Vibrant and Verdant – Rosso Verde by Carter Williamson

Space is always at a premium in Sydney’s densely populated Inner West. A renovation of a previous warehouse conversion, Rosso Verde demonstrates how the use of space impacts both the experience and function of a building. Carter Williamson’s deft spatial sensibilities imbue the home with a palpable generosity of spirit, seeming to expand its presence – even as the built fabric is carved into to make way for a central landscaped courtyard.

Stepping inside Rosso Verde, visitors are immediately struck by a large curved opening in the ceiling. It spans a significant portion of the depth of the home – one of the four subdivided within a historic industrial factory, each of which adjoin a central communal pool. Immediately, the void beckons the eye upwards – adding a sense of vertical space – and connects the two levels of the building, a natural solution for a growing young family as they call out to one another from different rooms.

Though the exterior of the building remains relatively untouched, Carter Williamson made a radical change to the structure by removing what amounted to approximately one-third of the roof, relinquishing a portion of interior living space.

The void is something beyond the functional, too. This architectural device serves as a visual motif that appears throughout in an embrace of sculptural curvature that softens the industrial bones of the building, even warming key material finishes such as steel and marble. On the courtyard façade, windows reach upwards – seemingly without end – whilst the double-lipped marble benchtop running perpendicular to the void creates a playful conversation between two forms as they intersect.

Though the exterior of the building remains relatively untouched, Carter Williamson made a radical change to the structure by removing what amounted to approximately one-third of the roof, relinquishing a portion of interior living space. The original brief had not called for any more rooms but rather more defined rooms; a desire on the part of the owners to create clearly delineated zones over the more open-plan nature typical of warehouse conversions. “In the Inner West, which is already one of the denser parts of the country, not to have a garden felt like a missed opportunity,” explains practice Principal Shaun Carter of the bold decision, which reimagines the format of the home.

Stepping inside Rosso Verde, visitors are immediately struck by a large curved opening in the ceiling.

“I remember when we presented the concept and the clients said that we’d blown their minds, because they hadn’t seen this as a forever home for them,” adds Senior Design Associate Julie Niass. “They always thought they’d end up moving to a place with a yard, and now that we’d given it to them it shifted their idea of the future.” Rather fortuitously, I only required a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) rather than the more time-consuming Development Application, which would have required council approval. A double-height void is, according to Shaun, always a signature of Carter Williamson. “Yes, you take away some floor space,” he concedes, “but the qualities that we believe you get back are so much more.”

The resultant courtyard, with landscape design by Naomi Barin of the acclaimed Dangar Barin Smith, ushers bountiful light into the ground floor of the home, which comprises a combined dining, kitchen and living space, along with a well disguised butler’s pantry and laundry. Additionally, the planting and strategic positioning of mature kentia palms redefines the line of sight from the two first-floor bedrooms, green fronds offsetting the painted white internal brick wall of the courtyard and creating a sort of canopy over the outdoor space, which contains scattered concrete blocks with various grasses and subtropical plants.

The upper level came with its own set of challenges – namely, a centrally peaked roof that is evident in the raked ceiling of the two bedrooms.

The first floor of the home comprises the private quarters – a main bedroom, with extensive walk-in-robe and ensuite, along with a second bedroom, bathroom and study. The upper level came with its own set of challenges – namely, a centrally peaked roof that is evident in the raked ceiling of the two bedrooms. According to Julie, there were countless conversations about how the curtain might be installed against a sloping ceiling or how cabinetry might be fitted within wardrobes to maximise functional storage space. Yet, the most frequently used word to describe the first-floor spaces is ‘calm’ – evidence of the team’s success in making sense of a complex interior that had already seen multiple iterations over the years.

On visiting the home, it is immediately apparent how successful Carter Williamson has been in distilling the warm energy of the clients into the interior, a space that mirrors and responds to their personalities as well as their needs. “It wasn’t warm at all,” says Shaun of the original space, noting the contrast in its evolved state, which emits a feeling of being encased in its rich, earthy tones: bronze-hued velvet curtains that can be used to section off the lounge from the dining space; Breccia Rosso marble benchtops, with its intense burgundy and dusty pink patterning; and external steel windows and doors powder-coated in a bark colour reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s famed ‘Cherokee Red’.

“It’s not even so much the entertaining aspect of the home, which is great, but it’s the everyday function of it,” offers the client, who lived in the home for some six years before embarking on the renovation. “I’m just drawn to light, and when you come downstairs to make breakfast in the morning, it just feels like a different house to be in.”