Houzz Tour: Low-key Luxury Elevates a Light, Open-plan Home
The designer took a tight deadline and two newborns in her stride when creating this sophisticated Hamptons-style home
This recently built, Cape Cod-style house had all the makings of the ultimate family home for Minerva and James McKell-Wright, their children and assorted pets. But with a looming move-in date, little furniture and a new baby on the way, the pressure was mounting. Enter interior designer Kate Connors of Brisbane-based firm Connors & Co, who helped them create the warm and sophisticated Hamptons interior they dreamed of – and in record time.
“Minerva was facing some serious deadlines when I came on board – moving, getting the house ready, and a third baby on the way,” Kate says.
“The house was nearly new and highly finished, but it had no curtains and, apart from a few pieces, Minerva and James didn’t want to bring any furniture from their previous house,” she explains.
“We aimed to introduce a contemporary Hamptons feel to the space,” she says, “with new window coverings, furniture, soft furnishings, floor coverings and feature lighting.”
“The house was nearly new and highly finished, but it had no curtains and, apart from a few pieces, Minerva and James didn’t want to bring any furniture from their previous house,” she explains.
“We aimed to introduce a contemporary Hamptons feel to the space,” she says, “with new window coverings, furniture, soft furnishings, floor coverings and feature lighting.”
Kate created a moodboard, seen here, for the colours, fabrics and furniture. “Everything had to be sourced and ordered, and time was of the essence,” Kate says. “We made a list of priority items and focused on getting pieces from local suppliers that had stock available or short lead times.
“Baby Winslet arrived just after we’d finished the concept design and had started selecting finishes,” she continues. “I’d just had a baby, too, so it was quite a ride for both Minerva and me – lots of late-night messages and showroom visits with my baby, Louis, in tow. But with some very efficient decision-making, the house was soon ready for the young family to move in.”
“Baby Winslet arrived just after we’d finished the concept design and had started selecting finishes,” she continues. “I’d just had a baby, too, so it was quite a ride for both Minerva and me – lots of late-night messages and showroom visits with my baby, Louis, in tow. But with some very efficient decision-making, the house was soon ready for the young family to move in.”
A pair of Wilfred armchairs from (Australian furniture company) Jardan were the starting point for the living room scheme. “We’re a young, energetic family and we use spaces and furniture well,” Minerva says. “We needed pieces that could withstand years of living and loving.”
A leather, “bomb-proof” sofa topped the couple’s wish list. “Curtains and layering were other key elements I wanted to introduce,” Minerva adds.
“Kate suggested the pink armchairs for the living room and they are two of my favourite pieces in the house. They’re known to our children as the adults-only chairs,” she says.
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A leather, “bomb-proof” sofa topped the couple’s wish list. “Curtains and layering were other key elements I wanted to introduce,” Minerva adds.
“Kate suggested the pink armchairs for the living room and they are two of my favourite pieces in the house. They’re known to our children as the adults-only chairs,” she says.
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Rich blackbutt wood floors ground the predominantly pale soft-furnishings scheme. “Colourwise, I love a neutral palette with soft touches of colour and pattern,” Minerva says. “I’m drawn to anything timber and white.”
Floorplan for the kitchen/dining/living room and terrace.
The Cape Cod-style house was designed by Grech Architects. Its spacious, airy feel was something both Kate and Minerva wanted to maintain with the new design.
The Cape Cod-style house was designed by Grech Architects. Its spacious, airy feel was something both Kate and Minerva wanted to maintain with the new design.
First-floor plan.
“We didn’t have access to the house initially due to settlement –and babies arriving,” Kate says. “All we had to go on was a video of the house that Minerva had made and the builder’s plans. As a result, we had to make some initial purchases without measuring up.
“As a result, we had to err on the side of caution with the sizes of some of the key furniture pieces and rugs,” she says. “We might have gone a touch bigger had we known the actual room sizes, but it was a case of better safe than sorry.”
