The process
Sharmaine was living in Canada when
she spotted her family’s future home on
a real-estate website. On the search for
a new house for their return to Australia
after a five-year stint overseas, she sent her
parents, who lived nearby, on a mission
to check it out. “They walked us through
the house on a video call,” she says. And,
just like that, the deal was done.
Almost immediately, Sharmaine
contacted interior designer Rebecca
Jansma of Space Grace & Style via email
to request her help with the house, which
was Edwardian with a newer extension.
Originally the plan was to renovate the
kitchen, add some modern touches and
refinish the floors, but Rebecca suggested
the floor plan needed reworking, too.
“At first I thought it was strange to
renovate remotely, but Rebecca made the
whole process very easy,” says Sharmaine.
The kitchen and the main bedroom’s
ensuite were both on the renovation list.
“I started doing the kitchen design straight
away because it just came to me,” says
Rebecca. A mostly white colour scheme,
with a mix of greys, was used in both the
kitchen (shown this page and opposite)
and ensuite to bring in more light. Adding
texture to the spaces was also paramount.
“Towards the back of the house was quite
dark... so we had to paint it all white to
bounce the light around – and when you
do that you need to bring in contrasting
materials to make it look interesting.”
The family arrived back half way
through the renovation and stayed with
Sharmaine’s parents until the house was
finished. Now that they’re in, Sharmaine
says she wouldn’t change a thing. “There
were so many details that Rebecca
brought to the design that I would never
have imagined to include. It was great
to work with her,” says Sharmaine.MODERN
MATERIALS
A designer brings a contemporary
vibe to this Victorian family home
with white, brass and timber tones
IN DETAIL
OCTOBER EUCALYPTUSARTWORK BY JOANNE SISSON FROM SALT GALLERY. MANGO-WOOD PLATES, HOUSE OF ORANGEINSIDE | RENOVATE
102 | INSIDE OUT