It takes two

Business and pleasure were well and truly mixed when the founders of Studio Trio, a husband-and-wife duo, renovated and restored their heritage home in Sydney

- JULIA FAIRLEY

The years had not been kind to this 1913 Federation home in Sydney’s Inner West when Lauren Mahoney and Steven Zahra inspected the property for sale.

Upon stepping into the dark hallway in 2018, the home showed every one of its 105 years; the original charm had been stripped out and, adding insult to injury, a jaunty 1980s extension had been plonked on the back.

“It was so run-down, but it had really good bones,” says Lauren of its key redeeming feature.

Unsurprisingly for the couple, who spend their days designing homes for their clients at Studio Trio, phase one of a three-stage renovation launched soon after they collected the keys.

“We boarded off the original front part of the house and moved into the back extension while we fully renovated the front,” explains Lauren.

The dark “rabbit warren” floor plan was the first thing to go, replaced with a new four-bedroom, north-facing layout that embraces streams of natural light.

Next came a feast of finishes, both new and old, which was equal parts renovation and restoration.