The top two floors of the 3-storey Woollahra federation home were full of personality, with a relaxed sophisticated style. However, the downstairs teenager’s bedroom, sitting room, bathroom, laundry, and rear courtyard were needing a major update. The area was drab, without natural light, and not visually connected to the rest of the house.

The client’s brief was to update and imbue it with finishes and textures that flow and connect with the contemporary look of the upstairs level. The downstairs now has a uniqueness and freshness that is beautifully resolved and celebrates a relaxed urban family lifestyle and teenage retreat.

The first place we tackled was the teenage bedroom, which was in much need of love. The old carpet was replaced with a recycled tongue and groove timber flooring and the rear window was replaced with black metal French doors, that open to a small enchanting landscaped courtyard. The courtyard has a high retaining wall and a new staircase that connects leading up into the rest of the main house garden. The courtyard garden was planted with hanging baskets to maximise the height of the rear wall. Previously there was no thoroughfare from that area to the main garden, but still allow the courtyard to retain its privacy while creating a dramatic garden backdrop.

Before:

Moodboard:

In progress:

The laundry tub was a large older style design. The tub and the washing machine were originally inside the bathroom with laundry storage cupboards, dryer and fridge outside in the corridor.

Before:

The laundry and bathroom were reconfigured to maximise function with contemporary finishes. In the laundry skylights were added to max natural light, new Terrazzo floor; Fluted timber joinery in American Oak, splashback with Spanish hand made tiles, Polytec Legatto overhead cupboards, large oval stylish mirror in the bathroom, and matt brass hardware.

After:

The bathroom and laundry were separated so to create flow we installed black metal frame doors: one leading from the laundry to the outside, several large black metal framed windows in the bedroom and teenage sitting room, and one French door from the bedroom to the new rear teenage bedroom courtyard. The space flows well with lots of indoor-outdoor aspects, allowing natural light to beam freely.