Our lovely clients moved into their home a little over two years ago to accommodate their growing family.
When the AKD team came on board, we explored all available options to extend the house every which way and create a greater connection to the outdoors. We considered going up, out, and even over!
In the end, it made most sense to break the construction process into phases, with phase one focusing on transforming the interior space to suit our client’s immediate needs, all the while keeping in mind phase two: future expansion.
Being a federation home, there are so many lovely details throughout: wonderful lolly-coloured stained-glass windows, original marble fireplaces and stunningly frothy plaster archways. Our interior scheme had to complement both a traditional home and a beachside location!
We started with the flooring as our foundation to build from, literally. Opting to replace the squeaky old floor throughout meant we could also install much needed under-floor insulation. ‘Bistre’ from Tongue n Groove provided a soft lime-washed base that we used throughout the home, lifting the palette to create a fresh and bright atmosphere with just a hint of ‘beachy.’
The central hallway has no access to natural light and was in desperate need of brightening. We replaced all the light fittings with brighter ones and added a neutral but softly textured palm wallpaper – an excellent base to display our client’s collection of fun and colourful artworks.
The hallway features an original horsehair plaster ceiling.
‘Monsoon’ by Arte wallpaper via Unique Fabrics
Next, we tackled the dining room – an important space for every family to come together for the ritual of meal times. Our clients owned a very special dining table, handmade by a friend and gifted to them as a wedding present. To complement the timber tones of the table, we included a teak sideboard for extra storage, which also picks up the tones in the carved wooden artwork (sitting above). We added new upholstered leather dining chairs to complement our client’s existing timber ones for an eclectic but cohesive look.
The dining area with the new timber flooring in all its glory.
A gorgeous Robyn Cosgrove rug now adorns the floor of the dining area.
The walls throughout have been given a refresh with an eco-friendly lime paint that creates a soft powdery finish. We added much-needed storage to the living areas, and papered the inset features with a sustainable, renewable and biodegradable grass cloth wallpaper in a gorgeous muted sage green, coloured by vegetable dye!
In the living space we were conscious not to interfere with the original ceilings. We designed our new joinery pieces in a considered way to highlight the ceiling’s historic beauty. By lowering our joinery to align with the picture rail and throwing soft up-lighting above we created a cosy and calm atmosphere.
The addition of bookshelves for our family of avid readers.
A daybed incorporated to the children’s play area for lounging.
To better connect the upper living level with the backyard, the deck also had a makeover! The layout of the stairs was revised to incorporate additional landings, making for a gentle transition between levels. A new cabana style pergola with shade cloth and built-in dining area will complete the space.
The new tallowood deck will grey softly over time.
The pergola is to be painted a fresh white to contrast against the green landscaping.
As the last rolls of wallpaper are hung and the final furniture pieces are received to complete phase one, we can’t wait to share the results of our sunny beachside home.
Follow our construction journey on Instagram and keep your eyes peeled for the #BigReveal
All images via © Alexandra Kidd Design