ONE GOOD TURN

 Flipping the floor plan of this family home has enhanced its sense of connection and captured a delightful new view.

- Carli Philips

The owners of this 150-year-old house in Sydney say they fell in love with the property’s grace and character as soon as they saw it. But after living in the home for five years – with three children under 10 – the once charming abode was looking a little weary. “We wanted visitors to our home to have the same feeling we had when we first set eyes on it,” says one.

Having decided to renovate, the next step was putting a design dream team together. Architect Michael Suttor was first cab off the rank, followed closely by interior designer Denai Kulcsar.

Denai was tasked with bringing the house back to a version of its original state and devising a “predominantly monochromatic” interiors scheme. This involved restoring the original decorative elements the owners loved so much – mouldings, wrought-iron railings and french doors – where necessary, and updating in parts. Most significantly, these updates included a new coffered ceiling in the entrance, herringbone flooring and wainscoting in the stairwell.