Labour Of Love Talented owner

LABOUR OF LOVE

Revived and reimagined by a talented multitasker, this Sydney home has been transformed from an ugly duckling into a designer swan.

STORY Elizabeth Wilson | STYLING Olga Zdjelar | PHOTOGRAPHY Tom Ferguson

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DINING/LIVING Owners Dean and Olga Zdjelar have created a perfect balance of light and dark in their home. Ligne Roset ‘Togo’ sofa, Domo. Mini rocket stool, Anibou. Coffee table, Fred International. Credenza, Rudi Rocket. Concrete side table and dining table, Globe West. Dining chairs, Space. Spun table lamp, Flos. Egyptian rug in Russet, Armadillo. Vintage Louis Poulsen ‘PH 6.5’ pendant light, Modern2vintage. Artwork by Rohan Carter (on concrete bench). Vintage Rosenthal plates (on wall). Concrete bench by Dean through his company, The Designer-Renovator.

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iththeirhomenowrenovatedandimpeccably furnished, Sydney creative couple Dean and OlgaZdjelarcanlookbackandlaughaboutthe daytheyboughttheplace.Butitwasnolaughing matter at the time. “I cried!” says Olga. “And theywerenothappytears.” The year was 2016 and Dean and Olga had beenrepeatedlyout-bidatauctionsforotherproperties.Withayoung baby, Henry, in tow, they were desperate to find a home within their budget.WhenOlgafirstsawthishouse,shewasunderwhelmed.Itwas atwo-bedroom,1940ssemithathadbeenrenovatedinthe1980sand strippedofanyperioddetailsandcharacter.“Itwastheugliesthouse I’d ever seen,” says Olga. Clearly, others shared her feelings. “On the day of the auction, it was pouring with rain and no one else >

KITCHEN Cabinetry by Joey Australis Joinery plays a solid supporting role for the beautiful Arabescato benchtops and splashback. Voda tap, Sussex Taps. Miele appliances, Winning Appliances. Can lights, About Space. Rocket stools, Anibou. Artworks by Peter Hardy (above sideboard) and Keith Sherlock (on bench).

LIVING Below and opposite The portrait of Anthony Bourdain is by Chico Cristobal. DCW Editions ‘Mantis’ wall lamp, Spence & Lyda. Magis ‘Dalmation Puppy’, Cult. Børge Mogensen vintage chair, Nord Modern. Fireplace, Jetmaster. White smoked engineered-oak flooring, Woodcut. Curtains, Marlow & Finch.

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turned up to bid,” says Dean, an interior designer and professionalrenovatorwhoconvincedOlgathehomecould betransformed.“Itwasona382-square-metreblock—abig block for a semi. I knew I could turn the ugly duckling into a swan.” Despite her “what have we done?” tears, Olga had faith in her husband’s vision and capabilities. “I knew he woulddoamazingthingswithit,”shesays.

As Dean tells it, the evolution of this little duckling has beenverymuchacombinedeffort.Indeed,bothheandOlga have serious design credentials to bring to the table: after meeting at university, where they studied interior design, Deanspentadecadedesigninghigh-specinteriorswhileOlga worked in fashion. Dean’s specialties are spatial planning andminimalism;Olga’sarecolourandvintage-Scandistyling. Betweenthem,therewasalotofcreativetalenttodrawon.

Theiraimwastoturnthedwellingintoafive-bedroomhome with plenty of room to grow for themselves and Henry, now five.Deandrewupplansforasingle-storeyextension,atopa designthatretainedthetwooriginalfrontroomsbutreworked everything else. Downstairs, there are now two bedrooms at thefront,withanopen-plankitchen/dining/livingareaatthe rear.Upstairs,therearethreebedrooms,includingthemain bedroomwithwalk-inwardrobeandensuite.Tomakethemost of the 57-metre-long block, Dean also designed a studio and doublegarageatthebackoftheproperty.

During the demolition phase, the old home imparted a lovely gift to the couple. “The common wall was covered in plasterandwallpaper,andOlgasaidweshouldseewhatwas underneath,” says Dean. “We stripped back the layers and struck gold. It’s a beautiful wall built from recycled bricks andisoneofthegreatestfeaturesofthehouse.”

