|
Nathalie Scipioni Architects
|
Sponsored Content
Pro Spotlight: How to Update a Heritage Home Without Losing Charm
Love your heritage home's character but not its layout? A Sydney architect and interior designer shares some solutions
Sponsored Content
Who: Nathalie Scipioni of Nathalie Scipioni Architects
Location: Sydney, Australia
In her own words: “I love the eclectic nature of my work as it allows me to do contemporary residential and commercial architecture alongside the heritage work I’m well known for,” says architect and interior designer Nathalie Scipioni of award-winning, multi-disciplinary architecture practice, Nathalie Scipioni Architects. Nathalie, who studied architecture in Florence and spent 10 years restoring heritage monuments in Paris after doing a post-graduate degree in heritage architecture, has developed a reputation for her innovative and thoughtful upgrades to period homes since moving to Australia in 2005.
“Heritage homes have plenty of personality and charm, but they’re not ideally suited to modern living. They have small rooms, narrow corridors, little light and often zero indoor-outdoor connection,” says Nathalie. “Most additions to heritage homes in Australia were done in the 1950s or ‘60s and haven’t been touched since – even when they were first built, they were generally fairly inadequate. Most of the work I do with heritage houses involves retaining the home’s facade and front bedrooms, and adding a new contemporary addition to the rear and a first-floor addition, with a flexible, open-plan kitchen/living/dining space, outdoor connection and additional bedrooms and bathrooms.
“While you’ll certainly want to celebrate the character and history in the original part of the home, the new addition shouldn’t be a copy of the past. Use the original as inspiration for any new extensions and additions, but make it clear within the design that this is a new chapter in your home’s story, adapted to today’s living.”
Location: Sydney, Australia
In her own words: “I love the eclectic nature of my work as it allows me to do contemporary residential and commercial architecture alongside the heritage work I’m well known for,” says architect and interior designer Nathalie Scipioni of award-winning, multi-disciplinary architecture practice, Nathalie Scipioni Architects. Nathalie, who studied architecture in Florence and spent 10 years restoring heritage monuments in Paris after doing a post-graduate degree in heritage architecture, has developed a reputation for her innovative and thoughtful upgrades to period homes since moving to Australia in 2005.
“Heritage homes have plenty of personality and charm, but they’re not ideally suited to modern living. They have small rooms, narrow corridors, little light and often zero indoor-outdoor connection,” says Nathalie. “Most additions to heritage homes in Australia were done in the 1950s or ‘60s and haven’t been touched since – even when they were first built, they were generally fairly inadequate. Most of the work I do with heritage houses involves retaining the home’s facade and front bedrooms, and adding a new contemporary addition to the rear and a first-floor addition, with a flexible, open-plan kitchen/living/dining space, outdoor connection and additional bedrooms and bathrooms.
“While you’ll certainly want to celebrate the character and history in the original part of the home, the new addition shouldn’t be a copy of the past. Use the original as inspiration for any new extensions and additions, but make it clear within the design that this is a new chapter in your home’s story, adapted to today’s living.”
Eye for detail: When it comes to honouring the character of the original part of the house, look to restore rather than replace whatever you can, says Nathalie.
“Keep the facade and front windows, and look to restore the original ceilings and mouldings if they’re still in reasonable condition,” she says. “Depending on the condition of the original floor, you may be able to bring it back to its former glory.
“Fittings are one thing that are worth replacing as you handle them every day and functionality is important – think door handles, light switches and tapware. The key is to choose one finish and be consistent about using it for all the fittings in the original part of the house, whether it’s antique brass, bronze or pewter.”
“Keep the facade and front windows, and look to restore the original ceilings and mouldings if they’re still in reasonable condition,” she says. “Depending on the condition of the original floor, you may be able to bring it back to its former glory.
