When Studio Soleil's clients approached the design team about a renovation, it was immediately clear they wanted something different.
The existing family home in Sydney's inner west was a post-war residence, but previous renovations by previous owners had left it without much personality.
“The client’s brief was to create a space that truly reflected them – unpretentious, full of personality and full of character,” says Pia Watson, head of Studio Soleil.
In addition to hiring Bullivant Architecture for a rear addition, the owners asked Studio Soleil to design a new interior design for the home.
With period features such as the original leadlight windows replaced and restored with double glazing, the rear of the house has also been completely transformed and now features a renovated bathroom, new powder room, kitchen, laundry room and expanded living, dining and outdoor areas.
The inspiration for the palette of textured materials came directly from the customers, their warmth and especially their love of books and music.
“We realized that an overly polished interior wouldn't suit them; instead, the home needed to reflect their creativity and curiosity and embrace the imperfect,” adds Pia.
“The architecture was conceived as a journey where cohesion is achieved through materiality and yet each room offers its own atmosphere.”
In the kitchen, polished concrete floors are combined with warm woods and green tiles, while the windows reveal views of the sky and the neighboring red brick building – adding an extra layer to the home's robust aesthetic.
The flooring was carefully considered as a grounding element that helps delineate old and new. Transitioning to engineered wood in the original rooms and then to terrazzo in the bathrooms.
“The biggest challenge was combining the two different styles of the house and ensuring that each was respected in its own right while remaining coherent in the overall design,” says Pia.
Even the architecture of the second-story addition itself—arranged asymmetrically to the existing home—sets the tone for the home's creative renovation. Each of the blackbutt wood slats on the exterior were individually hand sealed and installed.
It is now a playful, modern and personal home, just as the owners intended.