Care of Studio preserves character in overhaul of 19th-century home in Sydney
The director of interior design firm Care Of Studio has renovated a Victorian terrace in Sydney to form her own family home, choosing to keep much of its original structural fabric.
The property, called Luise's Terrace, is located in the suburb of Annandale and is named after the former owner who resided there for more than 50 years.
It's now home to Care Of Studio's director, Jaime Bligh, and her partner, their two children, and two pet cats Tabitha and Tiggy Winkle.
When the family moved in, the house was largely in its original state except for a rear extension that had been added in the 1970s.
Bligh was keen for it to remain this way and wanted to avoid having a typical open floor plan, so instead chose to make simple room swaps to suit her family's lifestyle.
"Being from New Zealand, the idea of a Sydney terrace house holds a certain romanticism to it and we were immediately in love after our first visit to the house," said Bligh.
"We loved the history and traditional layout of the home, and were happy to work within the existing footprint and honour the existing proportions of the space."
On the ground floor, the former laundry room has been converted into a casual sitting area dressed with cane furniture, colourful artworks and a palm tree-shaped floor lamp.
Adjacent to it lies the kitchen, which has been refreshed with white cabinetry, Calacutta Viola marble countertops with oxblood coloured veining and hand-cut terracotta floor tiles.
Newly installed French doors lead through to the formal living area, where the studio has preserved the room's ornate moulded ceiling and hardwood flooring.
The fireplace was revamped with a mantel and hearth made from pink-tinged Norwegian Rose marble.
Modern heating was also installed in the room, but is concealed by a perforated brass panel beneath the green-velvet window seat.
Elsewhere on the ground floor, the bathroom was updated with glossy white tiles and scallop-edged wall sconces. Laundry facilities were incorporated here, hidden behind blue and white-striped curtains.
The garden courtyard was raised so it sits level with the interior floor to make the home's outdoor space feel better connected.
The only significant modification carried out on the home's first floor is the addition of a family bathroom, its bathtub, shelves and chunky sink all crafted from the same teal-coloured stone.
Beyond the bathroom lies the principal bedroom, where a tapestry-like artwork hangs behind an upholstered headboard, and the kids' bedroom, in which artfully weathered bed frames are dressed with pattern-clash linens.
There's also a home office that features a striking gallery wall.
"All of our furniture and decorative items have been sourced very slowly and organically," explained Bligh. "I don't feel a house is ever 'finished', it's always evolving through the many iterations of life and people within."
"For me, the overall mood and energy of the house feels relaxed and warm yet interesting and personal. We enjoy raising our young family here and feel it's a true representation of our life at present."
The city of Sydney is a hub for design-forward homes. Other examples include Daddy Cool, a terrace house that Pattern Studio renovated for a father cohabiting with his two adult children.
There's also Moon House, an all-white residence by James Garvan Architecture that features sweeping arches on its facade.
The photography is by Prue Ruscoe.
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