CLUB MED

A sunny beachside home in Sydney's east receives a vibrant makeover that celebrates the owner's Spanish origins.

- STORY Chris Pearson

The good life - la buena vida - that's what Irene, the Spanish-born owner of this home in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, lives and breathes in her sunsoaked, cosseting courtyard draped in bougainvillea. And, in the best of both worlds, on calm days you will find her on the living room terrace framed in bush, where she can soak up ocean vistas.

But it wasn't as blissful, when, in 2024, she bought her three-storey casa with husband Jonathan, for them and their growing family, now comprising Noah, Emilia and Luca, five and under. While the layout of the decade-old chevron-shaped home, by architects Dods and Zuccon, was functional, it had two shortcomings. “Two main elements needed rethinking,” says Irene.

The first was the indoor-outdoor flow. The central patio brings in beautiful northern light, but, strangely, was only accessible from a corridor. The second was the layout of the living spaces, LIVING Artwork (on the left) by Valentina Maggiolo. B&B Italia ‘Camaleonda’ armchair and stool in velvet, Space. Artwork (centre) by Eduardo Lalanne. Large artwork by Katrina O’Brien, Curatorial+Co. Roll arm sofa, Tow and Line. Gubi ‘Timberline’ floor lamp, Cult. ‘Element’ armchairs, McMullin. ‘Palazzo’ rectangular coffee table in Carrara marble, Casa Blanco. Custom cabinet, Maiden. Side tables imported from Spain. Flos ‘Snoopy’ table lamp and ‘Chiara’ floor lamp, Living Edge. Sisal rug, from Papiol Alfombres, Spain. with the kitchen, living and dining sharing one area, while an additional separate living room sat idle. And the decor needed a burst of Mediterranean energy.