Fresh Finishes And A Simplified Floor Plan

Fresh finishes and a simplified floor plan took this grand old house on Sydney’s Northern Beaches to a whole new level.

- Judy Pascoe 

Kelly Giddings and her husband John bought this home – a circa 1893 property on Sydney’s Northern Beaches – in 2012. One of only a few freestanding houses in the area, it had seen many incarnations, including as a boarding house, resulting in a rabbit warren of disconnected rooms.

Kelly had admired the work of interior designer Michelle Macarounas, principal of Infinite Design Studio, in magazines and thought she could deliver the ‘renovation with a difference’ she was after. “Kelly’s brief was for a coastal look that wasn’t clichéd – not the standard Australian beach house,” says Michelle. “I wanted the renovation to feel upmarket and modern, while still honouring the age and integrity of the house,” adds Kelly.

Faced with an unworkable floor plan and a dated interior featuring lots of dark timber and terracotta tiles, Michelle set about bringing some freshness and elegance to the expansive house, which includes six bedrooms and a turret with adjacent family room, spread over three levels.