Pinkly perfect

Quirky touches, custom designs and a blushing palette bring a fresh, youthful energy to this clifftop home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

- JUDY PASCOE

Sometimes grand plans don’t come to fruition but what occurs instead ends up being the perfect outcome. This was the case for the owners of this home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Their original intention was to do a massive structural renovation on the three-bedroom 1930s house. However, the costings were a little steep and so they realigned their vision to concentrate instead on making the interiors as beautiful and workable as possible.

Interior designer Meryl Hare, principal of Hare + Klein, was engaged by the owners to make the best use of the house without increasing the footprint. “The home had been altered over the years in an ad-hoc fashion and there was no flow or logic to the layout,” says Meryl. She set to work to reposition rooms, relocate the staircase and introduce a youthful vitality to suit the family that includes two young children.

With a standout location, perched atop a cliff overlooking the ocean on one side and a potential beach view on the other, the home had plenty in its favour. The plain, square lines of its architecture actually assisted in the reinvention of the interior. The original floorplan was outdated, with an enclosed kitchen set back from the living room and the steep, tight staircase positioned almost at the front door. Furthermore, the main bedroom was located in the converted loft – a cramped and inadequate space.