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The beauty of doing a renovation is that you’re able to tailor your home not just to your needs or lifestyle, but to fill the space with personal stories of your life.
This was certainly true for Annalisa Ferraris and Nathan White, who recently completed an elegant transformation of their Paddington terrace.
The couple had been looking for three years for the right fixer-upper when they came across an 1880s residence that was ripe for a renovation.
‘It was so light and airy — having seen so many darker terrace houses finding this one felt like we had struck gold,’ Annalisa says.
‘Plus, with the fully established magnolias in the garden, and the leafy tree lined streets of Paddington, it was exactly what we were looking for.’
The rear of the home was gutted to remove an old ’60s chipboard and laminate kitchen, while the bathroom also needed a complete redesign.
In its place, Annalisa designed a sophisticated kitchen with limestone tiled floors and turned the ‘awkward’ room directly adjacent into a chic ‘parlour’, complete with and custom banquette seat that perfectly hugs the compact space.
‘I wanted the house to exude that timeless elegance, warmth and luxurious nod of those old-world hotels you find in Europe. And I wanted the kitchen and parlour room to feel like a little French bistro,’ she adds.
This vision set the tone for the new interiors, working within the existing footprint to create spaces befitting of the elegant heritage home.
It also resonated with the couple’s personal style, as self-described auction enthusiasts: ‘Our entire house is basically [pieces] from auctions, or brought home from European holidays.’
A marble bust statue from Lawsons is one of the newest additions to their eclectic collection, whilst other favourite pieces include artworks by local artists likes Allie Webb and Dan Kyle.
It took many different configurations and sketches before Annalisa landed on the right lay out for the luxurious bathroom, which is now tiled from floor to ceiling for complete serenity.
A built-in bar — painted a bold blue in contrast to the rest of the creamy white joinery — was another must-have addition for the couple’s dream home.
‘My husband and I both managed bars in our 20s, so having a fully stocked bar, with a wine fridge and cocktail paraphernalia is a real treat,’ Annalisa explains.
‘I like to serve guests a martini to the standard of a high-end bar — silver tray and all,’ Annalisa explains.
