eco homes
75
Garden PARTY
Natural finishes and dramatic colour are brought together in a sensitive refurbishment with an emphasis on sustainable style Story Jane parbury Photography sue stubbs
The refurbishment of Sydneysiders Madi and Ken’s Victorian terrace offered the perfect opportunity for the couple to incorporate a few easy eco features and create a home that embraces the outdoors. An extensive stepped deck {opposite}, laid to accommodate the existing century-old lime tree, sweeps round the back of the house, providing play space for the children and entertaining room for the grown-ups. The teak outdoor table {above} is often the centre of such soirees, simply decorated to match the natural setting with a shallow pewter dish, Moroccan-style candleholders, available at Papaya (papaya.com.au), and a pretty reversible table runner from Bird Textiles. >
homebeautiful.com.au {may 2010}
75
Living room “It’s my little refuge in winter,”
says Madi of the comfortable window seating that runs around the corner of the spacious family room. Made by St Mary’s Joinery (call (02) 4577 4254) in the same blackbutt veneer as the kitchen, the discreet drawers underneath provide handy storage for toys and games. Bright ruby red cushions from Bird Textiles add a belt of colour and pick up the tone of a red sofa that has been in the family for over 10 years. Louvred windows minimise the need for airconditioning, with cool air flowing in between the panes as directed. >
W
When you’re on the trip of a lifetime, it takes a special kind of place to draw you home. After three months spent travelling around Australia with her family – husband Ken and children Finn, Zoe and Liv – Madi found herself dreaming of her home in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Petersham. “It’s fabulous,” she told Home Beautiful, while on the last leg of her journey. “I’m really looking forward to being there again.” Looking around the two-storey, Victorian-era terrace, it’s easy to see why. A clever blend of original features and modern touches characterises the heart of the home, a light-filled, high-ceilinged kitchen and family room that flows seamlessly out to a capacious deck and pretty garden. Madi and Ken bought the property almost seven years ago, in search of a bigger home to accommodate their growing family. “The property didn’t have to be brand new, but it had to have the potential for us to open up the back and utilise the garden,” explains Madi. “In our previous house, we had a tiny garden, but we used it such a lot, especially for entertaining. We wanted to replicate that feeling here.” The house, while needing a decorating overhaul, had the bones they were looking for and a sizeable outdoor space in which the kids could play. However, one of the drawbacks, as Madi discovered, was the downstairs layout, a series of interconnecting rooms and a small kitchen. “It just didn’t allow for much interaction between me and the kids,” she explains. “I really wanted a family living space.” Luckily, they had the expertise of Madi’s cousin, architect Caroline Pidcock, to draw on. Caroline drew up plans to extend the home out over an existing courtyard area, creating a much larger open-plan
kitchen and family room that leads out to the generously proportioned deck and back garden through glazed bi-fold doors. The result: a spacious, light-filled area that embraces the outdoors. Madi runs an eco-aware cleaning business, BreatheEasyClean, and Ken works for the Property Council of Australia, so an eco-friendly renovation was always a priority. The timber used throughout the refurbished family area comes from sustainably managed forests, the glazed windows keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter, saving on energy, and clever louvres can be adjusted minutely to regulate the flow of air through the space. Outside, the Vergola louvred awning over the deck can be opened or closed for light or shade, and to insulate against the summer heat. Photovoltaic cells (solar panels) supply the family’s hot water needs, and rainwater is stored in a reservoir under the deck for the garden and the washing machine. Even the planting is composed largely of droughttolerant Aussie natives to keep watering to a minimum. Elsewhere, the house has been revitalised while retaining the Victorian features that give it such a sense of character. Original fireplaces, cornicing and ceiling roses are highlighted against dramatic paint choices; a dark red feature wall steals the show in the dining room and a deep charcoal appears on the hall ceiling and the staircase, while fresh green provides a hit of colour in the kitchen area and upstairs bathroom. Changing the orientation of the family room, in particular, was a masterstroke. “Before, there was a whole section of the garden that we just didn’t use,” says Madi. “Now it all flows.”
KITCHEN {above} One of the most clever features is the timber veneer upstand in front of the island bench, crafted from sustainably
grown blackbutt by Big River Timbers and illuminated by a trio of pendant lights from Koda Lighting. “So many people said to me not to have it, but I’m a bit of a messy cook, and we like to entertain a lot,” says Madi. “I didn’t want all the food preparation and the sink on show.” The vivid green glass splashback – Madi calls it “Play School green” – was architect Caroline’s idea, to bring tones from the garden inside.
76 {may 2010} homebeautiful.com.au
“It’s designed
to allow us to open up the space in summer and close it off in winter – Natural comfort through passive design.”
dining room {opposite} This classically decorated space has
been imbued with an airy modern aesthetic, with glazed bi-fold doors that can be thrown open to link the dining and family rooms, or closed off to make a cosy dining space in winter, while still allowing in plenty of light. Colonial-style ladderback chairs are teamed with a dining table made from recycled floorboards. “They fitted into our very narrow first home, and we’ve never tired of them,” says Madi. The Korean cabinet was found at Ruby Star Traders: “It cost us what we thought was a small fortune 15 years ago.” A single feature panel in Murobond’s Almore adds warmth to the room and provides a striking backdrop to the original marble fire surround.
