Having been through the challenges and expense of an extensive renovation with their previous property, Georgie and Ben were in no hurry to repeat the experience when it came to upgrading their next home.
“We’d learnt that a small renovation can quickly become a major project,” says Georgie, a GP. “Hence, when we toyed with renovating this house, we realised that a knockdown rebuild would lead to fewer surprises along the way.”
Who lives here?
Georgie, a GP, her husband Ben, an anaesthetist, their twin daughters Edie and Chloe, 15, younger daughter Hattie, 10, and Walter the much-loved Mini Groodle.
Favourite place to enjoy a cuppa? Georgie: “The back deck, looking out to the garden and green surrounds. It’s not only our garden, but all the trees in the neighbourhood that add the colour and texture out the back. It’s enclosed, so we can sit out there even when it’s raining. Or in front of the fireplace during colder months.”
Anything you would do differently? “I joke that we should have installed intercoms in the girls’ rooms because sometimes when we’re cooking and they’re in their rooms, we have to make a ‘Google announcement’ on their speakers to tell them dinner is ready!”
The flat block, the couple hoped, would also make a build relatively straightforward. Georgie and her anaesthetist husband Ben, parents to 15-year-old twins Edie and Chloe, and younger daughter Hattie, 10, had lived in the original house on this property for a couple of years and had clear ideas on what they wanted from the new build.
“The aim was to create a house with our three daughters in mind,” says Georgie, “plus Hamptons style, white weatherboards, and with a modern edge.” The couple were also keen to steer away from the traditional all white coastal interior in favour of a more striking look, with black cabinetry and accents throughout.
When searching online for a builder who would be in tune with their desired aesthetic, Ben found Alex and Janette Stritt of Stritt Design & Construction. “We had a great rapport with Janette and Alex,” recalls Georgie. “It was always really easy working with them.”
The finished design outlined a two-storey, five bedroom family home with an exterior inspired by the original Cape Cod-style home on the property. Inside, the building and design duo delivered the wished-for monochrome scheme, along with clever touches that keep the look from feeling too stark, such as architectural detailing, warming accents of brass and timber, and a stunning reclaimed sandstone fireplace that draws the eye in the open-plan living room.
At the opposite end of the living space is a generous kitchen with a large cooking zone, expansive island and butler’s pantry, which creates an ideal entertainers’ area. “Having three children – and Ben loves cooking, too – we spend a lot of time in the kitchen making lunches and dinners and having friends over,” says Georgie. “It’s a lovely space to be in.”
Another favourite spot is the adjacent outdoor living area, accessed via stacking doors that can be pushed right back to enhance the relaxed, indoor-outdoor flow. This north-facing zone, in turn, opens up to the pretty garden, lawn and re-imagined pool. In the backyard, a guest house is a home away from home for Ben’s parents when they visit from South Australia. The build was underway when the couple decided on this addition, and they love the feature.
“The idea was that Ben’s parents could enjoy this separate space,” says Georgie. “It’s worked really well, and we also thought it might be somewhere the kids could utilise. We had initial reservations about breaking up the symmetry of the backyard, however, Janette convinced us that it would be a feature in itself, and she was right!
The family love the result. “The flow of the house is really nice,” says Georgie. “When you arrive at the front door, you can see all the way through to the pool in the backyard. The high ceilings and light throughout create a sense of space and airiness. The house feels like it was made for our family, which is very special.”
Kitchen
Both Georgie and Ben love to cook, so they chose two Fisher & Paykel electric ovens from Winning Appliances, one with an induction cooktop and the other with gas, for the ultimate culinary versatility. “Double ovens are a great alternative to one large cooker,” says Janette. “Two 90-centimetre ovens side by side work with the large proportions of the kitchen, too. We designed and custom-made one large plaster hood to carry across both ovens, which adds to the impression that it’s one extra-large cooker.”
Living
“It has a lovely, warm atmosphere. It feels very cosy.”
Georgie, homeowner.
With both shelving and walls painted in Dulux Lexicon Quarter blending quietly together, the fireplace becomes the star of the comfortable living zone. Built by Scapes & Stone, it makes use of salvaged sandstone and a reclaimed marine pier for the timber mantel. This beautiful feature, a signature element of Stritt Design & Construction, was a must-have for Georgie.
“It creates a unique warmth and character, and provides a lovely focal point that your eyes are drawn to when entering the hub of the house,” she says. “It is also a nod to the old house, which had a lot of sandstone in its foundations.” The shelves display blue and white pieces from Orient House and ‘Eden’ baskets from French Knot. Oak floorboards in Smoked Brown from Flooring Zone run the length of the open-plan room
Bedroom
In the couple’s first-floor bedroom, Bremworth ‘Samurai’ carpet in Kawa warms the toes on cool mornings. Walls are in Dulux Lexicon Quarter, with custom sheers by Nuevue. The Hudson Furniture ‘Marseille’ rattan bedhead teams with the ‘Chateau’ linen bedcover from In The Sac, and the armchair was a lovely find at an Adelaide antiques store.
Bathroom
“Having those darker joinery pieces, the wallpaper and that deeper element gave a bit more of an urban edge to the project.”
Janette, interior designer
WE LOVE…a statement powder room
The powder room is clad in dramatic ‘Trees’ wallpaper in Deep Petrol by UK illustrator Katie Scott, sourced from Ferm Living.
“Janette encouraged me to go a little bit out my comfort zone in the powder room,” shares Georgie. “It’s a small space, so you can do a lot of exciting things from a style point of view. We thought the black and white wallpaper along with the gold accents felt dark and moody, and different to the rest of the house.”
Laundry
“Even though we love admiring other houses, I think this one really does feel like it’s made for us.”
Georgie, homeowner.
Each family member has their own dedicated space in the neat segue between the laundry and garage, where the Stritts carved out a mudroom.
“We wanted a mudroom coming in from the garage, so the girls could put their school bags there on their way in – although this doesn’t always happen!” says Georgie with a laugh. In a style departure from the rest of the home, the room is a soft, earthy grey – Porter’s Paints Dusty Mule – with ‘Iron Hare’ coat hooks from Yester Home UK providing hanging space. The palette was chosen specifically for the zone.
“The lighter muted hue creates interest and helps differentiate the area from the laundry,” says Janette
Alfresco
The sandstone block half-wall introduces texture to the outdoor zone , which features a BeefEater ‘Signature ProLine’ barbecue, an under-cupboard Whispair extractor and a comfy Lavita Outdoor furniture suite with cushions from Walter G.
Interior design & building: Stritt Design & Construction, stritt.com.au.
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