Your Custom Text Here

 Pearson House

40 Boyle Street

Cremorne

Dear Leonie and Tony,

It was an absolute pleasure to come and see your lovely home and to talk through proposed changes and improvements with you. When children leave home, we are often left, I think, with homes that feel a little like a deflated balloon - empty and out of puff. So we need to shake ourselves out of that phase of our lives and embrace the opportunity to reimagine our homes in a way that fits with the way we live now, not then! Some luxury, some pizzaz - and plenty of post-kids style!

For you, we will achieve this by creating a master suite with walk-in robe and ensuite, we can create a new and cosy living space/ library in the front room, replace key pieces of furniture, and generally, give the whole house a make-over to bring it up to speed with where you’re at now.

The following is a brief scope of what we discussed last week, so please feel free to read and review, adding or deleting as you see fit, Getting the scope right is the first step, engaging my services by paying the invoice is next, then I will get on with the fun stuff - the CIP (or Creative Interior Plan) that will be the magic that brings all the ideas to life.

I so look forward to working with you!

Henrietta xx

Existing floor plan put here for easy reference!

Courtyard:

The entry to any property is critical as it sets the tone of what is beyond the front door - and therefore it gives insight to who lives here! If you value style, and you obviously do, then that should be apparent right from the front gate. This is a gracious house that is already full of character, but I think there is opportunity for improvement in this area.

As I walked home after our meeting, it occurred to me that you’re clearly keen gardeners, so I think taking a look at how we could refresh planting and furnish this space to make it a more impactful entry to the home, is a worthwhile effort.

Front Hallway/entrance

The entry to a house sets the tone, outside and inside the front door, so it is always worth considering the impact you can deliver and the impression you wish to set. This doesn’t just apply to visitors - more importantly, it applies to you and how you experience the house on a daily basis. If you feel the buzz, others will - so we approach this area accordingly.

The interior hallway is a lovely space with its curved stair bannister, high ceiling and good light. Although not your immediate priority, we could explore the placing of artwork and replacing items of furniture, ideas and suggestions for which which will be included in the CIP.

By removing access to the ensuite bathroom from the hall, we can create a space for hanging coats and hats in an area that is partly concealed from the line of sight of the front door, making it more attractive AND more practical.

Master Suite

This is going to be fun! By using both rooms and accessing the bathroom on the same line, we can create a really beautiful and spacious suite for you, but one which can be reverted back to two bedrooms if and when you come to sell the house. It’s all about the layout and planning!

As I suggested last week, by moving your bedroom into the lighter front room, we allocate the nicer space for where you spend your time, and the darker internal space for the wardrobe. This allows us to maximise the sense of space in your bedroom, removing the built in robe to make way for the bed, with a newly luxed up courtyard to look out on to!

Ensuite

By closing the hallway door, we claim the bathroom for your suite - no visitors allowed!!! It is a good size to work with and given the lovely architectural features, it will be a joy to create something really special here.

The design of the bathroom won’t include a bath, despite the fear we all have for the impact on resale!!! But I think it makes for a more spacious bathroom, given the impracticality of a shower/bath combination, which doesn’t look good and is never a pleasant experience!

I so love that you’re keen for terrazzo and I can’t wait to share my ideas for this room further.

Library

I loved that you guys were keen on my idea for this room! It makes so much sense to create a library/study/tv room or whatever you’ll come to know it as, in this part of the house - it is closer to your bedroom and easier to cosy up on winter evenings than being in the larger, more open living area at the back of the house.

I see HHUUUUGE potential!!! .

With plenty of shelving and under counter cupboards, we can line this room with books, incorporate a tv, replace the furniture and rug and generally make this the room you really want to hang out in. The other end of the house is beautiful and I know you love the sunroom, but this is where you’ll want to be in the evening. Whether to read a book, watch tv or sit and chat, I want this room to really work as a new space for the two of you.

Living Room

This is a really lovely room, currently being co-opted by a tv because of the necessary furniture arrangement. I’d love to inspire you to look at it differently and for us to source a whole new look for it and a different way of using the room. With it being so close to the dining area and kitchen, one way to look at it would be as a whole - a large living/entertaining area that a tv isn’t invited to!

I have some ideas that I look forward to developing further with you regarding furniture layout and colour scheme, but again, the bones of this house are so strong that it is going to fabulous to work with. We are going to look at a comprehensive scheme that flows easily between all areas of the house, ensuring a continuity that is the key to good design.

Dining Room and kitchen

New dining room furniture is in order! It’s going to be good to go hunting for the perfect setting and I think I know where to start. The area is spacious and again, there are unique architectural features that will inform our choices here. Our scope is broad!!!

The choice of art, rugs and lamps are critical in creating mood and the selection of those things is therefore, carefully considered. The room as a whole needs to feel that cohesion I always bang on about, because good design should feel seamless, natural, effortless. The way to achieve that is by minimising design elements and maximising the individuality that makes a house a home.

The kitchen looks to me to be a well planned and tasteful renovation that is standing up to the test of time. I have some ideas for a few changes that will enhance it further, but I think this is the area of least concern.

The Sunroom

I get the feeling that this is your Happy Place. Every house has one and yours is particularly well situated with the aspect out and sunshine in. The furniture and furnishings here are up for scrutiny however, and I have some great ideas brewing.

The flooring has yellowed in the sun and it is no longer your friend!! I will investigate options for re-sanding and sealing, but there may be other alternatives I’d like to present for your consideration. There are loads of things we can do to improve the look and functionality of this area - good light and generous floor space make for fun design partners.

To conclude…

Leonie and Tony, you have a beautiful, very well maintained home in fabulous condition and you’re happy here. The changes discussed above will work to intensify your enjoyment of the house for years to come and although there is a cost involved, of course, the value you add by taking a whole of property design approach, increases the value exponentially.

I felt a very easy connection with you both and I got a good feel for what it is I think you’ll love to see in the CIP.

I so look forward to the opportunity to work with you.

Henrietta x