LET THE SUNSHINE IN

A 1990s townhouse in Sydney's east receives a much-needed upgrade to open it up to the light and bring joy to its owners at every turn

- STEPHANIE HOPE

Timing was everything when Casey and Andre discovered this three-storey townhouse in Sydney's eastern suburbs not long before the birth of their second child.

After a year, they embarked on a renovation, engaging Pamment Projects to manage the build, and interior designer Stephanie Chu to elevate the interiors – here’s how it all unfolded.

WHY RENOVATE?

The house had all the ingredients to become a forever home for Casey, Andre and their children Huxley, four, Wells, two, and their most recent arrival, baby Annika, six months. But first they had to fix the dated decor and poor layout of small, dark rooms.

Being a townhouse in a larger complex, rebuilding wasn’t an option. "Renovating allowed us to remain in harmony with the surrounding homes and respect the heritage of the area while modernising it for family life," says Casey.

PLANNING MAKES PERFECT

Casey and Andre worked closely with Pamment Projects to ensure their plans adhered to the appropriate strata bylaws and council requirements. “We had to be mindful of stricter council requirements given our location in the Woollahra Heritage Conservation Area, as well as strata regulations, ensuring our plans respected both the facade and the building’s broader context,” says Casey. “The NSW ‘Class 2’ requirements added an additional layer of administrative complexity when it came to choosing appropriate service providers and navigating the NSW Planning Portal. We spent a good deal of time ensuring our open floor plan was held to elevated structural and fire safety standards.”