House Tour: 7 Years Of Renovation For This Stylish Home In Sydney Housing a Large Family Of 6
By Karine Monie -
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Homeowners Jeremy Bull and Tess Glasson share with Home and Decor Singapore how they created the perfect home for themselves and their four young sons in Sydney
"We had newborn twins living in a one-bedroom apartment,” remembers Tess Glasson, life partner of Alexander & Co. principal Jeremy Bull and marketing director of the Australian design studio.
“Space was getting tight so we had to find something very quickly. We viewed this house a couple of days before the auction and made an offer that night.”
Part of the home’s simple architectural layout stems from the need to optimise the use of all available floor space.
Located in Eastern Suburb of Sydney
Despite appearances, what immediately convinced the couple was the potential of the property located in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.
The white walls help to make the voluminous space in the sunken kitchen and lounge area feel less intimidating.
Original Victorian Terrace House Transformed
“The home was purchased as a semi-original Victorian terrace, highly dilapidated and poorly planned,” says Tess.
Over a period of seven years, Tess and Jeremy worked on three renovations to transform the dwelling from the 1900s into the perfect 230 sqm (or 2,475 sq ft) contemporary home for them and their now four sons, namely Jude, Archer, Felix and Nash.
The spacious interiors merge seamlessly with the outdoors during the day.
The white theme throughout the home is interspersed by splashes of colour.
The first renovation consisted of a major alteration and addition, which required re-planning, substantial reconstruction and new internal refurbishment.
The homeowners included plenty of seating areas all over the home.
The homeowners included plenty of seating areas all over the home to make sure everyone in the family can find a corner of their own when necessary.
Everyone in the family can find a corner of their own when necessary.
Sunken Lounge Area
The second included the building of a loft space, which was a fourth bedroom, and the third comprised an extension of the kitchen area to include a new laundry yard, a sunken lounge and dining area, as well as storage solutions for the many skateboards, surfboards and bicycles.
“Each alteration and addition is representative of the introduction of each new child,” Tess says jokingly.
Locally sourced wood are used throughout the architecture of the home.
Maximise All Floor Space
Predominantly white, the spaces are light and bright.
Full of quirks and curiosities, they became an experimental ground for the couple to try out their ideas on ways to maximise use of available floor space, delve into material expression and share the role of architecture with their children by explaining to them how the house was built along the way.
Full-length windows and sliding doors allow the interiors to merge with the outside effortlessly.
Scandinavian-Style Carrara Stone
“Inspired by the works of Alvar Aalto and Louis Kahn, the home possesses a subtle design language of its own, while the use of locally available and low-cost pine structure and Carrara stone gives it an almost Scandinavian sensibility,” Jeremy remarks.
A console adds interesting detail in the mostly open-concept spaces.
The plainly styled bathroom is enhanced with the textured stone tile cladding.
Merging Indoor & Outdoor Spaces
Even though the interiors offer plenty of space for the growing family of six, it is out in the garden where they love to spend most of their time in the day.
Located on the same level as the lounge and kitchen, the family can move effortlessly from inside to out easily, creating an expansive zone that offers both sun and shade.
“It really feels like you are part of that natural outdoor setting,” describes Glasson.
The atmosphere in the bedroom is more intimate and cosy.
The children’s bedrooms are kept neat and tidy with a simple and open design.
Child & Play-Friendly Home
“Our four sons play handball in the kitchen, kick a soft football in the loft bedrooms … nothing is precious! However, it is still our sanctuary and the place we love to come home to. Also I think it’s a really clever resolution of a small footprint so we can all be together or find our own rooms and nooks if we want our own space.”