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The last decade has seen some major changes to this period home in Annandale, NSW.
Additions and alterations by Welsh + Major firstly transformed the property to focus primarily on its garden, involving the removal of the pool and carport.
‘It is a different house [now] – much more flexible in its approach to living, and far more in tune with our fantastic Sydney climate,’ says Chris Major, director of Welsh + Major.
A few years on, the property was again enhanced by the interior decoration work of Arent&Pyke.
The brief provided was to further elevate the entertaining capacity of the home, without making the kitchen the main focal point.
‘They wanted social spaces that engaged the user, to remove the feeling of the kitchen island being the centre of their living space,’ explains Genevieve Hromas, associate at Arent&Pyke. ‘Although their daily requirements were primary, they always referred to accommodating their extended family and guests. The generosity of the host in designing spaces was a delight to engage with.’
Furniture placement has been key to achieving these outcomes, enabling the owners and their guests to feel relaxed and invigorated in the space.
‘Now when you sit in that space, be it the built-in banquette, the bar stools, or the lounge, you are privy to the breadth of the whole room,’ says Genevieve. ‘The kitchen is no longer dominant – it’s all about great company and hearty conversations.’
The client’s personality is paramount to any project, but the varied interests of this particular home owner led to an especially inspired outcome.
‘The site visits were always informative, and not only on the design, but more than often digressed to farmhouses in Austria, ‘70s weddings, boats, artists, friends’ talents, and the idiosyncrasies of animals, amongst other things.’ says Genevieve. ‘It was this meandering of dialogue that lent itself to a relaxed, trusting, and therefore successful project.’
The combined architecture of Welsh + Major and decoration by Arent&Pyke has resulted in the most impressive iteration of this home yet, much to the delight of the owners and their many regular guests!
