An Expressed Narrative – Lang Road by Alexandra Kidd and Luigi Rosselli Architects

As a reference to far-fetching global destinations and a collected life, Lang Road brings together an effervescence through colour, texture and rich layering. Alexandra Kidd complements the architecture by Luigi Rosselli Architects, combining the playful spirit of its owners with an expression of place and narrative.

Centrally located in Sydney’s Centennial Park, Lang Road sees the history of its stately past brought together with a revised and expansive renovation, capturing the essence of its owners who had lived overseas for many years. The resulting space needed to reflect the diversity and multi-layered cultural influences of their collective experiences abroad, especially in India. As such, there is a concentrated depth to the richness of the select finishes and the individual pieces that don the generous home and its many rooms. The vastness of the home provided an increased opportunity to expand on the tale of the owners’ past, combining it with the existing features and details to create a series of spaces that act as an extension of them and their values. Together with architecture by Luigi Rosselli Architects, Alexandra Kidd weaves all of the contributing elements of the interiors together into a cohesive, and vibrant, whole.

Most prominently having lived in India, there is a concentrated depth to the richness of the select finishes and the individual pieces that don the generous home and its many rooms.

Creating moments of intimacy in amongst the scale of the home was key, achieved predominantly through layering and adding in considered pieces. The story of journey also plays a large role, both in the way in which the home and its many spaces are experienced but also in the interpretation of the expression within. Each room in a way tells its own unique story, binding similar elements together to create and infuse clarity amongst the colour and diverse elements. The home’s original detailing, crafted cornicing and curved features allow the history of place and previous owners to exist amongst the new, reflecting time. Contrast is used to balance moments of action and inaction and places to gather and retreat, while the use of colour and finish aids in facilitating that process.

Spread over three generous levels, the home brings the bold and the whimsical together, heightening a sense of luxury through the use of stone and select metals. Throughout, a number of custom pieces come together to capture the owner’s own style and to breathe new life into older and collected pieces. Originally built in 1910, elaborately decorative stain glass windows, oversized fireplace and other features remain untouched, while the new elements sit alongside them. There is a concerted effort to introduce elements that would complement and not compete with the existing, adding to the previous story and previous owners, without overwhelming or distracting.

The story of journey also plays a large role, both in the way in which the home and its many spaces are experienced but also in the interpretation of the expression within.

Through an infusion of elements, Alexandra Kidd beautifully combines animation and personality into each of the spaces of Lang Road, forming a home as a layered story of its owners coming to live there.