EURO VISION

A glamorous new home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs boasts a European ambience with ideas, influences and sensibilities drawn from around the globe.

- JUDY PASCOE

To live in a house that transports you to another place in the world is definitely an ambition of some homeowners – a flight of fantasy, an escape from the everyday or perhaps just a yearning to be in a different location. Joe and Mariette Khouri, owners of this newly built house in Sydney’s eastern suburbs wished for such a vibe and the European-style architecture and interior design of their home has more than answered their dreams.

As an experienced property developer Joe knew a good site when he saw it – a sunny, north-facing, corner block in a desirable street, just minutes away from the harbour and the shops and eateries of Double Bay. The modest, single-storey Federation house didn’t quite fit the bill but there were already DA-approved plans for a new two-storey house. As this wasn’t quite to his liking either he engaged architect Roger Nahum who, along with architect Andrew Spaile, tweaked the plans to create a more classically styled property.

When Carla Barton, interior architect and director of Carla Barton Design Studio, came on board she made further revisions to the floor plan and the exterior facade, adding Georgian toothing under the eaves and changing the columns and some doors and windows. “Great spatial planning is always key,” says Carla. “The floor plans are the foundation for the interior spaces so it’s important these are right before selecting the finishes and furniture.”