This delightful family home in Sydney's inner west goes by the sobriquet 'Layer Cake', inspired by the interwoven elements that bind its heritage and contemporary architecture together. The icing on the cake, therefore, is surely the vision that designers Arent&Pyke brought to the project, to create a warm, stylish, light-filled haven for a family with three young children.
Putting a contemporary slant on a Federation-era house without losing its intrinsic nature is a delicate art, but Juliette Arent and Sarah-Jane Pyke, along with design director Genevieve Hromas, finessed it to perfection, having become specialists in re-imagining heritage homes for modern living. They bring a bold perspective and inventive personality to each project, energising and invigorating them for a new generation.
This home, on a large corner block, was renovated and extended by architects Carter Williamson in 2020, adding a second-storey master bedroom, ensuite and walk-in robe, and increasing the footprint downstairs with a new kitchen, casual living and dining leading to the garden and new pool.
Arent&Pyke was consulted initially on interior architecture and furnishing plans as the owners were keen for the modern addition to respond sensitively to the Federation elements.
The now four-bedroom-plus-study home "was full of charm from a bygone era", says Juliette, and the heritage features - decorative pressed-metal ceilings, timber fretwork and leadlight windows - were integral to that charm.
However, to seamlessly unite the old and new, the home called for "layers of colour, materiality and fine craftsmanship. There is a richness to the use of colour and materiality that evokes the masterful and balanced layering of a fine pâtissier," explains Sarah-Jane. As the home was also designed to accommodate festivities with extended family the notion of cakes was top of mind for the designers.
With that, an assortment of corresponding materials and bold colour choices became the driving force throughout the project, creating a dynamic backdrop to busy family life.
The selection of pink terrazzo in the kitchen was key "as that rich hue set the tone for the rest of the house in terms of intensity and warmth", explains Juliette.
Elsewhere, the formal lounge sings with an inviting, sunny deep-yellow shade, and a seating nook in the kitchen is finished in sea-green stained timber with a caramel leather banquette.
"Colour acts as a guide throughout, leading from the original rooms into the extension," says Sarah-Jane. "The boldness of the schemes is testament to our clients, who were excited to lean into these combinations. The home vibrates with energy."
To parallel the Arts and Crafts character, contemporary materials have been combined with detailed craftsmanship in herringbone floors and fluted joinery, nail-raked rendering and fine timber battening on the ceilings.
"These features subtly add depth and complexity throughout the addition and renovated wet areas, providing a nod to the ornate treatment of surfaces in the older rooms," says Juliette.
Balancing the light between the old and new parts of the home proved to be a challenge, but opening up the sunroom at the front - now framed with timber fretwork and salvaged brackets in keeping with the original detailing - allows light to flood into the study and entry.
In the extension, a double-height void bathes the dining area and casual living space in a sunny glow and helps to brighten all the downstairs rooms.
Decorative flourishes are many and come by way of vintage Turkish oushak rugs and Persian carpets that anchor the schemes in the living areas, sculptural lamps by Sarah Nedovic Gaunt and Jaime Hayon, and standout light fittings by Noguchi, Ingo Maurer, Michael Anastassiades and Anna Charlesworth.
Furniture includes cushiony sofas, vintage pieces such as the Danish armchairs in the formal lounge room and design classics such as Artek '611' and Carl Hansen & Søn 'Wishbone' dining chairs, along with custom-designed items and artworks.
It's the details that beguile at every turn - the terrazzo tiling in the enclosed verandah burnished by the afternoon sunlight, the sweep of a linen curtain on herringbone floorboards, the texture of a French rattan wall light in the laundry, the bedheads upholstered in whimsical fabrics, featuring Provençal lemons or painterly vase shapes - and all the while the contemporary elements are both contrasting with and complementing the heritage features.
This is a stylish family home where memories are being made, where convivial gatherings are easily accommodated, cascading out to the garden and pool.
"Flow, connection to the outdoors and intimate moments are all accounted for," says Sarah-Jane. "It is so satisfying to see how a space comes to life and is enjoyed by the family - the ease, the joy, the connection it creates."
The judicious mix of contemporary and heritage elements in the richly layered scheme serves to enhance the occupants' lives by surrounding them with beauty but without any sacrifice of functionality.
arentpyke.com
carterwilliamson.com