Glebe House

Sarah and Roy’s house is quietly tucked away in a street in Glebe, a little gem that’s undergone quite an extensive blossoming; herein lies the latest transformation by No Chintz.

The house was built on the water’s edge in 1875 when the area was still a busy operating port.

In 1973, the house doubled in size when Clive Lucas OBE, Sydney’s foremost restoration architect expanded the spaces for modern day living requirements, but carefully kept with its historical style.
 

On this morning, Roy leads me directly through the front rooms into the kitchen-obviously this space is a favourite. Describing it as an absolute wreck when property was purchased, the kitchen had been scattered in various bits and lacked cohesion and in disrepair.

Roy and Sarah were overwhelmed by the task ahead. Roy had worked previously with No Chintz on an earlier home, and so as a start, they called Chrissie to ask for advice on fabrics. When Chrissie visited, she took a sweeping look at the property and said: ‘we can do something with this house!’
 

Today, Roy and Sarah’s home is a celebration of sophisticated, seamless joinery with complementing custom soft furnishings. With no storage on offer for the two busy academic clients, careful thought was given to streamlined and functional shelving, cupboards, and drawers.
 

On display everywhere is the No Chintz trademark polish, joinery toning gracefully in each room, matching in one space, enhancing in others, together with thoughtfully complementing soft furnishings and wall treatments to form a unified whole.
 

In the kitchen where circulation and function also provide room for lounging, the patterned marble splashbacks with smaller sections of handmade tiles are a successful weave of texture, pattern, and form. American oak on the kitchen island softens the tile, marble, and flagstone in play. Overhead, a large, nautical themed glass globe presides. Everywhere, banks of drawers, shelves and cupboards abound, painted in eye-resting tones reminiscent of the nature outside.
 

While the stove end of the kitchen is all drama with statement marble and a large and graceful chimney style chute to house the exhaust vent, the other end is contemplative. Bow shaped windows extend to water views, framed by perfect linen blinds in a stripe which feels like it was woven just specially for this room. Below, a window seat with mismatched cushions to lounge amongst.
 

This is No Chintz expertise at its finest: marrying textures and colours and function perfectly. The kitchen island harbours a group of wooden stools, its upholstered seats covered in shimmery damask; the patterned sheen catching the hues of the surrounds just so.
 

Across the hall, the living room has light spilling into it from the harbourside garden beyond, through another bank of bay windows. A pale linen pendant lamp hovers peacefully over the scene: a pair of varnished cane chairs covered in No Chintz fabric, two comfortable sofas, one from the owners’ collection, the other new, but blending all together in the space seamlessly. Centre stage is a fireplace, flanked by two tall and graceful bookshelves. According to the clients, the existing fireplace was heavily damaged and not original to the house. A company in the inner west specializing in historic fireplaces was able to source one that matched the era of their home, not before fitting it with gas outlets, making it both beautiful and functional.
 

Adjacent, the dining room echoes the colour themes of surrounding rooms. Yet another marble fireplace, also sourced for its correct vintage, is fluted and elegant.
 

We pass a smart bathroom, all marble and good hardware, and the client shows us to the study; ‘the best one I’ve ever had,’ he says with deep satisfaction. Warm mustard walls glow against well fitted bookshelves; you’d never imagine that these were shelves brought from another home and added to, to reach the high ceilings and wall edges. It is a glowing, snug space; a comfortable reading chair covered in a jaunty fabric and a richly bordered linen blind affording privacy.
 

Up a tiny staircase, the entire top floor has been commandeered as the master suite. Bathed in textures of seafoam green and dove grey blue, this is a tranquil retreat from the world. Clusters of spaces have been combined and sorted into master bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, linen-cum-exercise-cum-luggage room and a generous ensuite.
 

A grand upholstered bedhead lends Hollywood glamour, but still keeps the feel of this upstairs space serene. Every window has a linen blind, the chosen best option in these compact areas; full length curtains would have impinged on precious space. Various angular eaves jutting into the upstairs spaces meant coming up with a creative plan for storage spaces. No Chintz and their collaborating cabinet maker have satisfied a challenging brief to the delight of their clients.
 

The project took a year to complete. All the upstairs furniture required assembling onsite as the stairs were too narrow and small to carry beds and chairs.

No Chintz certainly goes the long extra mile to overcome what seem like insurmountable situations, to make their clients’ dreams come true. Director Chrissie steered this project, while our staff interior designer, Justine drilled down on planning and design, liaising closely with the clients to bring it all to fruition.

 

If you would like further information on any of the fabrics, colours or finishes used in this project please contact your nearest No Chintz store.

For home makeovers, or to transform your favourite room, look no further than our Interior Decorating Services. From wall colours to curtains and floor coverings, Chrissie and the team of No Chintz decorators are available for onsite consultations to make your home dreams a reality. 

For more inspiration check out our completed projects or hear what our happy clients have to say.

Tina Gomes Brand is a freelance writer who searches out all things creative from food and architecture to travel, fashion and interiors. Brand writes from a broad experience of interacting with various cultures and collaborating with creative people everywhere.