It feels fitting that you should reach Sarah and Neil’s expansive heritage-listed home via 12 stone steps: a grand house deserves a grand entrance. And looking at its enchanting white timber verandahs and shingle facade, it’s no surprise that a step through the front door means a step back in time.
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When homeowner Sarah first spotted this elegant home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, it was gloomy, tired and came with a 1980s-style swimming pool that swallowed the backyard. Yet with vision and a passion for old houses, she could see its potential as a home for herself and her family, which includes husband Neil, children Isobel, 12, and Fred, 11, miniature schnauzer Archie and cat Mini.
“We love old houses and weren’t frightened off by its heritage listing,” says Sarah of her home, built on a historic beach side estate. “However, I dismissed it initially because of the old pool, which took up the whole garden and seemed like a huge problem.” Other stumbling blocks included the dilapidated sun room at the back, which was so rotten “you could put your fingers through it”, and the facade. “The verandahs had been glassed in,” explains Sarah, “so it looked monolithic and ugly, and inside it was really dark.”
While she began to see its potential, Neil took some convincing. “The thing was, it met our criteria in lots of ways,” continues Sarah. “We wanted a ‘proper’ old two-storey house within 10 minutes of the beach – we managed eight! – and we needed more space for the kids, who were eight and 10 at the time. I showed Neil how we could extend it and open it all up and drew him a picture of how it might have looked in the 1920s.” He was sold.
After three-and-a-half years in the home, the couple engaged Modify, a start-to-finish construction company, and they expertly delivered the whole renovation from development approval to interior design.
The work included restoring the front and opening the verandahs, knocking down the 1980s extension and building a conservatory (also used for dining) and new kitchen, and extending the side of the house to include a butler’s pantry, laundry and powder room.
Upstairs, above the extension, a parents’ retreat and walk-in wardrobe was added, and outside they landscaped the garden and replaced the enormous pool with a smaller one. “We already had a great big hole so we thought we may as well!” laughs Sarah, who, with her family, moved into their dream home in October 2019.
The interiors are as graceful as the house itself; a treasure-trove of artworks, family heirlooms and forgotten gems, spied with Sarah’s keen eye for vintage and bought from Vinnies, Ebay and Gumtree. Sarah’s colour palette is classic blue and white, and she has “collected blue and white china ever since I can remember”.
The result is a warm, welcoming and characterful home, enhanced by the former lawyer’s own handiwork. “I’m a frustrated creative person,” says Sarah with a smile. “I’ve painted lots of furniture and I make lampshades and cushions.
Yes, if you had all the money in the world you could buy smart new pieces of furniture, but it’s actually fun being challenged to get the look you want by repurposing old things you find on Gumtree.” That sounds like a perfect match to this historic home. “The most important thing to us about the house is that it’s old and makes us feel very happy,” says Sarah.
Best tip for renovating a heritage house?
“I did a lot of research and spoke to the heritage office at the council before we bought the house. Once they realised I was genuinely interested in restoring it, they offered to look at the plans.”
Favourite vintage haunts?
“I like Dirty Janes and The Bronte Tram in Bowral and Lunatiques in Sydney.”