Project Yowie by Kesha Bull Design
This softly composed family home in Sydney’s south brings the beauty of natural stone into spaces that blend practical planning with expressive materiality.
Project Yowie in Caringbah in Sydney’s south reimagines the familiar language of the suburban home through a lens of generosity, tactility and refinement. Designed by Kesha Bull for a young family, the house was conceived as a sanctuary that could expand and contract with the rhythms of daily life. Within this material-led approach, natural stone plays a nuanced but grounding role, contributing to the home’s strong sense of permanence.
Rich timber flooring, serene whites and distinctive stonework shape a palette that is both resilient and soulful.
From the outset, Bull sought to create “a place where my clients could exhale the moment they stepped through the door”, shaping interiors that balance openness with a deep sense of ease. Rich timber flooring, serene whites and distinctive stonework shape a palette that is both resilient and soulful. Slight shifts in tone and texture offer a softness that echoes the surrounding streetscape, while the clients’ affinity for accents of green settles easily into the overall composition.
This intention is felt immediately upon entry, where a pitched cathedral ceiling draws the eye through the length of the home. The split-level plan made circulation critical, and one of the project’s most transformative gestures was the direct link between the garage and butler’s pantry. As Bull explains, “It completely changed how the home functions. It meant the kitchen became genuinely practical as well as the central gathering point.” Concealed doors to the pantry and powder room, clad in the same finish as the island, keep the space visually uninterrupted, strengthening the home’s cohesive character.
It was within this framework that CAV’ART Designer Stone’s Celline natural stone emerged early as the project’s defining touchpoint. Used across the kitchen island, splashback and fireplace surround, the Brazilian dolomite became the unifying element between the living spaces.
“From the moment we saw Celline, we knew it would anchor the palette,” says Bull. “It has just the right amount of movement to feel unique and expressive, but it’s still gentle enough to sit comfortably with the muted greens and warm timbers.” The stone’s subdued veining and organic tonality reinforce the home’s overall sense of calm.
Used across the kitchen island, splashback and fireplace surround, the Brazilian dolomite became the unifying element between the living spaces.
Working with CAV’ART proved integral to refining the material direction. The team guided Bull through a range of options, helping clarify the qualities and performance of each stone. She recalls the process as “collaborative and well-supported”, noting the ease with which samples were sourced and the care taken to understand the intended outcome on site. This attentiveness ensured Celline could be applied in a way that felt both practical for everyday life and visually consistent across the home’s key moments.
Project Yowie ultimately distils Kesha Bull’s ethos: articulate and detailed, without being merely decorative. Perhaps nowhere is this felt more clearly than in the fireplace, whose quiet form echoes the bolection moulding that threads through the interior. “It might be just a small gesture,” she reflects, “but it ties the spaces together without ever demanding attention.”
In a project defined by subtle connection, the presence of natural stone becomes another quiet contributor – a material that supports the home’s comforting rhythm while remaining beautifully understated.
