Houzz Tour: Swedish Summer House Turns Up in Sydney Apartment
Once a dowdy rental sorely in need of a revamp, this fresh and inviting Kensington two-bedder now has a heavenly holiday feel
Joanna Tovia
22 December 2014
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
As an industrial designer for the likes of Cult and years of experience in antique restoration and reproduction, Frag Woodall has a keen eye for aesthetic detail. So when he and his wife Naomi bought a threadbare 1930s apartment three years ago, it wasn’t long before Woodall set about transforming the interiors into a soothing, relaxed home reminiscent of a Swedish summer house that makes the most of the light and views over leafy Centennial Park.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Industrial designer Frag Woodall and his wife Naomi
Size: 80 square metres; 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom
Location: Kensington, Sydney
That’s interesting: Swedish stationery and giftware chain Kikki K used the apartment as the filming location for its latest TV ad. About 25 actors, directors, lighting and camera crew crammed into the space for the two-day shoot. Watch the ad below.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Industrial designer Frag Woodall and his wife Naomi
Size: 80 square metres; 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom
Location: Kensington, Sydney
That’s interesting: Swedish stationery and giftware chain Kikki K used the apartment as the filming location for its latest TV ad. About 25 actors, directors, lighting and camera crew crammed into the space for the two-day shoot. Watch the ad below.
Woodall’s first impressions of the 1930s brick apartment building he would come to call home were not overwhelmingly positive. “It’s somewhat unappealing from the outside and dark and cavernous walking up the stairs,” he says. “It didn’t give much away on first appearance, that’s for sure.”
On opening the front door, however, he could immediately see the unrenovated apartment’s potential. One key feature stood out: it has a circular layout so there are no hallways and no dead space. “No matter where you stand you have an aspect to other rooms – you never feel as though you’re walking into a dead end or trapped,” says Woodall.
The apartment also overlooked Centennial Park and had plenty of natural light flooding in. “My intention was to buy what I couldn’t change – the light and the aspect,” he says.
Swedish summer houses are typically calm and relaxed, with plenty of natural light. A reduced colour and material palette helped Woodall create a similar look and feel here. Not chopping and changing colours and materials too much between rooms also means the apartment feels much bigger than its 80 square metres. “You’re not getting a new story every few steps,” Woodall explains. “The furnishings are simple and paired back and not screaming for attention; that creates a calmness and you’re letting the light do a lot of the work.”
Credenza: Mr Frag; Eames rocking chair
On opening the front door, however, he could immediately see the unrenovated apartment’s potential. One key feature stood out: it has a circular layout so there are no hallways and no dead space. “No matter where you stand you have an aspect to other rooms – you never feel as though you’re walking into a dead end or trapped,” says Woodall.
The apartment also overlooked Centennial Park and had plenty of natural light flooding in. “My intention was to buy what I couldn’t change – the light and the aspect,” he says.
Swedish summer houses are typically calm and relaxed, with plenty of natural light. A reduced colour and material palette helped Woodall create a similar look and feel here. Not chopping and changing colours and materials too much between rooms also means the apartment feels much bigger than its 80 square metres. “You’re not getting a new story every few steps,” Woodall explains. “The furnishings are simple and paired back and not screaming for attention; that creates a calmness and you’re letting the light do a lot of the work.”
Credenza: Mr Frag; Eames rocking chair
Woodall removed the apartment’s lino and carpets and painted the floorboards underneath white. He also painted the walls and ceilings white, but added warmth with recycled tallowwood beams that had come off an old bridge near Tamworth in country NSW. The beams were oiled before installation. As well as adding warmth to the all-white colour scheme, Woodall says he wanted the beams to give a sense of rhythm and continuity to the home, while still allowing each space to have its own voice and distinctiveness to avoid them blurring into nothing.
“There is such a thing as too open plan – everything gets lost and you’re asking the furniture to hang everything together; sometimes that’s a big ask.” In the kitchen, big old slabs of French oak make up the benchtops.
Lighting: Sokol
“There is such a thing as too open plan – everything gets lost and you’re asking the furniture to hang everything together; sometimes that’s a big ask.” In the kitchen, big old slabs of French oak make up the benchtops.
Lighting: Sokol
While the beams bring in a warm aesthetic, Woodall warmed the interiors still further with baltic pine panelling on the walls. “That warmth and texture coming in through those details meant I could go completely white on the walls and floor,” he says. “Otherwise it would look lost and empty and ungrounded and it would lack a bit of soul.”
Although some people baulk at painting floorboards white, Woodall says they look “just as gorgeous” three years on. “I used Berger paving paint – it’s absolutely bulletproof,” he says. “We have a no-shoe policy so that helps but we haven’t been precious with the floor by any stretch of the imagination; it’s tough as nails and holds its brightness.”
The Dots coat hooks: Muuto
Although some people baulk at painting floorboards white, Woodall says they look “just as gorgeous” three years on. “I used Berger paving paint – it’s absolutely bulletproof,” he says. “We have a no-shoe policy so that helps but we haven’t been precious with the floor by any stretch of the imagination; it’s tough as nails and holds its brightness.”
The Dots coat hooks: Muuto
The apartment’s entryway before the renovation. What a difference!
