This three bedroom Victorian home located on one of the many tree lined streets of Camperdown in Sydney's inner west, has been owned by a busy professional couple for the last 8 years.

The original cottage footprint was extended and remodelled more than 15 years ago and our brief was to modernise and brighten the interiors which had previously been given a distinctive South East Asian look and feel. Although benefiting from abundant natural light from a full wall of ceiling to floor folding doors opening to a sunny courtyard, the heavy colour scheme and abundant stained timber window frames tended to shrink and darken the space.

We began this design with careful consideration of the flooring treatments . Timber floor boards throughout the entry, dining room, stairway and the complete second floor, previously finished in a baltic coloured stain, were refinished in matte dark chocolate . We offset this striking finish with a large format porcelain tile in bright white which was used in the large connecting living room and kitchen. A colour scheme of cool white accented with deep dark charcoal was chosen and this was used throughout the home. Custom cabinetry designed for both the dining room and living room was finished in semi gloss bright white to match the cabinetry in the open galley style kitchen .
In the living room, we chose a 3 dimensional effect timber cladding in striking Japan black to create a stunning 3.5 meter high feature wall repeating the effect between the two wall mounted cabinets installed in the dining room.

Furnishings were chosen for their clean and elegant lines, with the fine legs of the dining room table repeated in the living room sofa, armchairs and oversized carrara marble topped coffee table. Artworks include a striking 3 dimensional piece made of looped fabric hung in the entrywayand a large painting in abstract form in dark moody colours which hangs in the open stairway - a feature that can be viewed from many angles within the home. Feature lighting includes a dramatic starburst pendant light from Italy in the dining room and an oversized floor lamp, designed with a distinctive grey, black and white marbleised effect, in the living room. Magnificent custom Akira Isagawa rugs in tones of pale grey , white and black were used in two different patterns to anchor the seating arrangements in both the living and dining rooms.

The completed home feels twice as large as it did before the renovation due to the dazzling effect of the light, bright but very soft and calming colour scheme, whilst the textured feature finishes and carefully considered furnishings, carpets, lighting and artworks combine to create an overall feeling of sophistication and contemporary elegance.