GOOD CONNECTIONS

A sprawling family weekender was turned into an intimate home for two keen entertainers, thanks to some clever design moves.

- SALLY WILKINS, INTERIOR DESIGNER

When interior designer Sally Wilkins was engaged to work on this property in the Southern Highlands of NSW, the client's first question surprised her "Can you make the house feel smaller?"

Not a common request, says Sally, as most clients are looking to expand the feel of their home. However, the 20-year-old house was indeed sizeable with ceiling heights ranging from four to eight metres and a vast array of rooms that no longer had purpose and were disconnected from each other.

Based on an H-shape, the house has three wings with further wings behind for guest accommodation and utility rooms. A combined kitchen and dining area, study and sunroom occupied one wing, with a ‘great’ room spanning the cross section. Six bedrooms, five bathrooms and a children’s playroom were located in the other wing.

Originally built as a weekender, the house worked well when the children were small but it needed a rethink when the adult children moved away and it became a permanent residence.

“The owners wanted to convert it from a kid-friendly family home to a sophisticated residence for the next chapter of their lives,” says Sally.

As enthusiastic entertainers the owners had noticed that their guests tended to congregate in the combined kitchen dining area without moving into other areas of the home.

“Having a dining table in the kitchen is great when the kids are growing up, but not so good for entertaining,” says Sally. “We needed to spread the flow.”