In Sydney’s historic Woollahra, this heritage nineteenth-century property maintains its historical fabric but remains, according to the designers at the helm of this renovation, “unashamedly contemporary”. Paring back years of accretion, the original structure was exposed to emphasise the inherent grandeur of the original property. Throughout, the use of Graupa – with its soft cream undertones and cool highlights – balance heritage materiality with modern stylistic influence to set a decidedly refined and relaxing atmosphere.
A new central staircase connects the spacious modern wings of the property to the existing core quarters, accenting a double-vaulted negative space to draw drama and emphasis to the use of height throughout. With white-washed interiors, wide vistas of oak and minutely veined marble interact with the graphic, sculptural use of black around windows and along bannisters. Using a restrained selection of material finishes en masse allowed designers to achieve a sense of permanence and sophistication that is perfectly in keeping with the organic growth of this heritage gem.
