© Provided by Are Media Pty LtdOn Sydney's leafy North Shore, this mid-century modern gem harmonises with its surrounding bushland. Step inside the incredible home by creative studio, Tom Mark Henry.

Liana Shaw-Taylor and her partner James were instantly inspired when they set eyes on an un-renovated 1950s home in peaceful Wahroonga. "I was full of big ideas," says Liana, a graphic designer who has worked for interiors magazines. In particular, the couple wanted to enhance the home's connection to its expansive grounds.

They snapped up the property and contacted Cushla McFadden, director of Tom Mark Henry creative studio.

© Provided by Are Media Pty LtdIn the lounge area, an Egyptian rug in Russet from Armadillo and an Asla cushion in Ochre from Country Road help establish one of the home's most striking colour schemes.

"It was a real collaboration," says Cushla of the design process. "Liana and James already had a strong sense of what they wanted to achieve - they just needed help from us to tie it all together."

The house enjoys an elevated position on a generous, sloping block, surrounded by mature trees. "It's just a beautiful place," says Liana. "You could be in the middle of the bush." Liana and Cushla agreed that a colour palette of deep green, terracotta and gold would help embed the home in its surroundings.

© Provided by Are Media Pty LtdThe family requested extensive cupboard and drawer space in the kitchen to help keep the place tidy. The Nine Oh Six AM artwork by Monique Lovering is from Curatorial+Co.

"The driving idea was to create a palette that was raw and earthy," says Cushla. The pair also decided not to limit the number of shades they would use. "We almost wanted it to appear like it was clashing - a real mish-mash - but carefully selected so it all worked together," Cushla explains.

© Provided by Are Media Pty LtdLiana and James wanted to keep their existing Freedom dining table and the vintage dining chairs they had received as a housewarming gift, so Cushla and her team designed the kitchen island to match them. The Formakami JH5 pendant is by &Tradition.

Liana and Cushla were guided by the home's mid-century modern bones and original interiors, which had a strong Palm Springs flavour. Aside from knocking down an internal wall to create an open-plan living/kitchen space, structural work was minimal. Instead, the pair focused on fixtures and fittings.

© Provided by Are Media Pty LtdThe designers used shades of green and brown throughout the house to echo the environment outside. Custom joinery in the kitchen is painted Dulux 'Deep Mooring' and the custom island is tiled with Vixel glass mosaic tiles from Artedomus.

One highlight: a new amber-glass door with a powder-coated metal frame that separates the living and sleeping zones. "In '50s and '60s design, there's often stained glass-type elements, which really went out of fashion in subsequent decades," says Cushla. "We thought, 'How can we make this cool again?'"

© Provided by Are Media Pty LtdAt night, the amber-coloured glass door that separates the living and sleeping quarters imbues the hallway with a warm glow. Terracotta floors in the bedrooms were also an ideal choice for the asthmatics in the family.

Throughout the home, Cushla and her team opted for materials that make a statement while also serving a practical purpose. The flooring in most rooms is paved terracotta, laid in different configurations to demarcate different areas of the house.

© Provided by Are Media Pty LtdThe bushland colour palette recurs in the master bedroom, which features custom built-ins with open-weave rattan screens, an Even Walnut timber veneer headboard from Elton Group and linen bedding from In Bed.

"The terracotta really grounds the space," says Cushla, adding, "The alternative would have been timber, but we didn't want to do anything that was expected. We kept thinking: 'What else can we use? What's different? What's not usually seen?'"

© Provided by Are Media Pty LtdThe mirror-fronted cupboards in the ensuite, and many other fixtures and fittings throughout the house, were designed by Tom Mark Henry.

3 simple ways to bring the outdoors inside

The owners chose a slab of Surface Gallery's mottled Italian Terrazzo Tile for the bathroom vanity to make spills and stains less obvious.

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