YSG’s transformation of this original Georgian shop front involved major structural changes and material updates across every room of the existing three-storey sandstone structure.
A previous 1990s renovation had provided an ‘austere, office-like appeal’ to the interiors, calling for a complete overhaul of the layout, joinery, and loose furniture, while maintaining the Rozelle building’s original features.
The brief was simply to transform the traditional characteristics of the heritage layout into a more pragmatic home for a family of four. In practice this was complex, taking three years to complete due to council approvals and meticulous structural alterations.
Removing the existing sandstone wall between what’s now the kitchen and dining area was integral to achieving the client’s desire for a more open home. ‘It was imperative to give the whole downstairs living area a sense of open connection. It took a lot of perseverance and patience [with council] to get approval, but the result makes it so worth it on reflection,’ says Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem, YSG founder and director.
A cosy ‘sunken’ lounge area evolved to the left, featuring a daybed, coffee table and rug all custom designed by YSG. A framed handwoven fabric provides a beautiful focal point, while serving as a practical shoji-like screen that conceals the television from view when not in use.
Upstairs, a living room was converted into the new main bedroom and en suite. The quiet restraint of traditional Japanese interiors is evident across wooden framing devices created for the joinery and bed frame, lined with a tatami-like matting of vintage seagrass bound by timber.
In the en suite, diagonal bands of rose-tinted limestone and mother of pearl mosaic tiles work to reflect light, tying in with a shimmering custom bedhead made from frayed oyster grey silk in the adjoining room.
Colours throughout the home complement the delicate blush tone emanating from the original stone walls, as well as the jewel-toned art nouveau-style stained glass windows. Aquamarine, citrine, and peridot define the elegant yet radical palette.
Every piece of furniture was brought in specifically to support YSG’s vision, with many vintage timber pieces sourced second hand.
The culmination of numerous structural and material changes has given this home a ‘living’ quality, which Yasmine says appears to gently inhale and exhale. ‘Overall, the spaces swell and expand through pattern integration amongst both hard and soft furnishings, almost like a fresh breeze flowing throughout.’
