PERFECT FIT

Over nearly 25 years, this home has cleverly adapted itself to the lifestyle of its owners - and now it's poised for an exciting future.

-  Chris Pearson

This four-bedroom home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs is almost part of the family, moulding itself to its owners and their lives over nearly a quarter of a century. A professional couple, they bought the semi in 1999 when planning for children. But now their son and daughter are in their 20s, with one having left home, so the house is enjoying another transition. Following an elegant makeover by interior designer Kate Pulsford of Villa Interiors and architect Colin Sternberg of S Design Studio, it looks forward to a glamorous, grown-up future.

The appeal back then was the vista of Sydney Harbour from the upper level, but bland interiors betrayed that outlook. “It was in need of renovation, with a rickety, metre-deep balcony on the top storey and a salmon-pink interior, but there was potential,” says the homeowner.

In 2003, keeping within the existing footprint, the couple revamped the kitchen, moved the laundry under the stairs, extended the balcony, added bi-folds and painted the interiors white. “Our children were young, so we made it simple and child-friendly,” she says. But by 2020, their needs had changed. “Our children had grown, our family dynamics had shifted and we wanted a beautiful space to live and work, as we both work from home. It was time to update again.”