ART AND SOUL

A collection of stellar Australian art is the linchpin of this house which embodies sophisticated curation and a relaxed approach to family living.

- Judy Pascoe

Just four photographs provided the starting point for the design of this expansive coastal property that is home to a large family. With a heritage listing, the requirement was to upgrade the original house and add a contemporary wing. Presented with the photos – of a staircase, some flooring, living room joinery and an open-plan kitchen – Alexandra Donohoe Church, principal of Sydney-based Decus Interiors, remarkably was able to ascertain the owners’ tastes, and her initial concepts for key areas were accepted with enthusiasm.

On a generously sized corner block with glimpses of water across a golf fairway, the house had vast potential to be a significant and substantial family home. Once the heritage requirements were determined, the new extension was built to include open-plan living, dining and kitchen, with a terrace and pool cabana set into Myles Baldwin-landscaped grounds, and five bedrooms, a rumpus room and study upstairs.