The gold and the beautiful

An interior designer daringly pushes the boundaries in her own home in Sydney's eastern suburbs - with glittering results.

When interior designer Poppy Tzaneros of Poco Designs and her husband scored this home in Sydney's eastern suburbs, she measured up and bought her classic B&B Italia 'Camaleonda' sofa the day she collected the keys. Having often chosen the 1970s icon for her clients, she finally had her chance to buy the dramatic statement piece for herself. "I had always wanted one; it's so comfy, slighty retro and an amazing shape. So I designed the house around the sofa," she says of the project which was a collaboration with Nick Cain Architects, builder Reform Projects and Wyer & Co. landscaping.

As both designer and owner, she boldly pushed the boundaries in more ways than one. The house became a showcase for initiatives that cautious clients might have hesitated at, including an asymmetrical carved hall table, an organic-shaped dining table, a green palette in its verdant variety and even a migrating swimming pool.

When the couple discovered the home in 2021, they were drawn to its modernist leanings, with its flat roof and glassed north-facing facade. "It had a strong street presence - it was on a hill and the width of the block," she says.

But, having been added to over the years, it had its quirks, including a poky entry, an undercooked kitchen and an ungenerous open-plan at the rear hamstrung by a pool butted up to the house. "We were looking for a project, something I could make truly special," says Poppy.

As well as addressing its functional failings, she wanted to introduce a glamorous "Palm Springs-esque" indoorsoutdoors feel to the property, alluding to its mid-century origins but with a contemporary twist and a strong emphasis on the landscaping together with a powder room. Daringly, the couple took the plunge and shifted the pool to the back of the site which left room for an expansive indoor-outdoor open plan for them, their infant son and latest arrivals, twin girls. "That move was the biggest game changer," she says.