Briony Fitzgerald Design

This beautifully positioned Federation-style house on Sydney’s harbour had great bones – unfortunately some were in the wrong place making for less than ideal living arrangements. ‘This is something we enjoy doing – the contemporising of traditional houses – retaining their character while making them work for family time in the 21^st century’, says Briony. Working with builder John Alvarez, rooms were reconfigured to give a greater connection with one another and with the harbour views. “It is often easy to see what needs to happen to make a house flow properly but making it happens takes skill and the right team. We are fortunate that over time we have worked with the best builders and craftspeople in the industry’, she says. The shell of the interior and the floorplan were simplified and Briony layered the space with custom made bronze tables, fabrics, bespoke dining chairs and tiled surfaces including the bold glazed Moroccan tiles of a double-sided fireplace. A sculptural, spiral staircase winds up to the attic while the 

master bedroom was reconfigured to create a better use of space and include a dressing room. The new positioning allows for views of the harbour from the bed and the bath.

‘The client had great art, ceramics and rugs and we worked with these pieces to harness the best of what existed while bringing in additional pieces’, says Briony.