Mid Century renovation on Bilgola Plateau

Plateau Project is the stunning family home of Phoebe Ghorayeb and photographer Georges Antoni, who migrated to the scenic suburb of Bilgola Plateau in Sydney’s northern beaches, from Bondi Beach, to provide extra space and a free-range lifestyle for their three young children. Nestled between the stunning Pacific Ocean and the lush Garigal National Park, the picturesque suburb offered the perfect blend of natural beauty, wide open spaces and the welcoming community lifestyle that they sought. With family being the biggest motivation, Phoebe and Georges set out to transform the existing 1960s home into an inviting and plentiful space, designed not only to sleep its five core family members more than comfortably, but to fit up to 18 extended members on key occasions. The spectacular renovation and extension has been delivered over three levels and features four bedrooms, including a guest bedroom, living room, guest living room, laundry, office, TV room and beautifully landscaped gardens complete with Mediterranean inspired swimming pool, lounge and BBQ area.

The couple worked closely with Rama Architects to design their dream home, incorporating curved structural elements, bringing a sense of femininity alongside the home’s existing, more masculine, clean, straight-lined features. “Curves and soft lines play a big part in our overall design to give our modernist home a more feminine touch,” says Phoebe. “We wanted the house to be equally masculine and feminine which we’ve achieved by retaining its modernist vibe while at the same time celebrating and duplicating the juxtaposed curved staircase throughout.”

From the outset, Phoebe and Georges made a conscious decision to maintain the original 60s, mid-century modern vibe of the house, which sits right on top of Bilgola Plateau and is nestled on the northern edge of the Angophora Reserve. Replicating the original floor to ceiling window structure ensured they were able to capitalise on the magical views that the Plateau delivers. “Two of the most important features in our home are the 4.3m high ceilings and oversized windows in our living area and the wall-to-wall windows in all the bedrooms,” says Phoebe.

Wanting to use curtains and blinds to enhance these features, Luxaflex® Sheer curtains were selected in the Orlane fabric. “The floor to ceiling sheers in our living room are a showstopper and help accentuate the ceiling height,” Phoebe continues. “The sheer linen material gives us enough privacy when closed but also allows us to catch glimmers of the sunset and silhouettes of the birds, which keeps us connected to the stunning outdoors – it’s almost like looking at nature through a soft filter.”

In sharp contrast to the modern features and clean lines of the windows, softly flowing Luxaflex® Sheer curtains make a strong interior statement. Teamed with the sheer curtains is Luxaflex® Duette® Shades, allowing for privacy, light control and energy efficiency. “Being north facing, the home required window furnishings to help control the light and heat of the day. We were also a big stickler for the tones, colours and textures used in the house so we were stoked when we found a cool textured blind that exactly matched our wall colours. It was a match made in window covering heaven,” says Phoebe.

The texture and tone of the home is simple and monochrome and the homeowners wanted to incorporate as many natural materials as possible, such as render, stone, travertine, wood and linen alongside the creamy vanilla tones. Interior stylist Lara Hutton has brought Phoebe and Georges’ vision to life through high-end furnishings, artwork and appliances, beautifully curated to satisfy their impeccable tastes. Lara also created many bespoke pieces for the home.

Every individual element has been lovingly considered, brass accents work throughout the bathrooms and kitchen bringing personality and a natural lived-in feel. The voluminous and inviting organic shapes of the main living room have an ‘other worldly’ feel while the main bedroom has been layered in variations of the same creamy tones.

Like most homes, the kitchen is the beating heart and Phoebe and Georges have created a beautifully connected space, which fits seamlessly into the layout of the home. Bespoke kitchen bench ends were crafted in a curvaceous design, which overflows to the adjacent curved breakfast seating area.

For the exterior, brickwork was a key consideration and forms the foundation of the home, not only in structure but also aesthetic, where a light render has been applied so the shapes and lines of the bricks are visible.

What I love about this mid-century renovation on Bilgola Plateau

• It's the natural materials that really make this house.  The combination of stone, wood and linen combined with the structural curves, is perfect.
• The tall windows showcasing the gorgeous views and allowing in heaps of natural light are a beautiful feature and softened by the generous sheers.
• I love the exterior colour palette with the light tones on the lower walls and driveway and then the contrasting dark tone on the upper level to ensure that the house nestles into the landscape.
• The interior colour palette is beautifully warm with soft vanilla tones to work with the timber and travertine.  With so much stone throughout the house, it could become a little cold, but the lovely warm palette ensures that this isn't the case.
• The kitchen is stunning.  A true centre piece without being overwhelming.  The choice of materials and the curved island bench ensure that the feel is soft and organic.
• Lara's styling throughout the house is gorgeous.  The ceramicware and foliage designs create a stunning impact in proportion to the grand scale of the home.

For more information visit www.luxaflex.com.au

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