ARCH NOUVEAU

Original features were the starting point for the revival of a neocolonial home.

- CHRIS PEARSON

Built by a celebrated horse trainer in the late 1960s, this neo-colonial home in Adelaide’s southwest boasts an impressive pedigree. Over the years, it’s proven a stayer, but even the most feted thoroughbreds have a use-by date. When the current owners bought the house in 2021, they knew its opulent, if rather faded, interiors needed a revamp, and who better to climb into the saddle than interior designer Georgie Shepherd?

“As soon as we walked in, we knew it was special,” says the owner, who, with her husband, also owns a building company and lives in the home with three children under 10. “The house had incredible bones — arched doors, wide hallways, bay windows and generous proportions within a single-level 600-square-metre footprint. We immediately saw how it could be reimagined and took it on as our own building project.”

“The footprint needed a complete rework to create better flow, functionality and connection, especially to the outdoors,” says Georgie. The L-shaped plan had two separate wings. The bedroom wing (also with a formal living and dining area) was relatively well resolved, except for the lack of a main bedroom suite, but the kitchen and informal living area in the other wing were poky, separate spaces. Additionally, the outdoor area, tucked under a verandah, was undercooked. “The kitchen and family spaces felt disconnected and closed-in, a feeling compounded by low ceilings and awkward bulkheads, plus the decor was dated,” says Georgie.