Briony Fitzgerald Design

Art and landscape inform this colourful collaboration between Briony and art consultant Susan Shehadie in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Set in tropical gardens landscaped by Dangar Barin Smith and Robert Plumb Build, the bungalow was renovated and a second storey added to create a lively, light-filled residence that embraces its verdant surrounds.

The design evolved around the owner’s art collection, which was pivotal in the selection of textiles and colours. Bold, playful choices of palette and finish begin with the house’s pale pink exterior and bright orange front door, which leads into a hallway swathed in subtly patterned wallpaper and a hot pink ceiling that anchors and warms the space. Tiles bring their own joyful layer of tone between rooms, from polka dots in different colourways to a custom abstract design in vivid green and blue.

Taking inspiration from the artworks and setting of the master bedroom, the emerald glaze on the walls emphasises the vista of the greenery beyond, making it the main feature. “I wanted to incorporate the landscape of the Bronte gully into the design of the house through the large windows and roof garden,” says Briony, “using paint colours to act as a frame that draws your eye to the window and view.”