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The renovation of this Bondi family home was all about finding simple ways to reimagine the space without feeling overtly ‘new’, or blowing the budget.
Owners Will and Holly – who works at creative agency Howatson + Company – enlisted the help of Studio Joan in hopes of turning their ‘tired’ terrace into a place they and their two teenage kids would be excited to host parties in. And for Studio Joan founder and interior designer Tegan Joan Klusenberg, this meant drawing on Holly’s personal style for inspiration.
‘The moment I met Holly I could immediately see how cool her style was,’ Tegan says. ‘She has lots of mid-century inspired pieces, so it was important that everything worked in a kind of eclectic but clean way.
‘The budget wasn’t huge, so I had to be clever about materiality over joinery details and create maximum impact without blowing the budget. I wanted there to be a few surprises along the way.’
Working within the home’s existing footprint, they focused on enhancing the property’s functionality, while also adding fun details throughout. A small re-configuration of the upstairs bathroom and laundry helped create a much bigger space that now showcases Holly’s favourite colour of olive green in the floor-to-ceiling tiles. Similarly, they elevated the kitchen by using Carrara stone and more olive-green contrasts, painting the joinery in Dulux Paris Creek.
Their collection of artwork, rugs and trinkets also influenced the interiors. The new pink bathroom was originally designed to be more muted, but wound up being a candy-coloured, ‘Acne pink’ as a reference to the fashion label’s bag that features in the living room’s Dina Broadhurst photograph.
‘We really wanted that space to be like a little jewellery box that you opened and it was unexpected,’ Tegan says. ‘The bathroom is under the stairs, so we ended up tiling the whole thing, floor, walls, ceiling… it is such a great space!’
New crazing paving and a built-in bench seat created an intimate space for entertaining in the backyard, while new landscaping refreshed the sunny courtyard.
Tegan says the renovation now reflects the family’s creativity and love for entertaining: ‘It works as a backdrop for their amazing items but also is strong enough to be exciting on its own.’