The ’80s-style apartment had been a “long, long-term rental” before Woodall and his wife moved in.
The main bedroom and sunroom were nothing to shout about before the renovation, but had plenty of natural light and a leafy outlook.
AFTER: The renovated main bedroom is fresh and inviting. Woodall opted for true white paint with no tint of any kind on the walls, ceiling and floors. Although flat paint is usually only used on the ceiling, he decided to also use it on the walls. Matt paint is three per cent gloss, but flat paint contains no gloss at all and is not recommended for walls because it marks easily. But Woodall loves the effect of using flat paint on walls.
“The walls look like they go off to infinity because you’re not getting any reflection back; there’s a silky, silky softness to them.”
And if the walls do get marked? “You just wipe off the marks or throw some more paint on – it’s so forgiving; it’s pretty carefree.”
The industrial vintage pendant came out of the original Sebel furniture factory when the company was still making toys.
“The walls look like they go off to infinity because you’re not getting any reflection back; there’s a silky, silky softness to them.”
And if the walls do get marked? “You just wipe off the marks or throw some more paint on – it’s so forgiving; it’s pretty carefree.”
The industrial vintage pendant came out of the original Sebel furniture factory when the company was still making toys.
The carpeted sunroom reminded Woodall of a concrete box before its transformation.
AFTER: The light and airy sunroom now serves as a dining area. Woodall designed and made the table to suit the narrow space.
The arched windows were there but prior to renovation had mottled glass up top that you couldn’t see out of and the windows couldn’t be opened.
Woodall reglazed the windows and machined curved architraves around the windows and sills.
Post-renovation, he and Naomi love living here. “We just enjoy it so much; the space is beautiful,” Woodall says. “It looks so great when the sun is beaming in in the morning, but also looks incredible when it’s pouring down with rain outside and we light the candles – it can look wonderful and cosy but also fresh and bright.”
Woodall and Naomi have both spent time in Scandinavia and experienced the ability of Swedish summer houses to capture light in the summer months and also make a very ‘hygge’ atmosphere during the long winter.
“Hygge is a Danish word that has a number of meanings,” Woodall explains. “It can mean cosy, as in the warm glow of candlelight, and also spending time with friends and family. It is this atmosphere that we have wanted to capture with the Kensington renovation.”
The arched windows were there but prior to renovation had mottled glass up top that you couldn’t see out of and the windows couldn’t be opened.
Woodall reglazed the windows and machined curved architraves around the windows and sills.
Post-renovation, he and Naomi love living here. “We just enjoy it so much; the space is beautiful,” Woodall says. “It looks so great when the sun is beaming in in the morning, but also looks incredible when it’s pouring down with rain outside and we light the candles – it can look wonderful and cosy but also fresh and bright.”
Woodall and Naomi have both spent time in Scandinavia and experienced the ability of Swedish summer houses to capture light in the summer months and also make a very ‘hygge’ atmosphere during the long winter.
“Hygge is a Danish word that has a number of meanings,” Woodall explains. “It can mean cosy, as in the warm glow of candlelight, and also spending time with friends and family. It is this atmosphere that we have wanted to capture with the Kensington renovation.”
In the second bedroom, Parisian-style shutters that wouldn’t look out of place in a 19th-century manor add character. Woodall added edging detail with this in mind, putting to use his knowledge he gained during the years he spent restoring and reproducing antique furniture.
The pendant light is also a Mr Frag creation – he painted an old light and made the timber fitting from which it hangs.
Tarva Bed: Ikea
The pendant light is also a Mr Frag creation – he painted an old light and made the timber fitting from which it hangs.
Tarva Bed: Ikea
The bathroom was perhaps the least inviting room of the house before Woodall set to work on it.
AFTER: An old barn door from the south of France is an unexpected focal point, its soft patina and character needing no enhancement. The handle is from Italy and the hardware on the top of the door is from the US.
Although Woodall also used baltic pine panelling in the bathroom, he dyed it black. He designed the vanity and used the same subway tiles as in the kitchen splashback. There’s further harmony with the sink – it’s a similar shape to the Belfast sink in the kitchen.
The bathroom tapware is black, but Woodall had to go to some effort to finally end up with designs he liked.
“I couldn’t find really nice tapware that wasn’t screaming contemporary,” he says. He custom-made the tapware and shower rose by stripping back chrome components, joining them together and powder coating them black. As an industrial designer, Woodall has created everything from lighting and furniture designs to eyewear (one of his latest furniture designs is the Cloud Table).
“I couldn’t find really nice tapware that wasn’t screaming contemporary,” he says. He custom-made the tapware and shower rose by stripping back chrome components, joining them together and powder coating them black. As an industrial designer, Woodall has created everything from lighting and furniture designs to eyewear (one of his latest furniture designs is the Cloud Table).
Finally, here’s Kikki K’s Christmas ad, we hope it’ll make you feel lovely and festive.
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Love this space so much that I spent a while imagining myself moving in and deciding where I would put my stuff. Also how I would work around the apparent lack of bedroom closets.
@David Ruude: While your comment would be rude regardless, that looks more like a cowhide rug to me. You can buy them at ikea or eat them at McDonald's