Houzz Tour: A Family Home on Sydney Harbour Gets a Breezy Revamp
Ethnic style meets Hamptons chic in this creative makeover inspired by the owners’ finds from across the world
Having recently moved to a new ground-floor apartment just outside Sydney, Julie and John Hanna were eager to transform their home into a retreat that suited their style and needs. They contacted Adam Scougall and Benjamin Napier of AS You See It! to create a liveable space that showcased their eclectic personalities.
‘They wanted to bring in an ethnic element to the interiors while taking a slight wink to the Hamptons feel,’ says Scougall, who relished the chance to cater to specific lifestyle needs and an original aesthetic. By placing custom furniture and global finds against a neutral backdrop, the design team has pulled together a welcoming and inviting home that is as chic as it is comfortable – and a place where the couple can entertain their growing family.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Julie and John Hanna
Location Sydney, Australia
Designers Adam Scougall and Benjamin Napier of AS You See It!
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Cost £40,000 to £55,000
‘They wanted to bring in an ethnic element to the interiors while taking a slight wink to the Hamptons feel,’ says Scougall, who relished the chance to cater to specific lifestyle needs and an original aesthetic. By placing custom furniture and global finds against a neutral backdrop, the design team has pulled together a welcoming and inviting home that is as chic as it is comfortable – and a place where the couple can entertain their growing family.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Julie and John Hanna
Location Sydney, Australia
Designers Adam Scougall and Benjamin Napier of AS You See It!
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Cost £40,000 to £55,000
The living room has a relaxed feel. Scougall and Napier used existing pieces of furniture, rearranging them in a layout that boosted comfort and conversation, and added an armless chaise in ocean blue. Decorative cushions from Bandhini freshen up the taupe sofas. Scougall painted the poppy artwork by hand.
To create a feeling of liveable warmth, the designers sourced custom furniture. ‘The hand-cut panels that Ben personally made for the custom entertainment unit really fit,’ Scougall says. ‘He made sure that the finish on the furniture was a limewashed, driftwood effect to create the link between the ethnic feel and the Hamptons coastal influence.’
Statement Indian pendants over the dining table draw attention to the entertaining zone. The table extends to seat 10 and is surrounded by comfortable dining chairs upholstered in blue fabrics by Warwick and Sanderson.
Get some ideas for choosing the perfect dining chairs
Get some ideas for choosing the perfect dining chairs
To transform a blank wall in the living room, the design duo hung a gallery of pictures in frames of different styles and shapes to evoke mood and personality.
Learn how to create an affordable gallery wall
Learn how to create an affordable gallery wall
Scougall describes this house as ‘eclectic, warm, liveable, coastal and comfortable’, and a lot of that has to do with the range of accessories set on a calming, neutral background. Global finds, such as coastal glassware and a large Eastern-inspired urn, form the heart of the home.
The ethnic feel continues in the bedroom. Moroccan-style wallpaper, designed by Napier and digitally printed, offers a soothing backdrop.
Bed linens from West Elm and Oly add warmth and colour, while neutral flooring and furniture keep the room light.
Discover how to transform your living space into a Moroccan paradise
Bed linens from West Elm and Oly add warmth and colour, while neutral flooring and furniture keep the room light.
Discover how to transform your living space into a Moroccan paradise
A wooden fretwork frame complements the traditional dressing table. Brightly coloured vases and accessories break up the wooden furniture.
Greg Natale’s Silver Chevron wallpaper is used throughout the entry and extends to the dining area and kitchenette to create impact.
‘We also added a very old display cabinet lined with the same wallpaper, so it appears to meld with the walls where it is placed,’ Scougall says.
‘We also added a very old display cabinet lined with the same wallpaper, so it appears to meld with the walls where it is placed,’ Scougall says.
Wicker baskets and accessories sit nicely on a light wooden console table at the front door.
Making the most of space in the hallway, Napier built in a backlit wooden and glass shelving unit to show off valued items the homeowners purchased around the world.
Check out these smart ideas for maximising hallways space
Check out these smart ideas for maximising hallways space
Julie Hanna holds grandson Liam at a family lunch in the courtyard, which overlooks Sydney Harbour.
John Hanna shares a moment with grandson Liam. He and his wife were thrilled with the quick turnaround of the redesign, which made the most of existing features and enlivened the space with new upholstery and accessories and a new layout.
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Julie and John Hanna were bursting with ideas, excitedly handing over a batch of magazine pages they’d already gathered. With this input and direction, the team put together a design - ethnic style with a nod to a relaxed and breezy Hamptons lifestyle.
The project was completed in a short time frame. To offer a turnkey approach so the clients could go on holiday and return to find a transformation, Scougall and Napier had to be sure subcontractors fulfilled their end of the bargain. By constantly assessing where they were and what was yet to be delivered, the designers revamped the space before the clients got home.
Chair fabrics: Jonathan Adler