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Illustrator Alexandra Nea Graham has all the time wished to stay in a rustic farmhouse with a sweeping verandah, ornamental fretwork, and a rose backyard.
This Fifties timber cottage in South Turramurra was removed from good, however she might instantly see its potential. Alex made a proposal on the home earlier than her husband James Webb had even seen it (!) and started drawing her dream renovation.
Alex was a dressmaker for 10 years. In addition to founding her personal label, she labored for Ted Baker, Collette Dinnigan, and Gail Elliott, however she’s all the time cherished inside design.
After two years of sketching her concepts, Alex referred to as on Paul Wilsher, who designed their earlier residence renovation in Newtown. He was capable of navigate strict planning rules and council approvals earlier than constructing with Riverside Constructing and Design commenced in September 2021.
The preliminary plan was to renovate the home inside its authentic timber framework, however the present partitions proved too broken to retain. ‘This was a blow not solely to the price range, however to the very fact I had wished to renovate not demolish the entire home,’ mentioned Alex.
Because of this, primarily every part from the ground up was rebuilt—albeit with loads of reclaimed supplies, to retain the ‘nation farmhouse’ really feel. ‘We labored with the foundations, stored all the unique home windows and constructed them again into the brand new framework, and naturally stored and prolonged the chimney for the fireside,’ says Alex.
A silver lining of the rebuild was the power to boost the ceiling peak. This not solely created a extra spacious residence with that period-style really feel, however supplied extra flexibility for bigger recycled options to be put in.
Alex collected these items, together with vintage lights and leadlight home windows and doorways, over a few years. ‘I had began to trawl websites, amassing these items as they got here up, storing them propped up in our outdated front room that was rapidly turning into like a crowded second hand furnishings store!’ she says. ‘As soon as I found a chunk, I might tweak the plan measurements to suit it in, designing round these beauties like that they had all the time been there.’
The house’s materials palette is predominantly impartial to permit its reclaimed options to do the speaking. Dulux Vintage White U.S.A. with Snowy Mountains Half trims function on the outside, with Pure White indoors.
The whimsical bogs and kitchen are the exception, the place Alex has experimented with custom-made hand painted silk wallpaper, vintage tiles, and gray/blue cabinetry. ‘I’m so thrilled with how the Dulux Miller Temper color has come up on the doorways for the kitchen,’ she says.
The pool space outdoors offers a closing dose of enjoyable and frivolity. The pool itself is totally tiled in a darkish inexperienced marble, making a lagoon-like really feel and rippling mild that displays into the lounge room. Classic wrought iron chairs present a spot for lounging underneath made-to-order pink umbrellas. ‘All I would like now’s some pink flamingo statues (which sure I’m on the hunt for!)’ Alex says.
Alex was closely concerned within the constructing course of, and the house turned out precisely as she envisioned it. Regardless of seemingly common delays on supplies and labour on the time of constructing (plus an unplanned rebuild!), your complete undertaking was completed simply two weeks over its preliminary 10-month deadline.
Alex and James with kids Sam (9) and Ellie (6) pinch themselves each day wanting on the household residence they’ve created!
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