“We didn’t have access to the house initially due to settlement –and babies arriving,” Kate says. “All we had to go on was a video of the house that Minerva had made and the builder’s plans. As a result, we had to make some initial purchases without measuring up.
“As a result, we had to err on the side of caution with the sizes of some of the key furniture pieces and rugs,” she says. “We might have gone a touch bigger had we known the actual room sizes, but it was a case of better safe than sorry.”
“The vintage cane stools in the kitchen are from Home Industry, and were one of the few things Minerva brought from her old house. We had new seat cushions made,” Kate says.
“The combination of patterned fabric, timber, cane and marble creates a sense of understated luxury,” she says.
Bar stool cushions made from Belge linen in Dark Indigo, Christopher Farr Cloth.
“The combination of patterned fabric, timber, cane and marble creates a sense of understated luxury,” she says.
Bar stool cushions made from Belge linen in Dark Indigo, Christopher Farr Cloth.
The patterned blind fabric was chosen to tie in with the basketweave wall tiles beneath it. A solid Carrara marble worktop and classic butler’s sink complete the kitchen’s modern Hamptons feel.
Blinds made from Carnac linen in Dark Indigo, Christopher Farr Cloth.
Blinds made from Carnac linen in Dark Indigo, Christopher Farr Cloth.
Minerva is a keen cook and she and her family spend most of their time in the kitchen and adjoining living area.
“Minerva is studying health science, and there’s always something healthy cooking when you walk into the house,” Kate says. “She uses every centimetre of the marble island for food prep, and the black freestanding Smeg oven was one of the few things she insisted on bringing here from her old house.”
“Minerva is studying health science, and there’s always something healthy cooking when you walk into the house,” Kate says. “She uses every centimetre of the marble island for food prep, and the black freestanding Smeg oven was one of the few things she insisted on bringing here from her old house.”
Avril chairs; Albert dining table, all Cotswold Furniture.
The sheer linen curtains in the living/dining area are Kate’s favourite feature in the new design. “I love how they softly filter the light coming into the room,” she says. “In my view, they’ve made the biggest impact on the house.”
Dining room cabinet, Zuster.
As a busy family home, the furniture and finishes chosen needed to be durable enough to withstand wear and tear.
“We chose classic pieces with a contemporary edge to complement the elegant bones of the house, and layered natural textures with accents of indigo in a nod to Hamptons style,” Kate says.
Otway sofa, Cosh Living.
Otway sofa, Cosh Living.
“Minerva loves fabric and fashion and, knowing her style, it was easy to select prints she’d like,” Kate says. “Most are from Christopher Farr Cloth with a few from Anna Spiro Textiles.
“Like me, she’s also a lover of linen,” Kate says. “In this scheme, everything is printed on linen, with layers of subtle patterns.”
“Like me, she’s also a lover of linen,” Kate says. “In this scheme, everything is printed on linen, with layers of subtle patterns.”
Original photographic print by Max Dupain.
The upholstered headboard was the starting point for the master suite. “Minerva and I had discussed her needing something upholstered, so she could nurse the baby in bed, and this design was perfect,” Kate says.
“She selected the bedhead shape she liked best from a shortlist, and I chose a fabric to suit. The soft colours of this linen worked with the room scheme, and the large-scale, multi-directional print was perfect for the bedhead’s proportions,” she says.
“Minerva loved the fabric the minute she saw it, but James needed a little more convincing,” Kate says. “We got him over the line in the end with some more masculine bedding to balance things out.”
“I think it was lucky I’d just given birth when I showed my husband the bedhead material!” Minerva says.
Brunswick headboard, BedNest; upholstered linen in Carnival, Christopher Farr Cloth.
“She selected the bedhead shape she liked best from a shortlist, and I chose a fabric to suit. The soft colours of this linen worked with the room scheme, and the large-scale, multi-directional print was perfect for the bedhead’s proportions,” she says.
