Personal space

SLIGHT IN SIZE BUT CHARGED WITH SPIRIT, THIS SYDNEY COTTAGE IS A JOYFUL EXPRESSION OF ITS OWNER'S LOVES AND LIFE

- JESSICA BELLEF

PAINTBOX "Colour was in; neutrals, beige, white and blacks were out," says homeowner Clare of the transformation of her two-bedroom cottage, guided by the team at Anna Spiro Design. In daughter Betty's bedroom (below), Clare sits on a custom bench finished in 'Somerville' fabric by Warwick, with an antique quilt and 'Tulu' mirror from Spiro Store. 'Barbro' wallpaper by Cathy Nordström (contact ASD) is combined with trims in Porter's Paints Jodphur Blue. "Sisal flooring was installed wall to wall in all rooms, which levelled out the floor finishes and grounded the colours in the upholstery and paint scheme," says ASD interior designer Penny Sheehan. Framing the view to Clare's bedroom (opposite) are walls in half-strength Porter's Paints Water Nymph and internal doors in Dulux Wink. The pendant is from Bloomingdale's.

Tucked into a pretty pocket of Sydney’s Lower North Shore, this joyful bonbon box of a home comforts its owner, Clare, and her eight-year-old daughter Betty. Clare purchased the circa-1905 abode in 2014, choosing the neighbourhood for its proximity to her family and the sparkling harbour. As an admirer of cottages and tiny houses, she was keen to make the perfectly imperfect property her own. “It was feeling quite run-down and needed a lift,” explains Clare, a writer and ethicist. “I considered renovating and adjusting the floor plan, but in the end I decided to beautify it.”