REVELATIONS

H&G HOUSES
< double living room at the front, or under the pergola on the terrace,
where there’s a barbecue, plenty of comfortable seating and a swing
for Akira. Upstairs are three cosy bedrooms and a bathroom.
Although Simon occasionally ‘consults’, Cassandra makes most of
the interior decisions. As a design professional she specialises in
residential projects, working from her attic home office. Her own
home is now a showpiece to inspire clients.
“You don’t have to do a massive amount of work for it to have a
major lifestyle impact,” she says. “I was on a budget so in the kitchen
I put money into the tiles, benchtop and copper handles. I saved
money by leaving the original cupboard carcasses and buying a sink
from Bunnings.” In other areas, she has mixed art and designer
pieces with carefully selected items from budget and chain stores.
One of the spaces that has undergone many changes is six-year-old
Akira’s room, partly because her mother loves to experiment. An
Ikea desk, faux tree, bamboo storage ladder and faux animal trophies
are among the most recent additions.
Every room is beautifully put together but there are some
wonderful surprises, especially in Cassandra’s innovative use of
materials. The modernity of the interiors has in no way detracted
from the beauty of the 19th-century context. “I loved combining the
original features with contemporary furniture and accessories,” says
Cassandra. “It’s so sad when you see every part of an old terrace
disappear. I don’t think we hurt her too much.” #
Turner & Roberts, Paddington, NSW; 0414 482 411 or
www.turnerandroberts.com.au.
BEFORE
Renovation revelations
LOCATION Sydney’s inner east.
WISH LIST To transform a 19th-century
terrace house into an open, spacious family
home without changing the floorplan.
OUTCOME A light-filled and stylish home
that offers a great indoor-outdoor flow of
spaces plus multiple areas for enjoying time
together as a family, while still respecting
the traditional Victorian characteristics
of the original architecture.
APPROXIMATE COST $190,000.
FAVOURITE ELEMENTS “Our bifold doors
and the kitchen window servery have
opened the house to the outdoors.”
LESSONS LEARNT “It’s well worth
splurging on something that will make
you smile every day.”
Paint colours are reproduced as accurately as printing processes allow.
130 Australian House & Garden