The Sydney home of stylist Heidi Gill and family. All photos - Felix Forest, styling / production - Lucy Feagins.

Beautiful leafy Sydney courtyard garden! All photos - Felix Forest, styling / production - Lucy Feagins.

Sydney greenery. Love it. All photos - Felix Forest, styling / production - Lucy Feagins.

Can't you just tell in an instant by the lush green (and very mini) garden that this is a Sydney home!?  It's all about the FOLIAGE.  A garden overflowing with glossy green foliage is one thing worth moving to Sydney for, I reckon.  You'd have to break all water restriction rules in Melbourne to achieve this level of garden cuteness!

The home, in Sydney's Woollahra, belongs to illustrator/stylist/merchandiser Heidi Gill, husband James and Jemima (8 yrs old) - they've been here almost four years. Aside from the sweet courtyard garden, this supremely pretty little house is such a perfect exercise in efficient city living!   It's truly tiny - with just two bedrooms a kitchen / living space too small for a dining table - and yet it works so well for this busy family of three, plus Pepper the dog!  Amazing.

After buying the home, Heidi and James renovated the interior, with an emphasis on space efficiency - the result is a multi-use space which conceals clever storage in every nook, leaving just enough room for key furniture items. Bespoke cabinetry streamlines the kitchen / eating zone, and a cantilevered breakfast bench doubles as a dining table / workstation, leaving space for a just a 2 seater couch.  Somehow it all just fits together like Tetris, without an inch to spare!

Despite it's modest proportions, Heidi's home has a genuinely relaxed, comfortable feel - which I reckon can be put down in large part to her 'stylist's touch' - a classic, understated and intuitive sense of style. The pared back palette - monochrome, blonde timbers, carerra marble, charcoal and a touch of mauve - gives the home a real sense of calm elegance and restraint.

Heidi says she loves her 'postcard sized garden' the most, as well as her pretty bedroom with its generous bay window.  As for the local area - the greatest drawcard for Heidi's family is the proximitiy to Centennial park, and 'Plane Trees, Plane Trees, Plane Trees'!

Massive thanks to Heidi and family for sharing their perfect pocket home with us today!

View from garden in.  Dot painting leaning in the living room is by Heidi - gesso, muslin and ink on canvas.

Sweet living room details

Kitchen with breakfast bench / dining table / work station attached!

Living / kitchen looking down to hall and entrance (spot the ladder in the hall - leading to attic storage!)

Artwork above bed - Pastel on Belgian linen by Heidi. Pepper the dog wasn;'t massively excited about having his photo taken, as I recall.

Mantle in master bedroom

Left - Painting above bed by Heidi Gill.  Right - Beautiful portrait of Heidi's daughter Jemima, taken by Hallie Burton.  'I love the portrait of Mima, taken by my dear friend Hallie Burton and framed and given to me by my other darling friends Megan Morton, Sophie Baker and David 'Bubbles' O'Brien for my 40th birthday.' says Heidi.

Antique chaise in master bedroom

Bathroom details - pom pom towels by Jac & Jack

Jemima's bedroom

Details from Jemima's room - Rachel Castle heart print up top

Dolls house exterior - so pretty!