“Minerva loved the fabric the minute she saw it, but James needed a little more convincing,” Kate says. “We got him over the line in the end with some more masculine bedding to balance things out.”
“I think it was lucky I’d just given birth when I showed my husband the bedhead material!” Minerva says.
Brunswick headboard, BedNest; upholstered linen in Carnival, Christopher Farr Cloth.
The elongated marble and brass wall lights were chosen to suit the shape of the bedhead and the position of the windows.
“The existing sconces over the bed would have been obstructed by the wings of the bedhead, and the low position of the windows didn’t leave room for anything other than a long, slender light,” Kate says.
The bedside tables were made to a custom height to suit the bed.
Bedside tables, Zuster. Lee Broom Tube wall lamps, Space Furniture.
“The existing sconces over the bed would have been obstructed by the wings of the bedhead, and the low position of the windows didn’t leave room for anything other than a long, slender light,” Kate says.
The bedside tables were made to a custom height to suit the bed.
Bedside tables, Zuster. Lee Broom Tube wall lamps, Space Furniture.
“I do love a print,” Minerva says, “but it does have to be a specific one – and Kate chose some amazing designs. My favourite is the one we had made into cushions for the bar stools in the kitchen.
“I also adore the print on the headboard and walk-in wardrobe. I love falling asleep with that beautiful pattern above me,” she says.
“I also adore the print on the headboard and walk-in wardrobe. I love falling asleep with that beautiful pattern above me,” she says.
“I’d had this wallpaper stored away for Cleo for some time until I could finally do her room,” Minerva says. Kate selected coordinating linens for the wallpaper in each of the kids’ rooms.
Woodlands Lilac Grey wallpaper, Jimmy Cricket.
Woodlands Lilac Grey wallpaper, Jimmy Cricket.
Little Explorers wallpaper, Anewall.
The open-plan living area leads out to a terrace with an outdoor kitchen.
For Kate, this was a dream project. “Working with a client the second time around means you know each other really well,” she says. “Plus, Minerva invested a lot of trust in me and approved and proceeded with almost every selection we made.
“This doesn’t always happen – a scheme can often get watered down due to budget or the client having their own ideas,” she says. “But in this case, the finished result was everything I’d imagined.”
For Kate, this was a dream project. “Working with a client the second time around means you know each other really well,” she says. “Plus, Minerva invested a lot of trust in me and approved and proceeded with almost every selection we made.
“This doesn’t always happen – a scheme can often get watered down due to budget or the client having their own ideas,” she says. “But in this case, the finished result was everything I’d imagined.”
Minerva is equally smitten with the end result. “I love the ease of it all,” she says. “And how the beautiful, quality pieces we’ve chosen feel so in harmony with the house we fell in love with.”
Tell us…
What do you like about this family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section and don’t forget to save your favourite images.
What do you like about this family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section and don’t forget to save your favourite images.
Who lives here? Minerva and James McKell-Wright, their three children (aged five years, three years and nine months), two dogs and a cat
Location Hunters Hill, NSW, Australia
Size Four bedrooms and three bathrooms (ground floor: 239 sq m; first floor: 114 sq m)
Interior designer Kate Connors of Connors & Co
Stylists Kate Connors and Kate Abdou
Images by Pablo Veiga
Great proportions, exquisite detailing and natural light – there was plenty for Minerva McKell-Wright to love when she laid eyes on this four-bedroom, three-bathroom Hamptons-style house that would become her family’s new home. All it needed were personal touches to see it reach its full potential. She knew exactly who to call: interior designer Kate Connors, who had helped bring Minerva’s previous home to life.
“I’d worked with Kate before and instantly connected with her style and wonderful personality. She has a knack for elevating spaces with a beautiful, luxurious ease, which I love,” Minerva says.
“This house was beautiful, but it was lacking a softness – something I really wanted Kate to bring to the design,” she says. “With three young children, I also wanted to make it as functional as possible.”