PLUM JOB

REWORKING THE COMPLEX BURROWS of an inner-city terrace has resulted in an expansive home for two, with rich hues and pared-back furnishings, all imbued with meaningful custom finishes.

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How did you become involved with this project? I was approached by my friends, Madelaine and Ben, who were looking to purchase a home together. I attended many property viewings with them before they made an offer on this Paddington, NSW, terrace.

To undertake the building work, they engaged Ambient Constructions led by co-director Luke Tuckwell. What were the challenges of the space and how did you resolve them? The existing home comprised a warren of rooms on the ground floor with the typical terrace layout of two bedrooms on the first floor. We employed the use of a large, almost full-width frameless glass window above the staircase and kitchen, bringing light into the darkest point of the home.

We utilised the existing attic space by lowering the floor level to create enough head height to accommodate a bedroom and ensuite. In turn, we were able to turn a twobed, one-bath home into a three-bed, three-bath home. The clients and I collaborated closely with Luke and his in-house architect to devise a floor plan to suit the couple’s needs, involving many iterations to ensure the narrow proportions were pushed to achieve a balanced and thoughtful layout.

What was the starting point for the interiors? The brief for the upgrade of this terrace was to provide a retreat for a professional couple and their two gorgeous Lagotto dogs, that was liveable, relaxed and reflective of the character of the inhabitants. I had an initial meeting with them where I had laid out a range of samples and reference imagery.