Mid-Century Soul – Chromacolour House by Alwill Interiors
Previously the Cambodian embassy in Sydney, Chromacolour House sees an injection of much-needed vivacity and colour, taking cues from mid-century Californian style. Alwill Interiors brings a sense of identity and soul to this repurposed home.
Purchased in 2014, Chromacolour House was unrecognisable as the home it is today, having previously been occupied as the Cambodian embassy. Originally designed by local architect Douglas Snelling, the wearied bones were in need of dire repair, restoration and repurposing. Allwill Interiors brought a refined residential resolution to the dwelling, through rearrangement of the internal spaces, adding a sense of soul through materiality and considered nuances, and a much-needed injection of vivacity and colour. Taking cues from mid-century Californian design, a bright and open palette ensued.
Integral to the success of creating a truly referential mid-century model is the integration of the garden as an extension of the internal living areas. Together with landscape architect Wyer and Co, Alwill Interiors worked to make these connections effortless and clear, with large uninterrupted openings and transitional moments between inside and out. The selection of draping bougainvillea, cactus and tall reaching palm trees all add to the mid-century feel, all set against an uninterrupted white painted façade backdrop. With the building originally constructed in the 1950s, after removing the ill-fitting 1980s décor, the original features could be revealed and celebrated.
Dotted throughout with bright and engaging modern art pieces, both the walls and the rooms are brought back to life. The use of natural stone, hand-made textural tiles and warm timber all contrast the clean and crisp expression of the exterior. Bleached oak flooring and white walls further emphasis the injected colour throughout and offer a counterbalance to the visual delight surrounding.
Chromacolour House sees a generous family home emerge from its previous occupation as a place of business and international affairs. Expressing and celebrating is original 1950s charm made even more apparent through the creation of a valued and considered hierarchy of comprising elements within the internal rooms. Through a total re-planning of the interior, reconsidering the previous architectural separators and reconfiguring them to best suit its new client, a new cohesive home was created. Alwill Interiors brings a sophistication and an acute sensitivity to both the ground and upper floor renovations, adding an eclecticism and reinjecting life through references to the mid-century Californian style.
