Rose Bay Family Home
Residential Sydney, New South Wales • Completed 2021 — 2024Sophie was asked to convert a nondescript single storey Rose Bay house into a large, timeless three story family home with a Spanish colonial influence.
Sophie's response focused on an exploration of materiality, colour and texture to ensure authenticity. 'The house needed to feel relaxed, raw, undone and enduring. To get better with age and be hardy enough to inhabit a family with young children so we invested in good quality, unique, rustic materials throughout to ground the space and create a relaxed setting'. Inspiration was drawn from ancient European landmarks and properties such as Nicola Del Roscio’s Gaeta home that Cy Twombly famously occupied. Reclaimed terracotta tiles with marble inlay were imported from Belgium to ground the fireplace and pay homage to a Spanish colonial influence. Antiqued limestone flooring with stucco walls create an effortless and calm feeling. Tiles imported from the UK by artist Wayne Pate adorn the base of the range-hood in the kitchen and give the house personality. As a result the house demonstrates a European sensibility with a contemporary edge and ultimately its own identity.
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