Dean was hands-on during the build and crafted many of the bespoke touches himself, including the beautiful oak ‘ribs’ of the balustrade on the staircase. He also formed the 14-metreconcretebenchthatstretchesalongthedownstairs living-room wall. Design-wise, he added elements of drama, suchastheroundedblackbulkheadabovethekitchen,which helpstodefinethecookinganddiningzoneswhilecreatinga perfectfoilforthebenchtopsofhonedArabescatomarble.He also designed walls of joinery featuring hidden doors >

“IT WAS AN OLD, DARK SEMI. ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES WAS TO BRING LIGHT INTO THE HOME, AND DEAN HAS DONE THAT WITH BRILLIANT RESULTS.” Olga Zdjelar

THE PALETTE

Haymes Paint Whitewash 1 (main walls) Dulux Pozieres (V-groove panelling)

Dulux Monument (roofing and fence)

UPSTAIRS LANDING Oak-veneer wall cladding and balustrade designed by The Designer-Renovator. Timber cupboard handles, Auburn Woodturning. Skylights, Velux. Vintage Italian mirror, 506070. Wall art by Slowdown Studio, through Koskela. PLAYROOM Top right and opposite More joinery by Joey Australis keeps things neat in here. Chalkboard, oak table and chairs, Lilly & Lolly. Mobile art, Flensted Mobiles. Artwork (top right) by Olga. Beanbags and rug, Koskela. HENRY’S ROOM Right The V-groove ceiling and Double Cup wall lights by Anna Charlesworth are all painted Dulux Pozieres.Custom bed and bouclé-upholstered bedhead, The Designer-Renovator. Quilt cover, Adairs. Artek side table, Anibou. Pendants, Spence & Lyda. Artwork, Koskela.

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“I PUSHED THE BOUNDARIES WITH THE CEILING HEIGHTS UPSTAIRS AND IT CHANGED THE DYNAMICS OF THE ROOMS. I ENJOY SEEING VISITORS’ REACTIONS TO THE SPACE AND LIGHT.” Dean Zdjelar

HENRY’S ROOM Above and top right Sweet details, including the wood-turned handles and Anna Charlesworth wall light, bring this room to life. Joinery by Joey Australis Joinery/The Designer-Renovator, painted Dulux Pozieres. Fabric (shelving insert), Marimekko. Cot, Leander. Chair, a vintage find. Anne-Claire Petit blanket, Kido Store. MAIN BATHROOM Right This family space is a calming vision of Sahara limestone from Bisanna Tiles. Mirrored cabinetry, Joey Australis Joinery. Basin, Villeroy & Boch. Bath, Cass Brothers. Matt tapware, Meir. MAIN BEDROOM Opposite Shield wall lights by Anna Charlesworth reinforce the detail on the bed designed by Dean, The Designer-Renovator. Linen bedcover, Cultiver. Artek side tables, Anibou. Pendant lights, Great Dane. Vintage artwork. V-groove panelling on ceiling painted Dulux Pozieres.

THIS IS THE LIFE

An impressive aspect of this renovation is Dean and Olga’s teamwork. Their mutual respect for each other’s skills is evident and has resulted in a tailor-made home, finessed to perfection. “Dean’s spatial planning is impeccable,” says Olga. “He designs and builds and is an all-round creative soul.” Meanwhile, Dean loves Olga’s styling nous: “I’d be lost without Oli’s colour advice and eye for vintage pieces. She puts the ‘home’ into the project.” >

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(leading to rooms and/or storage cupboards), creating a sense of the unexpected. Upstairs, he took the ceilings to their absolute maximum reach–5metres–andlinedthemwithV-groovepanellingtoaccentuate theheight.Skylightsplaced above the stairwell help to flood the entire homewithnaturallight.

Therearenoglossyorpolishedsurfacesinthishouse–everythingis deliberately matt and velvety, providing the perfect backdrop for the couple’scollectionofMid-Centuryfurnishingsandart.Oneofthemost strikingoftheseisaportraitofthelateUSchefAnthonyBourdain(bought byOlgaseveralyearsagoasagiftforDean),whichtakesprideofplace inthelivingroom.Anequallyjoy-givingobjectisthevintageLouisPoulsen pendant light above the dining table. “It came out of the Sydney Opera HousewhentheywererenovatingtheBennelongrestaurant,”saysOlga oftheprizedpossession.Fittingly,Deanhascreatedatheatrical‘stage’ forit,hangingthependantfromacut-outintheblackbulkheadabove.

Inmanywaysthependantlightissymbolicofthecouple’steamwork inshapingthehome.“Thishouseisaperfectcollageofmyminimalistic styleandOlga’sloveofScandinavianpieces,”Deansays. #

Dean operates two businesses, The Studio Zdjelar (design/styling) and The Designer-Renovator (renovating services), Sydney, NSW; 0401 954 646.

Entry

Bed

Ground floor THE LAYOUT

Bed Laundry Kitchen Dining Living

Bed

Bed Bed

Bath Wardrobe Garden

First floor Studio/ bed Garage

REAR DECK This page and opposite top Colorbond Monument external cladding emphasises the greenery. Decking in grey-stained blackbutt. Livorno Boulder table, Globe West. Hee lounge chairs, Hay. Can lights, About Space. Vintage Murano vase (inside), Tamsin Johnson. Barbecue, Tucker Barbecues. STREET FRONTAGE The aluminium picket fence, also in Dulux Monument, was designed and built by Dean.

For Where to Buy, see page 192.