs Veneers; Arte wallpaper: Woods & Warner
Likewise, the sons’ bedrooms reflect the boys’ different personalities, tastes and styles. Both rooms are on the ground floor and vary greatly in their patterns, textures and colors. The first bedroom uses graphic geometric patterns on a large scale in the tonal gray wallpaper, and slabs of single colors, which you immediately see in the plush crimson bedspread and matching bedside table.
This bedroom, in contrast, was an exercise in using pattern on pattern. It features a fine golden wallpaper and an intricate bedspread with multiple colors woven through.
When Woods and Warner joined the team, the owners’ teenage sons were entering their final stretch of high school. By the time the home was finished, they had graduated.
Each bedroom and en suite reflects the sons’ maturity as young adults rather than teenagers. These spaces juxtapose punchy patterns that evoke the playfulness of youth with sophisticated finishes and furniture, such as this marble table, black leather armchair and dark drapery.
Kirby and Bauchet saved their sons’ artworks from when they were children, and these treasured pieces adorn the boys’ rooms. “It’s always nice that you can have a gallery of pieces yet still keep the essence of a family home,” Warner says.
Vintage armchair: Grandfathers Axe
Each bedroom and en suite reflects the sons’ maturity as young adults rather than teenagers. These spaces juxtapose punchy patterns that evoke the playfulness of youth with sophisticated finishes and furniture, such as this marble table, black leather armchair and dark drapery.
Kirby and Bauchet saved their sons’ artworks from when they were children, and these treasured pieces adorn the boys’ rooms. “It’s always nice that you can have a gallery of pieces yet still keep the essence of a family home,” Warner says.
Vintage armchair: Grandfathers Axe
Separate master bedrooms crown the upper level, which is split into two flanks. These sleeping quarters are connected with a bridge that frames views of both sides of the property — a design reminiscent of the neighboring houses that Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera shared.
The bridge between the two rooms can be seen clearly on the upper-floor plan.
“Having [their] own space meant there were no compromises with color palettes or finishes. Each has a midcentury influence, while having their own distinctive male and female design schemes,” Woods says.
Kirby’s bedroom and en suite echo the monochromatic color palette used on the ground floor, and introduce rich pops of color through artworks and soft finishings.
“Silvi Wanted to Play” artwork: Kerry Armstrong
Kirby’s bedroom and en suite echo the monochromatic color palette used on the ground floor, and introduce rich pops of color through artworks and soft finishings.
“Silvi Wanted to Play” artwork: Kerry Armstrong
Voluminous white curtains decorate the floor-to-ceiling windows in Kirby’s bedroom. Woods and Warner designed the chaise, which offers an elegant repose near the freestanding stone bathtub.
A-127A bathtub: ACS Designer Bathrooms; Paper chandelier (XL): Moooi
A-127A bathtub: ACS Designer Bathrooms; Paper chandelier (XL): Moooi
Bauchet’s master bedroom and en suite embody an entirely different style and color palette. Compare the two sleeping quarters, and you’ll find that this space conjures a more somber feel.
Moody, smoke-colored curtains drape the full-height windows and hang in perfect unison next to the brooding gray accent wall. “Each room could have new fabrics, furniture and artwork without feeling overbearing and misplaced,” Woods says.
Moody, smoke-colored curtains drape the full-height windows and hang in perfect unison next to the brooding gray accent wall. “Each room could have new fabrics, furniture and artwork without feeling overbearing and misplaced,” Woods says.
A spacious study connects to this master bedroom, as does an en suite. Ask the designers which rooms are their own personal favorites, and the two master bathrooms take first prize. “We absolutely adore the bathrooms,” Warner says. “Using the Tex Mutina tiles was a slight challenge for the tilers; however, the simplicity of the execution makes it all worth it.”
Tex Mutina wall and floor tiles: Academy Tiles; Goccia collection sink: Abey Australia; towel hooks: Doug up on Bourke
Tex Mutina wall and floor tiles: Academy Tiles; Goccia collection sink: Abey Australia; towel hooks: Doug up on Bourke
The laser-cut screen designed by Legge, which grabs your attention at the home’s facade, makes a second appearance in Bauchet’s master bedroom. This photo shows what it looks like from within.
“The laser-cut screen provided an enormous amount of privacy, [and] the aesthetics soften the cubic formation of the home,” Warner says. “The effect is not only cleverly designed by the architect, but also thoughtfully curated for the clients’ wishes.”
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“The laser-cut screen provided an enormous amount of privacy, [and] the aesthetics soften the cubic formation of the home,” Warner says. “The effect is not only cleverly designed by the architect, but also thoughtfully curated for the clients’ wishes.”
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Margaret Kirby and Frank Bauchet and their two sons, ages 21 and 18
Location: Sydney
Size: Five bedrooms, five bathrooms
Design team: Interior designers Jacinta Woods and Sonia Warner of Woods & Warner, architect Tony Legge of Legge & Legge Architects, and landscape architect Murray Cox
Architect Tony Legge began designing the family’s home in 2011. His vision involved a complete tear-down, so the family of four moved out during the build. Woods and Warner joined the creative team in 2013, and the project was mostly completed in 2016.