STRATHALBYN

The Brief was to develop a significant living space in a beautiful 19th Century House in the Bush. We had worked on other areas in the house between 2014 and 2019 and it was very satisfying to have an opportunity to tie all the areas together.

The living/dining area, which incorporates the kitchen, had been visually shrunk by previous owners who installed new Colonial style Doors with many small panes of glass. The room also featured a dark slate floor that was overwhelming the space and felt dated. The wall colour selections, lighting, window treatments and some furniture needed updating and the TV sat awkwardly in the space.

Our solution was to replace all the flooring with a solid timber parquetry floor in light oak. Our brilliant flooring guys were able to accommodate the different floor levels from the hallway. We specified a parquetry pattern which feels contemporary but classic.

We had new timber doors made which incorporated large sheets of plain glazing to make the most of the fabulous views. This made a huge difference to the entire atmosphere of the space. We painted the doors with a Porter’s paint to resemble rusted iron which added to the room’s raw appeal and made reference to the exceptional Bush location of the House.

A new European Oak dining table was selected, which had a clean contemporary profile and which could be extended to maximise the space available. Black woven leather chairs were incorporated because of their raw, practical appeal. A large painting by Indigenous Artist, Debra Nangala McDonald, was hung in a key position, adding quiet impact to the space

Our clever IT Guy mounted the TV above the fireplace and somehow ensured that all the wiring would work despite the wood burning fireplace below. This freed up a lot of space and made the room feel balanced.

The partial solutions we had previously devised for the room, 5 years before, when the owners weren’t quite ready for a large disruptive renovation, work beautifully in the new scheme. The graphic black and white inlaid chest works brilliantly with the new scheme as does the iron framed mirror and the tobacco-coloured leather armchairs.

The room now flows beautifully, visually and practically.