FRESH START

UPSIZING FROM AN APARTMENT TO A GENEROUS FEDERATION HOME OPENED UP A NEW WORLD FOR THIS FAMILY – WITH INDOOR-OUTDOOR LIVING AND PLENTY OF SPACE FOR EVERYONE.

- CHRIS PEARSON

Living in a 37th-floor Sydney apartment had worked very well for Lauren and Aaron, but there came a point in time when they realised it was important to them that their growing family was able to feel the grass between their toes. So, in 2020, they happily came down to earth, swapping the high life for this Federation home on the city’s lower north shore. But, as well as blissful benefits, their new world brought its challenges.

There was no shortage of space, with seamless inside-outside areas for them and their children, Edie, five, Henry, three, and latest arrival Thomas, five months. “We loved the way the outdoor entertaining and pool area flowed into open-plan living,” says Lauren. “We both come from big families, with kids in and out of the water. We were keen to replicate that for our children.” Extensive native bushland nearby was also a big plus. “I love to run and it had fantastic running tracks.”

Aesthetically, their new home was a world away from their slick apartment. “It had a wonderful mix of Art-Deco features in a Federation home, with incredible moulded plaster ceilings and beautiful fireplaces.”

With those elegant spaces, Lauren wouldn’t have to say goodbye to her love of entertaining. “It was a comfortable family home, but it could also be scaled up for the adults,” she says. “We can have dinner parties, but it’s still practical for young children. With the open-plan, I can prepare dinner while watching what they are doing.”