The 4-year transformation of an iconic 1840s Victorian home in Sydney’s Darling Harbour was an incredibly rare opportunity afforded to Kate Nixon and her team, guided by architects Gina Geritis and Mariana Lorena of LiveinDesign.
Previously owned by the Walton furniture family before being sold to newspaper magnate Rupert Murdoch in the 1960s, the new owners of Yarranabbe House stressed the importance of restoring the original heritage details of the home while introducing a contemporary European sensibility to revitalise the home for luxurious everyday living.
The staggering project encompassed the complete renovation of a six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home with three kitchens, multiple formal living and dining rooms, a library, entertainment and TV rooms, pool, poolhouse and outdoor entertaining areas surrounded with lush gardens.
Kate and the team drew inspiration from Beaux-Art styling by reinstating the formal architecture, columns, arches, detailed mouldings and joinery to create symmetry and a sense of hierarchy throughout the home. An elegant palette of oak parquetry, stone flooring, brass, alabaster, marble, and glass combined to create an opulent palette for the distinguished home.
The same approach filtered through to the generous Master Bathroom, a handsome light-filled space featuring an Arabescato Oro walls and plinth topped with a Victoria + Albert ‘Barcelona’ bath, overlooking the leafy harbourside gardens.
The delicate detailed mouldings and fine fluted glass balanced with striking custom brass frames, clean lines and contemporary hardware radically modernise this superb transitional bathroom.
Explore the complete one-of-a-kind Yarranabbe House project on the Kate Nixon website.
Products – Barcelona
Design – Kate Nixon
Architecture – Gina Geritis and Mariana Lorena from LiveinDesign
Build – Nathan Nicholls and James Michael of JMichael Constructions
Photography – Maree Homer
Kate describes the transformation as ‘”epic – delivering the elusive juxtaposition of classic and contemporary, the best of old and new for luxurious everyday living”.
