Darlinghurst Terrace

A sensory oasis from the hustle and bustle of inner city living.

An artist and musician updating their terrace in inner Sydney had bought some hexagonal grey tiles. They had an eclectic collection of art, a love of heritage and a wealth of bold ideas.

 

 

The hexagonal tiles, in various shades of grey, were the starting point for a play with different materials. A mix of geometries and textures was chosen to respond to the clients’ love of colour and shape and to stitch together the different ideas into a whole.

Sliding timber doors in the dining room and kitchen and a large tilt up door at the rear enhance the connection between interior and exterior. Inside, the open plan space features a patterned floor of tiles and timber to delineate the different zones, whilst a sliding hardwood screen separates kitchen from dining. The hexagonal tiles appear in the kitchen splash back and floor, whilst the brass kitchen bench top folds down into a trapezoidal shape mirroring the form of the tiles. Different timber colours – spotted gum and blackbutt – add to the mix.

The hexagonal tiles are also used in the flooring and walls in the bathrooms, combined with white gloss subway tiles and basins, hardwood timber and brass and Corian textures.

Upstairs four new vaulted skylights draw natural light into the darkest areas of the terrace. A ‘cabinet of curiosities’ was customised for different sized collectibles. The joinery features sliding glass fronts, LED lighting, and beaten brass face panels.

A contemporary version of a Victorian fernery, the courtyard garden increases privacy and reduces the visual and audial impact from neighbours and a two storey studio at the back. It features a bold coloured 12 metre long geometrical mural, a cantilevered steel step, a pond, and a poppy red-coloured circular steel staircase.

The original fabric of the terrace was restored – fireplaces, ceilings and cornices, timber floorboards and stairs.

Darlinghurst Terrace Gallery

Plans

Project info	Details
Team	Sam Crawford, Justine Anderson, Ken Warr, Allen Huang
Builder	SQ Projects
Consultants	Structural Engineer: Partridge Hydraulic Engineer: InLine Hydraulic Services Town Planner + Heritage Consultant: Damian O’Toole Town Planning Private Certifier: Residential Certifying Specialists Landscape Architect: Sue Barnsley Design Surveyor: Geometra Consulting Artist: Sonia van de Haar, Lymesmith
Council	City of Sydney Council
Photographer	Brett Boardman
Awards	2023 IDEA Awards – Residential Single shortlist 2023 Inde Awards – The Interior Space shortlist 2023 Australian Interior Design Awards – Shortlist for Residential Design 2023 Master Builders Association – SQ Projects – Winner, House Alterations & Additions $1-1.1m 2023 Master Builders Association – Dave Petersen, Hoffmans Interiors – Winner, Specialist Contractor of the Year 2023 Resene Total Colour Landscape Colour Maestro Award – Warm Vessel by Lymesmith
Published	Local Paddo Grand Designs Australia – issue 12.4 The Local Project Architecture AU Habitus Living – May 2023 Houses Kitchens and Bathrooms – issue 18
Completion	2022