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Sydney Cove House by Arent&Pyke
The historic sandstone treasure that is Sydney Cove House has been respectfully revived by design studio Arent&Pyke and given a fresh, contemporary overlay that combines crisp minimalism with tactile softness.
To see a heritage home restored and adored is a joy. This terrace house is in one of central Sydney’s most magical locations, steeped in history, tranquil in tone, yet only metres from the bustle of Sydney Harbour. But a chequered history had left the house in a state of decline that stole from the beauty of its sandstone walls.
Charged with the interior design, Sarah-Jane Pyke of Arent&Pyke says that preserving the heritage overlay was an obvious priority, dictating minimal structural changes. The only addition to the floor plan was a narrow pavilion, which houses the kitchen and links the main structure with the downstairs bathroom – previously the outhouse. This pavilion is defined by sawn cobblestones from Surface Gallery, which extend seamlessly from the kitchen to the courtyard and speak to the textured sandstone and the heritage context of the streetscape. Combined with a dividing wall of sliding glass and mirrored stainless-steel cabinets, Pyke says, “you’ve got this sense of continuity and the sense of it being very much an outdoor space.”
Working within the restrictions of a heritage-protected building did throw up some challenges, most notably with the sandstone walls, which could not be altered. Instead of channelling through the walls, plumbing and electrical services needed to run in front of the walls and be cleverly disguised. For example, the living room is characterised by a matching pair of bookshelves either side of the fireplace, with mirrors behind. These mirrors are actually boxed around pipes and electrical ducts from the new upstairs bathroom, rendering them invisible.
Respect for the home’s heritage was balanced with giving it a new, modern life. “Everything was driven by that need to preserve the historic character, but you don’t want a museum,” says Pyke. “You can’t touch the stone, but you don’t want it to feel precious. It had to be a space that could be lived in.”
The homeowners had requested a “clinical” house, which Arent&Pyke interpreted as clean and easy to live in, with a contemporary sharpness to contrast with the honeycomb texture of the heritage stone. Therefore, walls were painted the same crisp white throughout, with a gradated approach to colour – darker, saturated hues downstairs and softer pastels as you rise through the floors. “The very bottom floor is half underground, with a heaviness that comes from the sandstone base, so we took that opportunity to really pump up the colour,” says Pyke of the downstairs palette, which includes a maritime navy kitchen, forest green sofa and zesty clementine awning.
Upstairs, the palette softens and calms, with the bathroom being a divine example. The opposite of a clinical space, the bathroom features doors to a balcony, with sheer pink curtains fluttering in the breeze. There’s a notable lack of tiling, with wet areas protected by Carrara slabs and a rose-toned sheet of mirror behind the freestanding bath.
This creative layering of texture and tone gave the building a new look for a new century while also allowing the owners to connect with the project as a home. “They’d never lived in it and had no emotional attachment yet,” says Pyke. “The journey we went on with them created a real sense of ownership and love for the home.”
Interior design by Arent&Pyke.
