Twist on TRADITIONAL

Classic meets contemporary is a way of life for Sarah Mackenzie-Wood, writes motoring expert and WhichCar presenter, Elise Elliott.

- Elise Elliott

Sarah Mackenzie-Wood knows how to make an entrance. To be fair, making an entrance is easy when your home features a stunning spiral staircase, a signature of the home’s designer, acclaimed architect John Suttor.

Wearing a diaphanous blush-coloured skirt, Sarah breezes through her gorgeous traditional-with-a-twist home in Sydney’s east like a fairy. She decorated the home, which she shares with her husband and two children, herself, using a palette of muted greys and soft pinks. Having studied design at the National Design Academy in England, it’s little wonder she has such a deft touch with interiors...

Sarah’s eye for style is also evident in her choice of cars: a sporty 2015 Porsche Cayenne SUV and a 2016 Mercedes AMG E400, a high-performance – and rare – station wagon.

Have you always appreciated handsome design?

Yes, and I can thank both my parents for it. When I was about 10, I would spend hours reading Mum’s Architectural Digest and other homes magazines. Meanwhile, Dad was obsessed with Jaguars – he drove a gorgeous E-Type. He would drag me and my two sisters to motor shows and discuss in great detail all the cars that were there. He also insisted we knew how to drive a manual car.

Tell us about the history of this house.