“Fittings are one thing that are worth replacing as you handle them every day and functionality is important – think door handles, light switches and tapware. The key is to choose one finish and be consistent about using it for all the fittings in the original part of the house, whether it’s antique brass, bronze or pewter.”
Seek professional advice: People will often fall in love with the character of a heritage home and come up with ambitious plans to modernise it, but the fact is those plans may not always be possible, says Nathalie. “There may be restrictions around a heritage property or a property in a conservation area that limit what you can and can’t do. Or, you may think that you’ve found a bargain that’s ripe for a knockdown-rebuild, only to discover that heritage regulations stipulate you can’t demolish the house, even if it’s falling apart.”
There can be time and financial implications to updating a heritage home too, she says. “Approvals for work on period properties can take longer than non-heritage homes. And restoration work often requires the skill of an expert in the trade, which can get expensive.
“For these reasons, it’s always wise to get an inspection by an architect before you buy an older property. They will as be able to tell you exactly what you can and can’t do with it and the costs involved,” she says.
Do you want to modernise your heritage home while still respecting its past? Here are Nathalie’s top three tips for success
There can be time and financial implications to updating a heritage home too, she says. “Approvals for work on period properties can take longer than non-heritage homes. And restoration work often requires the skill of an expert in the trade, which can get expensive.
“For these reasons, it’s always wise to get an inspection by an architect before you buy an older property. They will as be able to tell you exactly what you can and can’t do with it and the costs involved,” she says.
Do you want to modernise your heritage home while still respecting its past? Here are Nathalie’s top three tips for success
1. Prioritise natural light
One of the most effective things you can do when renovating a small or narrow heritage home is draw daylight into the space; it immediately opens up the home and creates a feeling of spaciousness, says Nathalie. “When you have a compact space, this is the best way to maximise what you’ve got.
“There are many different ways to draw light into the space, including specifying large glazing panels, generous glass doors that open onto the backyard, adding in skylights – particularly over spots where you spend a lot of time, such as the living area and kitchen – and creating a ‘glass link’ that connects the old and new parts of the home and brings in light from all angles.
“Adding skylights is a smart option for homes that are located close to a boundary wall or on a narrow site, where your options for windows along walls are limited – simply bring in the light from overhead instead,” she says.
To increase the living space in this dark and narrow terrace in Stanmore, NSW, Nathalie created a new addition at the rear. She specified floor-to-ceiling glazing/ exterior doors, clerestory windows and bright white walls to make the space feel bright and open, plus an internal courtyard to bring light into the light-starved original part of the house.
One of the most effective things you can do when renovating a small or narrow heritage home is draw daylight into the space; it immediately opens up the home and creates a feeling of spaciousness, says Nathalie. “When you have a compact space, this is the best way to maximise what you’ve got.
“There are many different ways to draw light into the space, including specifying large glazing panels, generous glass doors that open onto the backyard, adding in skylights – particularly over spots where you spend a lot of time, such as the living area and kitchen – and creating a ‘glass link’ that connects the old and new parts of the home and brings in light from all angles.
“Adding skylights is a smart option for homes that are located close to a boundary wall or on a narrow site, where your options for windows along walls are limited – simply bring in the light from overhead instead,” she says.
To increase the living space in this dark and narrow terrace in Stanmore, NSW, Nathalie created a new addition at the rear. She specified floor-to-ceiling glazing/ exterior doors, clerestory windows and bright white walls to make the space feel bright and open, plus an internal courtyard to bring light into the light-starved original part of the house.
2. Don’t replicate the past
While restoring the original parts of your home to their former glory is something Nathalie encourages, that doesn’t mean your new extension should be in a matching style: “New work should be respectful of the old, but contemporary in look and feel,” she says.
“With your addition, you don’t want to copy the past, but show that it’s the architecture of now. This allows the architectural history of the house to be understood.
“Some form of contrast is a good thing. The key is to keep it simple, whether it’s sleek, contemporary glazing or the use of a contrasting material, such as warm timber decking and doors,” she says.
