Bellevue Hill residence | Pipkorn & Kilpatrick

"This young family's brief for a clean, white, spacious home that encouraged their love of entertaining and the outdoors was realised through extensive rezoning and expanding of the original footprint and through incorporating storage and concealment solutions throughout. The original Edwardian home's integrity was retained through restoring the beautiful hardwood floors and existing heritage features, but the main living area was shifted from the front of the house into a clean, spacious, open-plan extension at the rear. The family wanted a clean break from old to new, so the large open-plan extension was floored with concrete and framed with full-height black-aluminium doors and a deck designed to bring the outdoors in. A clean white kitchen with carrara marble benchtops and a generous island bench catches your eye as you enter the open plan, zoned by the laundry and a study nook tucked behind a panelled wall with large pivot doors (also concealing the pantry). The front of the house was made more functional by dividing the double-room living area into a study and playroom, and the second bedroom adjoining the master bedroom was ­replaced with generous walk-in robes and an ensuite. Full-height cabinetry was added to the playroom to conceal the television, storage and study nook, and custom robes were built into the kids rooms. The design was all about maximising storage and circulation space, and the result was an inviting functional home that embraces the Sydney lifestyle and climate."

Photograph: Christine Francis | Via Est Magazine and Pipkorn & Kilpatrick