Photography: Jacqui Turk | Styling: Kerrie-Ann Jones
Who lives here: Nicola and Tom Bodor.
Style of home: Freestanding two-storey weatherboard cottage with a glamorous new look.
Location: Balmain in NSW, traditional land of the Wangal people.
Timeline: The couple bought the home in 2017, but didn’t make any major improvements until 2022. All the work was completed by September 2023.
The dream scenario for interior designers is when their clients ask for colour. Refusing to err on the side of caution with a restrained palette for their renovated home, Nicola and Tom Bodor briefed interior designer Caitlin Parker-Brown of Parker Studio quite simply – to just use colour, which she did. “These clients love colour as much as we do, so it made the whole design process such a joy,” Caitlin explains. “While we have used a lot of colour, the overall palette is still soft and earthy.”
Nicola and Tom purchased the home in 2017 from a retired ferry driver who had lived in the home since the mid-1960s. He extended the house himself in the 1970s with no insulation or council approval. The couple decided to leave the house in its original condition until mid-2019, when they did minor renovations to the kitchen and bathroom to make the house habitable until they commenced the big redo in 2022.
Tom’s stepfather, Bill MacMahon, a retired architect, worked on the plans, and design details, such as the much-needed skylights in the kitchen and above the stairs, were discussed over family dinners. Then, in February 2022, the couple engaged Caitlin to start the design process, with the renovation commencing four months later in June 2022.
Caitlin composed a palette that was colourful yet elegant. She did so by using muted tones instead of highly saturated bright colours. That has avoided clashes and makes the overall effect feel balanced. The material palette she chose – limestone flooring, walnut joinery and travertine stone – provides a soft neutral base, allowing the colours to shine.
One of the major challenges in the design process was the home’s internal staircase and the seamless appearance of the balustrade, which was achieved despite the presence of joints. To accomplish this, Caitlin worked in conjunction with the builder, MattBuild Group, and they opted for an inset steel stringer with treads in sophisticated warm oak.
The home’s exterior Vulcan cladding (Bandsawn in Sioo:x from Abodo) is eco-friendly, as are the limestone-tiled floors on the ground floor, and the Bauwerk limewash white paint in the lower part of the ground-floor area.
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In the kitchen, a collaborative effort between Parker Studio and MattBuild, there’s a clever balance of interesting colour and materials with innovative design features. One such installation is the chunky legs of the kitchen island. “That concept evolved during the design process,” says Caitlin. “We had a few curved elements throughout the house, so carrying this through to the kitchen seemed fitting. The chunky pillars for the island’s base help to support the stone top and create a focal point in the kitchen.”
Sage green joinery and oversized marble handles are two more unique aspects of the kitchen that are unexpected and playful. For continuity, the marble handles were custom-made from the same marble as the benchtops. After initially specifying terracotta marble for the kitchen and powder room, the designer faced a challenge when the material was unexpectedly out of stock. Caitlin embraced the opportunity for creative adaptation and opted for a coral-pink marble instead. The owners love its warmth and personality.
For the living area, built-in seating was designed to anchor the open-plan space, complemented by an earthy palette of olive leather upholstery and limestone finger tiles along the bottom of the unit. Colour was added via a rug, an armchair and a wall-hung string artwork by Graziela Guardino.
One of Nicola’s favourite rooms, and a surprise for guests, is the powder room. “We included some vintage Italian fixtures and fittings, which really stand out,” she says. “We let Caitlin choose eclectic wallpaper and made the room a feature.” While beautiful, the ground-floor powder room was another challenge for the team. Even though it had such a small footprint, Caitlin saw an opportunity to design a visually striking room that made the most of the pocket-sized space.
Nearby, the staircase leads up to a serene escape – the main bedroom – which has a curved wall detail and feels wonderfully tranquil. Its ensuite is entered through the walk-in wardrobe and has welcoming pink clay tones. Next to that is a study decorated with high-end wallpaper by Élitis and featuring dark walnut joinery, a signature used in various places throughout the home.
This home seamlessly blends colour and eclectic design in a design that’s comprehensively creative. “I love the colour palette and materials here,” says Caitlin. “Our clients were very trusting, which gave us freedom to push the envelope.
Lessons learnt
“Select bathroom tiles very carefully,” says Caitlin Parker-Brown, designer. “When choosing tiles for your bathrooms, be aware of their size and thickness. Then, be sure to do a tile set-out ahead of time with your tiler to determine where you will have tile cuts (to be avoided) and any potentially awkward junctions. Doing this will ensure the best result.”
Parker Studio is at parkerstudiointerior.com and @studio.parker. MattBuild Group is at mattbuildgroup.com.au and @mattbuildgroup