In this apartment renovation in a heritage-listed block in Potts Point, NSW, Nathalie created a fresh and contemporary feel while respecting the home’s history with a classic monochromatic colour scheme. Dated carpet was replaced with rich-toned timber flooring laid in a chevron pattern, while the previous cream-based scheme was updated with a palette of warm white and punches of contemporary black in the skirting boards and room trims.
While restoring the original parts of your home to their former glory is something Nathalie encourages, that doesn’t mean your new extension should be in a matching style: “New work should be respectful of the old, but contemporary in look and feel,” she says.
“With your addition, you don’t want to copy the past, but show that it’s the architecture of now. This allows the architectural history of the house to be understood.
“Some form of contrast is a good thing. The key is to keep it simple, whether it’s sleek, contemporary glazing or the use of a contrasting material, such as warm timber decking and doors,” she says.
In this apartment renovation in a heritage-listed block in Potts Point, NSW, Nathalie created a fresh and contemporary feel while respecting the home’s history with a classic monochromatic colour scheme. Dated carpet was replaced with rich-toned timber flooring laid in a chevron pattern, while the previous cream-based scheme was updated with a palette of warm white and punches of contemporary black in the skirting boards and room trims.
3. Consider how you live
When planning an addition to a heritage home, think how you like to live and which space inclusions will deliver the biggest returns, says Nathalie. “A generous open-plan kitchen/living/dining space is high on most of my clients’ wish lists – this layout is ideal for families, keeps everyone connected, and makes entertaining easy.
“A seamless connection with the garden via large, glazed doors is also desirable, with the interior extending to an entertainer’s deck,” she says. In this addition to a house in Lilyfield, NSW, Nathalie’s clever use of glazing blurs the lines between inside and out.
“The bathrooms, in particular, in heritage homes tend to be small. Today, many homeowners are looking for spacious bathrooms that are less functional and more of a ‘bathing retreat’. For this reason, another appealing option is the addition of a second storey, housing either a master bedroom and a decent-sized ensuite or, if the children are young, a suite of bedrooms, an ensuite and a family bathroom,” she says.
More: For more information and examples of Nathalie’s work, visit Nathalie Scipioni Architects Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
When planning an addition to a heritage home, think how you like to live and which space inclusions will deliver the biggest returns, says Nathalie. “A generous open-plan kitchen/living/dining space is high on most of my clients’ wish lists – this layout is ideal for families, keeps everyone connected, and makes entertaining easy.
“A seamless connection with the garden via large, glazed doors is also desirable, with the interior extending to an entertainer’s deck,” she says. In this addition to a house in Lilyfield, NSW, Nathalie’s clever use of glazing blurs the lines between inside and out.
“The bathrooms, in particular, in heritage homes tend to be small. Today, many homeowners are looking for spacious bathrooms that are less functional and more of a ‘bathing retreat’. For this reason, another appealing option is the addition of a second storey, housing either a master bedroom and a decent-sized ensuite or, if the children are young, a suite of bedrooms, an ensuite and a family bathroom,” she says.
More: For more information and examples of Nathalie’s work, visit Nathalie Scipioni Architects Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Architecture | Interior Design | Heritage
Established in 2007 by Nathalie Scipioni, Nathalie Scipioni... Read More
Review by Nicole Lang:
We recently engaged Nathalie Scipioni to undertake a complete renovation of our property (including both internal and external) at Vaucluse. We had previously reached out to other architects but we fe...More
Does modern always need to equal acres of plain plasterboard?
HU-319610855: If you look at Nathalie's work in person, as I have, you will see that there is nothing "plain" about it - it is rarely "plain plasterboard" but rather finishes with subtlety and texture (venitian plaster, polished concrete etc). Very interesting and pleasing in real life
Ok, will revise comment “the appearance of acres of plain white plasterboard”
certainly not commenting on all of Nathalie’s work, just what was featured in this story