Houses, like people, can get under your skin and make it impossible to imagine a future without them in it. For the owners of Queen, this is exactly what happened. Exquisitely transformed by Smac Studio’s founder Shona McElroy, this family home in the exclusive historic suburb of Woollahra, became the perfect stage for expressing the multiple facets of a creative family.
Woollahra is one of those suburbs that scream Sydney. Located a stones throw from everything Sydney is world-famous for - glistening sandy beaches, vibrant nightlife and exceptional dining and entertainment, you’d be hard pressed to find a more desirable, cosmopolitan yet family-friendly suburb anywhere in Australia.
It’s not surprising then that after having rented the property for a couple of years, when the clients had the opportunity to call it their own, they jumped at it. However, while it was - and is - a dream home in a dream location with gorgeous bones, she was in need of a face lift.
Designed in 1981 by Brisbane architect Espie Dodds (d. 1988), the house stands in striking contrast to the rows of Victorian terrace houses and their intricate lacework adorned verandahs. Embracing the existing Hollywood regency glamour meets Gloss energy of the original architecture, McElroy leaned into both history and the client’s innate sense of joie de vivre.
“They wanted a true entertainer’s home, somewhere that balanced fun and colour with calm liveability,” recalls McElroy. “They’re incredibly stylish, well-travelled, and passionate about music and hosting, whether that’s intimate dinners or large gatherings. The house needed to reflect their personalities. One of my favourite moments was right at the beginning when they said, “Be really creative, we’d much rather pull you back than have to push you.” That level of trust is rare.”
What is also rare is finding a designer who can respond so thoughtfully and with as much clarity as McElroy, translating ideas and mood-boards into spaces that become the physical manifestation of a client’s psyche. As the client puts it, “the entire process was genuinely so much fun. From the very beginning, we were completely aligned on the look and feel, everything Shona suggested was so inspiring.”
Described jokingly by McElroy and the client as “modeco” (modern meets deco), there is a certain je ne sais quoi to Queen that even this rather fabulous portmanteau doesn’t quite capture. McElroy has deftly reshaped what was once a series of disconnected, compartmentalised spaces, into an expansive, open-plan home with five bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms and three living areas, perfect for a young family who love nothing more than hosting friends for pizza or pasta making parties and delighting guests with their piano playing, or soaking in the rich, analogue tones of vinyl.
To unlock the magic and potential waiting to emerge from this unique 80s home, McElroy dispensed with virtually everything bar the architectural building envelope. The ground floor configuration was, to say the least, special. In its original layout, a bedroom sat between the kitchen and living areas. While this may have made sense once-upon-a-time, all it was doing was interrupting both the in-door-outdoor flow and sightlines through the building.
This gesture of opening the lower level enabled McElroy to deliver exactly what the client wanted: a distinctive series of public spaces on the ground floor, evocative of a modern-day Jay Gatsby, with private bedroom spaces on the upper level so that they could entertain and nestle in as a family in equal measure.
As in many contemporary homes, the life and soul can be found in the kitchen. At Queen, it’s also where the tone for the rest of the interior design is set. “Pink Rosa Murcia marble is paired with creamy Calacatta Oro marble in a checkerboard pattern on the floor, creating immediate personality,” says McElroy. “A generous central island houses the cooktop and rangehood so the owners can cook while facing guests. Kitchens should be conversational.”
Meanwhile, in the room that was once a bedroom, McElroy hung a Pink Murano chandelier, transforming this once utilitarian space into a living room that oozes glamour and just the right amount of fun. The U-shaped 1970s style conversation pit plays into the playful, welcoming essence of the home, making it impossible to resist lingering long into the night while sipping on a Martini.
In the dining and music room, the gentle curves of the Pierre Augustin Rose sofa, and a luxurious material and colour palette of brass and dusky pink combine to create a sense of refined ease. “Stylistically, we focused on balance, layering refined, elevated materials with moments of pattern and colour, " explains McElroy. “The palette has depth, but it’s never overwhelming. There’s playfulness, but it’s grounded by calm, tactile materials so the overall feeling remains serene.
These choices, together with the original steel framed french doors that open out into the beautifully landscaped alfresco area and pool create the kind of easy, enveloping luxury that makes the world beyond those French doors feel, for a moment at least, entirely unnecessary.
For the clients, who discovered they were expecting their little girl at the start of the process, creating a sanctuary that was at once reflective and part of the energy of Woollahra and cocooned from it became that much more important. Now that they’re in, there is nowhere else they’d rather be. “It’s the prettiest home I’ve ever seen,” gushes the client. “It brings me joy every single day. Everything works together; the layout, the colours, the textures, the furniture. It’s modern but still honours the art deco character.”
For McElroy, it is her favourite project to date - if she had to pick a favourite. Not because of the materials or the pieces of European designer furniture in and of themselves, but for the way that through an almost telepathic alignment between designer and client, the final outcome is a true expression of the original concept. It certainly helps that it really is a very pretty, deeply considered home fit not just for any Queen, but the metaphorical Queen (and King and princess) who call it home.
Words: Jessica Agoston Cleary
