Your Custom Text Here

 Sharpe house

70 Great Buckingham Street Redfern

Freddie,

Your lovely Victorian terrace, situated in arguably the best street in Redfern, needs some getting lovelier. It’s an historically classic inner city Sydney house with great bones, great outlook and great potential to explore if it is to fully satisfy your needs for a stylish, functional city bolt hole. Whether you’re there on your own, with Nicolette, entertaining house guests or throwing dinner parties, the house needs to be upgraded and customised to fit the bill.

The floor plan:

Downstairs, the intention is to create light-filled, generous living areas, with a kitchen that feels more connected to the garden, a discreet laundry and loo in the darker centre of the building - and generally, a much more fabulous, liveable, charismatic residence for Mr Sharpe et al.

We spoke about your desire to have an ensuite and my advice was to use your study for this - then we looked at how to better utilise the back section of the first floor to potentially incorporate your study, a second bathroom and a smaller guest bedroom, maintaining the top floor as further guest accomodation.

We need a decent architect.

What you seemed to respond to in the property in Birchgrove designed by Barnaby Hartford Davis, was primarily the light - in contemporizing that similarly sized terrace, we opened it up and the light flooded in. The original staircase was sacrificed in preference for a much more practical and lower profile stair, but in other respects, we worked hard to preserve the Victorian architectural detail that is so universally appealing.

The entry floor of any house, but particularly a terrace, is important because it’s first impressions that count - let’s face it. You open the front door to the inner world of the occupants and in a terrace, you need to strike the balance between that entry point being open enough that it doesn’t expose the inner sanctum at first glance, but on the other hand, it’s not pinched and closed, like they so often can be by virtue of their narrow hallways.

In this Birchgrove house, we removed the hallway altogether - allowing for a much airier, more spacious look and feel. As there are steps up to the front door, there is more of a sense of arrival than if the entrance was on street level, so the feeling of exposure is reduced.

Your house is at street level, so if we were to remove walls, we may think about retaining a ‘nib’ wall so that when the uninvited come knocking at the door, their view is limited.

Detail is limited only by imagination. The clients in Birchgrove are big readers and have a massive collection of books, (although Belle Magazine wanted to remove many of them for this shoot), so utilising the spaces on either side of the chimney breast is a clever and practical way to provide storage for books, treasures, wine… in an aesthetic way.

I’ve seen this movie before…!!

The reason for presenting the scope in this way is to show you how I understand the modernising of a terrace can evolve. I do not mean to say that this is how your house should look, but rather, what could be an effective and attractive transformational approach that would accomodate the aspirations you have for your home.

This is what we did in Birchgrove. A galley kitchen leads to a casual dining area with doors that lead from the left hand side to steps up to a raised garden, as the property is on the harbour and the slope from back to front is not insignificant.

The kitchen in your house is very central - is this the best spot?? It is the room in the house that sees the highest traffic throughout the day and into the evening, so it should beckon you in, ask you stay a while, be the space that listens to you, understands you, feeds your soul…. it needs the best spot, not the worst.

I’d propose (outrageously, given this is definitely an architects domain), that we relocate it further back to connect it more with the garden and the superior external light source. No one should have to have the kitchen lights on on a sunny day.

I believe your property is larger than the Birchgrove house and that you have more potential for casual living in the sunny rear of the building, opening to a level deck or garden. The layout you have currently does not take advantage of the space and instead, plonks a loo and a laundry right in the plum spot.

The rear of the property is screaming to be activated. As you rightly point out, by giving up some of the length, we could possibly expand the width of the internal space to really take advantage of the exterior space that right now, is a wasteland, with ALL due respect!

Upstairs is a quandary bellowing for resolution. You need an ensuite and the only spot for that is your study. So an eviction is imminent - you get relocated to the lovely back - and the argument that you like that as a guest room does not wash. YOU live in this house, it needs to work for YOU, not a sometimes guest.

Nor does Nicolette need to share a bathroom with a guest - a decent sized ensuite with a bath is essential - for her if not for you.

Colour, texture, light fitting, furniture, art, floor coverings - so many elements missing here - so much to look forward to Freddy!!!!

I’m adding photos of the master bedroom in Birchgrove because I started with this comparison piece so I need to continue it!! It’s a smaller bedroom than yours but it has a serenity and style that I hope will inspire you to think and to anticipate something of what might be in store for your house.

Generally, the humble bathroom is so under-rated, so mistreated, so misunderstood. It is where we are at our most vulnerable - it is not a place for chrome clad, surgical grade lighting, clear shower screens, massively rude mirrors…. it’s a place for organic feels, mood lighting, friendly language. We want to feel welcome here, embraced, loved for who we are AND how we look…

This big grey mother needs to go to God. I didn’t take many photos of her - she’s not going to be remembered for much other than her provision of a massive incentive to create warm, inviting and most importantly, kind bathrooms at number 70.

Finger wall tiles, terrazzo floor, timber vanity with marble top and stone basin, brass edged mirror, handcrafted sconce light, Australian made tapware and pretty spectacular bath were in winning combination in this bathroom - inspo for yours?

The staircases in your house are worth considering in the context of all I’ve already said. Sometimes, there can be a tendancy to hold on to the idea of history when aiming for modern adaptation. This building is old and beautiful and significant, but it would once have had an outdoor loo, a wood burning stove in the kitchen, inadequate climate control… all the things that come at a cost to comfort, cost and convenience. To modernise and customise, an open-minded approach to innovation is constructive - I’m not lecturing, I’m just trying to agitate for the best outcome for you.

