DUAL ACCENTS

American heritage style meets Spanish mission design in this harbourside Sydney home.

- CARLI PHILIPS

Interior designer Lynda Kerry is, by all accounts, a California girl. Raised in Newport Beach, Pasadena, she grew up surrounded by – and enamoured with – Spanish mission architecture. For her own home in Sydney’s Darling Point, she engaged Australian based architect Drew Barnyak of Andrew Barnyak Design who also grew up in her home town. “Sydney and Newport Beach are quite similar,” says Lynda. “They both have a relaxed lifestyle, beautiful beaches and warm weather. Spanish-style architecture works well in both.”

Lynda and her husband, Australian swimming champion Mark Kerry, have renovated six homes together and ‘when is it time to go?’ is a question they ask themselves every five years or so. “We like change,” says Lynda. “This time around we were ready to move, but didn’t want to go too far. We lived just across the street and loved the view, the quiet neighbourhood and proximity to the water.”

Given the number of stairs and the upstairs “little rat trap of rooms,” the house sat on the market for a while. But for Lynda, the entrance tower, spectacular panoramas and Spanish mission accents were irresistible. A paper sketch of ideas and a meeting with Drew sealed the deal. Yet soon after, on came the pandemic, a materials shortage and an overly ambitious structural design so colossal that Lynda admits turned the project into a significant challenge which dragged out over an arduous two-year period.