BOND STREET

DESIGN & SPECIFY

Overcoming a number of unique challenges, the design for this Federation Cottage is a testament to clever, solution oriented design. The brief required creating a fresh, classical scheme for a young family hoping to modernise a Federation cottage after living in apartments overseas. The clients purchased via a buyers agent, while living overseas, creating an unusual situation where initially neither the client or our design team were able to access the site. Working from rough plans and photographs, the initial design meetings were held via Zoom, with mood boards and design selections presented online.

As the previous owners had lived in the home for more than 50 yrs, the original condition of the house posed our next series of challenges. The existing house was long and narrow, consisting of a series of dark rooms in a linear configuration with a dark second level downstairs.

Undertaking the renovation process during the pandemic also required navigating and mitigating extra challenges including significant delays, increases in pricing and difficulty sourcing required materials. As manufacturing and shipping times for fixtures, furniture and materials slowed and Covid safe practices were implemented and adhered to, we deftly managed these new pressures with a focus on clever solutions.

The clients engaged us to update the home with custom cabinetry designs, a new practical floor plan and furniture layout and to specify materials, lighting and fittings. We developed concepts and palettes for each space that embodied the client’s preference for light and bright materials and soft colours as well as silver metals such as chrome for kitchen and bathroom fixtures. The initial schematic designs for the layout of the house included multiple options for a new kitchen, two shower rooms, a rumpus room and laundry, a living and dining space and 4 new bedrooms.

The resulting design overcomes the obstacles faced, and provides a simple, elegant family home with moments of understated luxury throughout, seamlessly melding the new spaces with the existing Federation-era character of the house.