Undertaking a big renovation may come at the cost of some aspects of the authenticity of the building. A way of preparing for that conversation is to think through the benefits of either approach - to protect it or to advance it into the next era of its existence. The architect’s role is to explore potential, not be slavish to the heritage of a building under review.

The balustrades are pretty but the steepness of the stairs to the first and the second level is not ideal. - our mission should be to consider all ideas.

We did remove the original stairs in Birchgrove and they were replaced with an understated, low profile balustrade that was a much lighter touch in a more modern scheme. It was a polite reordering of the architecture that allowed for superior outcome to living with super steep, narrow and in parts, ladder-like stairs,

You and Nicolette have friends and family to stay and you want nice spaces for them to enjoy - but to me it makes no sense to allocate prime positions for the sometimes stayers.

I’d propose re-imagining where and how to create welcoming and warm guest bedrooms, but prioritising your study is important as that is a far more frequently inhabited space. Climbing up to the third floor is not the answer, this rear bedroom just might be.

Removing the deep bank of cupboards on the left will reveal a bigger space in which to create a really fabulous room for you with a perspective out over the Redfern rooftops.

I reiterate again, a clever architect will wave a magic wand and potential you never imagined will tickle its way into view. Spacious, airy and light rooms will replace the pokey and the hokey.

(nothing hokey or pokey about this incredible painting - it cannot wait to be relocated to your new improved study!)

The room on the third level at Birchgrove was an attic conversion that you would not have wanted to spend any time in, to say the very least. I took these photos at the final open for inspection, before it was purchased.

With its exposed brick wall and dark woodwork, the room felt closed and grimy, small and unappealing. It was accessed via a nasty open stair that wasn’t safe for the frequent use required of it. Clever architecture saved it - even if it did mean plastering over the original bricks and switching out the original roof beams for chunkier, shallower ones.

Annoyingly, I didn’t take good enough photos of your attic room to include here - one of a cupboard and one of the view! But this room is quite big and would make a fabulous guest suite. We spoke about whether a small balcony would be permissible, but I wonder if in a redesign of the first floor, the second could also be expanded? Food for thought. Two guest rooms upstairs are better than one - leaving the first floor exclusively for your use and reserving the top floor for the sometimes stayers.

At Birchgrove we were able to open the attic room up and we added a bathroom and a rear deck, making it possibly the best room in the house - a great work retreat/study for a busy barrister and doctor in search of escape from rowdy young children - not, i trust, at the same time.

In Summary:

As you described it and as I’ve tried to capture here in this document, your requirements for the house include expanding the downstairs living areas to bring in more light and better amenity generally, with a new kitchen, bathroom and laundry. The preference would be to connect the kitchen and casual living area with the garden, thereby activating the rear of the property. Upstairs, a new ensuite, a study, a guest bedroom and bathroom, and an additional guest bedroom and bathroom upstairs. Phew.

Once the architectural plans are finalised and are approvals obtained, construction follows. But from the very beginning, the interiors scheme is being incubated and evolved with you so that as the build resolves, all aspects of the design come together.

And finally, absolutely fundamental to the project is the sustainability of every single element, included but not limited to design, building materials, power, insulation, garden design, etc. Huge priority.

My proposal:

If you engage my services, I will be involved at every stage in an advisory capacity, and will be building and evolving the interior scheme at every step. Lead times on products, furniture, lighting etc can be punishingly long, so getting ahead on orders at the earliest juncture is a huge advantage.

My fee is $15 000+GST for creative design, which covers every aspect of the interior scheme. Additionally, I charge 10% on all items I select and/or procure. I pass on all trade discounts on items where they apply, which is generally around 20% off RRP but can be more and sometimes less. I do not charge commission on architectural fees, builder costs, or trades not organised by me.

If you’d like me to play a more active role in finding an architect and builder, researching and attending interviews and meetings, and liaising in an ongoing capacity with them on your behalf, then this would be an extra service not covered by my design fees. This may be of interest if your time is limited, if you’re traveling, or indeed if it is just your preference not to be immersed in the complexity of the build.

This is a three stage process -

• Planning development (You lead this - but I am your sounding board, advisor, interpreter, hand-holder…)

  • finding an architect - who will design the home to your specifications. The critical factor here is you striking a strong rapport with this person as they are shaping your future life within this building.

  • finding a builder - similarly, you need to feel confidence and trust in the builder, as they are responsible for bringing the dream to life - on time, on budget.

• construction (The builder leads and is accountable for this - but I am available again as advisor, sounding board etc )

  • this is the grind. Your home becomes a building site far removed from the quiet comfort you have so far enjoyed within these four walls. It can be hard to imagine, as the weeks wear on, when it will ever finish.

• interior design and procurement. ( This is my wheelhouse. Absolutely NOTHING is decided without your full approval, but the work of pulling the interior design together is on me, covered by the fees as set out above)

  • They say choice is the enemy - unless you have an interior designer! Selecting every last detail is overwhelming for most people - there is a plethora of decisions to make, people to please, other places you’d rather be than in a bathroom shop talking about cisterns and strip drains…

  I am a great communicator, equally happy being present with you on site whenever required, or to act as your agent. It is a rather overworked term, but renovating a house truly is a ‘journey’ and it takes stamina and humour in equal measure to get to the happy end point. It’s a journey we embark on together so it’s super important that we are confident in our rapport.

  I think to that end, we should meet again to discuss logistics, ideas and expectations. I’d like to meet Nicolette if you deem that appropriate at this stage, so as to understand her aesthetic and to involve her in the design process.

  Take your time to consider the foregoing and reach out if you have any questions or queries. There is a lot to think about and to digest.

  I look forward to hearing from you when you’re ready.

  Henrietta.