SMOOTH MOVES

A refined layout and seamless indoor-outdoor flow give the owners of this beachside home in Sydney what they've always wanted... a beautiful place to entertain.

- Carli Philips

“Like chalk and cheese,” says interior designer Sara Horvath of the before and after of this home on Sydney's Lower North Shore she renovated for a couple and their two kids. Sara, the founder and director of Studio George, recalls the 'before' home as being “super clinical with a warehouse vibe” and finished in polished concrete and exposed iron columns. It was everything the owners didn't want, but the neighbourhood was simply unbeatable. “It was all about location, location, location,” she says.

After purchasing the house, the owners rented it out while they lived in Singapore for about five years, but as soon as they returned to Australia it was all systems go.

“We were working on the house plans before they had even unpacked,” says Sara. While the family loved living abroad, they felt a strong pull to the “Aussie lifestyle” and climate, which ultimately drew them back home.