By Tom Mark Henry
A 1970’s townhouse in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs has been transformed into a tranquil and spacious family home designed for entertaining, with a hint of a postmodern design aesthetic.
Celebrating the original architecture of the building and spread across four split levels, the home designed for a family of five is bathed in light from the north-facing level rear courtyard. The central staircase with its open treads and glass balustrade allows light to travel between the upper and lower levels. A balance between functionality and aesthetics was key to the design, seeing the atypical terrace extended and the former cellar excavated to gain a fourth level to accommodate the needs of the clients. The kitchen has been designed as the main social hub of the house, with an expansive Calacatta marble island and an abundance of storage. The tiled floor, full-height glazing and steel-framed doors unify the space with the tranquil and light drenched courtyard, enhancing the houses original spatial qualities of openness and connection whilst creating a versatile entertaining space.
Sympathetic to the idea of the family growing with the house, a classic yet contemporary material palette of timber, stone, rendered walls and v-groove ceilings has been paired with textured marbles and ribbed glass. A pared-back and tonal use of colour is prevalent throughout, whilst contrasted by bold injections of rich navy and golden hues via furniture and art pieces as well as the walnut veneer and mustard toned marble bar, which recalls the 1970’s.
Photography by Pablo Veiga
Tom Mark Henry was founded in 2014, bringing together a highly skilled team with backgrounds and degrees in interior architecture and design. Based in Darlinghurst, Sydney, our dynamic studio is increasingly active in hospitality, retail, workspace and residential projects. We offer a full scope of services from interior design through to completion of build.
Our team is passionate and expressive. We always take a genuine and original approach to our work and love to collaborate with our clients to allow their story to guide the design. Our studio has been recognised locally and internationally, with a number of project wins and commendations. This includes the World Interiors News Awards, Australian Interior Design Awards, Eat Drink Design Awards, Interior Design Excellence Awards and Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. Tom Mark Henry were recently named as one of Australia's top 25 Interior Designers by Vogue Living in 2021.