Space Mission

H&G interiors editor Kate Nixon blends functionality and flair in her compact, family-friendly 1980s townhouse in Sydney.

- Chris Pearson

KITCHEN

Tim and Kate Nixon with their children Henry and Agnes. Bespoke ladder, Studio Kate. Joinery clad in engineered-oak flooring from Floor Torque. Wine rack, Centaur Cellars. Vintec wine fridge, Winning Appliances. Visual Comfort ‘Boston’ library lights, Bloomingdales Lighting. Artwork by Juske Wachberg. Terracotta tiles (on bench facing), Aeria Country Floors (throughout). Deer hide, 1803. Walls painted Dulux Stowe White Quarter (throughout). ENTRY The home’s abundant natural light was a real draw for Kate and Tim. Living Divani ‘Des Mario Galileo’ mirror, Space. CTO Lighting ‘Array’ wall light, Spence & Lyda. Engineered-oak flooring, Floor Torque (throughout).

Stylist and designer Kate Nixon packed a lot into her three-bedroom townhouse in Sydney’s east. The footprint may be limited, but the inspiration is endless. “I love solving puzzles and that’s what working in a small space is all about,” she says. Smart remodelling, a restrained palette and seemingly boundless storage combine to help the home seem larger than it is. Kate, her husband Tim and their son Henry, five, moved here from a two-bedroom apartment in 2015, upsizing to accommodate little Agnes, now 18 months. Built in the 1980s, the red-brick townhouse is one in a complex of 12 set around a communal garden. “I was sold on the high ceilings, the natural light and the floor-to-ceiling glazing looking out into greenery,” she says. But Kate was no fan of its tiled floors and under-utilised spaces. The tight kitchen was bland and poorly positioned and the bathrooms were ho-hum.