A Hidden Delight in the Suburbs
Photography by Tony Potter
Styling by Greg Sukendro
Kathy and Ben's clever renovations have transformed their family home into their own private sanctuary. Twenty years ago, when Kathy and Ben found this house in a southern suburb of Sydney, they knew they were here to stay. Kathy inspected the house before it went on the market and simply had to buy it. "I didn't even see it," laughs Ben, but luckily, it was exactly what they were both after. However, many years and four children later, they were more than ready to update it to suit their changing tastes and lifestyle.
Living in the house for so long, when it came to renovating, Kathy and Ben knew exactly what they wanted. "It was a very 'country', rustic-looking house originally," says Kathy, "and I loved that 20 years ago but, of course, things change, so we decided to lighten it up." With the expert help of architect Cameron Rice Jones, of Innovative Building Design, they did a complete renovation, carefully blending the best original features with a few new ideas. The result is light-filled yet cosy, and it feels more like a French country cottage than a newly renovated house.
Ben and Kathy chose Dulux Antique USA for the walls as they wanted to keep the colour scheme clean, simple and consistent throughout. The space flows easily from the family living room at the front out to the kitchen, which was updated from an Oregon timber finish to white cabinets, CaesarStone Mink benchtops and stainless-steel appliances. This then opens to an enormous living/dining area, which is the perfect setting for the couple's regular family gatherings.
They kept the original quarry-tiled floor and leadlight windows, but completely revamped the decor. "I wanted this room to be light and airy because previously it had been dark and cluttered," says Kathy and, indeed, she has created a delightful 'French country' look in a white, pink and blue colour scheme. Originally, this room was very hot in summer as the back area was a conservatory and all glass, providing absolutely no airflow. "We wanted the open-air outlook but not the heat," she explains, "so we changed it all to glass louvres."
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