STAIRCASE {top left} Calming cream walls, painted in Dulux’s Ecru Quarter, highlight the warmth of the blackbutt engineered flooring and create a contrasting dramatic feature of the dark staircase. Stained in Black Japan from Feast Watson, this striking feature was suggested by Richard Williamson of Dig Design, who was enlisted to help with the colour scheme. “The staircase was damaged with all the builders coming and going,” explains Madi. “Richard sorted out the colour and now I really enjoy looking at it.” MASTER BEDROOM {right} Light and warmth are key elements of the master bedroom, with walls painted in Dulux’s Raw Cashew Nut, tall curtains from Petre’s Home Interiors over the French doors and softly layered beige bedding. Custom-built by St Mary’s Joinery to fit the awkwardly uneven spaces on either side of the original fireplace, the built-in wardrobes are painted in Dulux’s Ecru Quarter and are a perfect complement to the old pine dresser. A ceiling fan from Urban Lighting keeps things cool in summer – an energy-efficient alternative to airconditioning. >
homebeautiful.com.au {may 2010}
79
Inside story
DECK {right} As well as being minutely adjustable for light and shade, the Vergola louvred awning has a rain sensor to keep this alfresco extension of the living room dry; vergolansw.com.au.
Who lives here? Madi,
41, who runs an eco cleaning business, BreatheEasy Clean; her husband Ken, 41, an executive director; and their children Finn, nine, Zoe, seven, and Liv, four.
HALLWAY {below} A rich charcoal, Murobond’s Nearly Slate, highlights the ceiling rose and provides a cool contrast to the pretty pendant from Yoshi Jones. The colour was suggested by Richard at Dig Design & Colour, and Madi is delighted with it. “People say you shouldn’t paint the ceiling in a dark colour, but in our house, the opposite was true.”
How did the renovation come about? Madi: “A lack
of cupboard space in the master bedroom! We began to think about installing built-ins, then we thought, ‘What about...’”
“We feel
strongly about trying to do our bit for the environment, especially in the home.”
Favourite part of the new reno?
“The deck and bi-fold doors, which effectively make the garden a whole other room. Even when it’s raining, my four-year-old can be out there painting, thanks to the Vergola awning. It was expensive, but it’s great!”
Why was a sustainable renovation important? “We both feel strongly
2
3
Materials & colour 1 Dining room paint Murowash
fave find
, -wise water ury. in e h x lu Bat y -rated WELS n ‘Flexispra r. e e v h w t o e M e’ sh m o . D 2 $39 Stilo from Price: ydney Tap S : Find it , (02) 9698 e Centr dneytap sy 2367, .au. e.com t n e c r
WASHING DAY The unusual clothesline, built using repurposed railway sleepers in keeping with the home’s sustainable style, was dreamed up by landscaper Nicola Cameron at Pepo. “We’re trying to create a space that we can share with the kids, so it’s at a height they can reach to hang their artwork, or throw over a tarpaulin to make a cubbyhouse,” says Madi.
in Almore, $39/litre, Murobond, 1800 199 299, murobond.com.au. 2 Ceiling paint Murowash in Nearly Slate, $34/litre, Murobond. 3 Bathroom tiles Vetricolor 20mm x 20mm glass mosaic tiles, $116/sqm, Bisazza, (02) 9838 9233, bisazza.com. Due to the printing process, actual colours may vary.
Eco directory
1 Architect: Caroline Pidcock at Pidcock Architecture + Sustainability (02) 9357 1366; pidcock.com.au.
BATHROOM {above} The green mosaic tiles, architect Caroline’s idea, provide a fresh hit of colour in this white space. A three-star WELS-rated showerhead provides water-wise bathing. bedroom
first floor
carport
living l’dry
garden
dining kitchen
living
ILLUSTRATION WWW.KENZIEDESIGN.COM
study
bath
bedroom
bedroom
bath
about trying to do our bit for the environment, especially in the home, so the kids will learn too. Plus, both our work environments are focused on sustainability, so we wanted to put our money where our mouths are.” Any renovation tips? “Call on the experts. We’d invested such a lot in the renovation, that when it came to the decor, I found it all a bit daunting. Richard Williamson from Dig Design & Colour came in and made suggestions and did the whole colour scheme. It was well worth the money.”
1
we love… < easy eco features
This savvy renovation has substantially reduced the need for excessive heating and cooling: “It’s designed to allow us to open up the space in summer, and close it off in winter – natural comfort through passive design,” explains Ken. Solar energy fuels the family’s hot water, while rainwater is harvested and stored in bladders concealed under the deck.
2 Landscape design: Nicola Cameron at Pepo Landscape Design (02) 9349 1220; pepo.com.au.
3 Interior design: Richard Williamson at Dig Design & Colour 0421 048 424.
4 Solar hot water: Rinnai (03) 9271 6625; rinnai.com.au.
5 BreatheEasyClean 0414 334 672.
ground floor
homebeautiful.com.au {may 2010}
81