In the details

You can almost hear the birds chirruping and smell the fragrance of the flowers — such is the evocative power of the de Gournay wallpaper, which depicts a rainforest scene in an ombre wave of soft tones.

This dreamy landscape completely transforms the long wall that connects the dining and kitchen areas of this home. It is captivating, immersive and one of those elements that we believe can be introduced purely for the pleasure it brings.

With some projects, we get the chance to evolve an interior over a period of time, enjoying an ongoing relationship with the owner. Our work on this three-bedroom terrace in Woollahra spanned nine years and several incarnations.

It began with a decorative scope and cosmetic changes, and moved to a redesign that incorporated new finishes and furnishings. What it proved was that some choices you make about colour, pattern and mood are resoundingly shown to be the right ones when you still love them many years later.

For the owner and her family, the wallpaper is a firm favourite. Enhancing its appeal even further is the fact that rather than adorning a bedroom or other retreat zone, it appears in two utilitarian spaces, bringing its transportive charm to everyday activities. The wallpaper ties the narrow dining and kitchen spaces together and brings interest to both.

Of course, it doesn’t work alone. The elegant simplicity of an Ilse Crawford timber bench and table complements the gradation of hues, and the thin slats of the bench’s back allow glimpses of the rainforest. The bench hugs the walls, drawing the dining setting closer to maximise the available space.

A coral-coloured rug and tan leather-seated chairs add warmth, and the final defining element is the matchstick bamboo blinds that cover an opening on the wall, pulling light in from a functional kids’ zone while filtering the view of it.

When we returned to this house to redesign the kitchen, a focus for us was defying the narrowness of the space to create a grounded layout with a real presence, using a darker colour to bring depth.

The stormy blue of the cabinets, with their classical detailing and gorgeously grippable brass handles, anchors the room and makes it appear more substantial. Most appliances are concealed, but a robust oven and cooktop, along with an aged zinc rangehood and grey basalt benchtops, heighten this effect.

The kitchen becomes a strong punctuation in the rhythm of the house that invites you to stop and sit down. Even the white cabinetry that denotes the boundary of the kitchen encases function in beauty. The owner needed to put the laundry here, so we created storage that incorporates the machines but resembles a sideboard when closed.

A moody blue reappears upstairs in the deep slate of the master bedroom, where we experimented with deeper tones to calm and soothe. This was one of the first decorative choices in the house, and a testament to its success is that nine years later, after countless opportunities to update or change it, no one wanted to do so. It’s a particular quality of colour: you never tire of the hues that touch your emotions.

That shade informed the scheme of the ensuite with its lighter grey-blue walls. There is a lovely, layered moment looking through the bedroom door where both blues can be seen. It gives a visual clue about how the two spaces work together.

In a challenging area, we addressed different floor levels with separate finishes, starting with grey terrazzo in the vestibule, then stepping up to elegant grey-white, blue and charcoal Moroccan concrete tiles in the ensuite.

To increase the impression of space and sense of lightness, we designed a charming, freestanding armoire. Because this removed the need for under-bench storage, the delicate footprint of the sink barely touches the ground, keeping the focus on the patterned tiles that continue up the wall behind the vanity.

Patterned floor tiles bring another happy burst of colour in the family bathroom, in five combinations that range from sunny yellow to terracotta and sky blue to petrol blue. Balanced by blue wall panelling, white wall tiles and a grey marble bath and vanity, they lift the space and create a welcoming atmosphere.

In the front sitting room downstairs, several key pieces of furniture were part of our first decorative sweep, such as the coffee table, rug, sofa and armchairs. We designed the custom seating in shapes sympathetic to the era of the house. Their symmetrical layout is also quite traditional, but balancing elements, such as the contemporary table and textural sisal rug, relax the scheme.

While the room has evolved with the addition of pieces such as mid-century lamps and vibrant artworks, the original armchair upholstery we chose — a 1915 lotus-print fabric — remains another favourite. So, too, do the walls, painted in a shade enticingly titled Tea, which provides a beautifully warm, neutral backdrop to all the colour, pattern and art.

Years on from the start of the design process, it seems fitting that some of the boldest choices were the ones that still bring the most pleasure, from a rainforest-covered dining area to a room that speaks of tea and comfort.

This is an edited extract from Arent & Pyke by Juliette Arent & Sarah-Jane Pyke (Thames & Hudson Australia, $80).

TEA AMONG THE TREES

Interior designers: Sarah-Jane Pyke, Juliette Arent, Dominique Brammah

Builder: Cumberland Building

Photographer: Felix Forest

Editorial stylist: Claire Delmar