How they liveEditor in Chief of Madison and Shop Til You Drop magazines, Paula, and her husband Saxon, a company director, love the holiday feel of their revamped home. And everyone has their own favourite corner. “We were going to put in a pool, but the granny flat turned out to be a fantastic posh cubby,” says Paula. “It also works as a really great adult dining space.” The reading room, with views that stretch skywards past the sandstone-paved frontage, fringed with frangipani and date palms, is Paula’s favourite wind-down spot.
What they didBrief Transform a dated red-brick bungalow into a family-friendly home.Features “We wanted a new kitchen and bathrooms and the feeling of a beach house – unpretentious, full of light and homely,” says Paula, of this transformed 1950s bungalow. The couple’s architect, Roger Nahum, asked them to compile a wish list then worked back from that to reach a realistic budget. Plans were then drawn up, allowing for a second storey at a later date. Light, space and flow were maximised by moving the entrance to the north-west side and revamping an existing granny flat into a playroom. “We completely took the back off the house,” says Paula, who variously stayed with relatives, holidayed and lived in the house during the renovation process. The couple splashed out on artwork and elegant upholstery, such as the French-piped fabric used to cover a pair of old Freedom sofas in the family room. Revamped bargain finds add warmth and character.
Magazine editor Paula Joye works in fashion’s fast lane, but when it comes to time out, she retreats to her family home, imbued with Hamptons style.
She declares fashion trends and dictates the colour for the season but when it came to renovating her home, Paula Joye opted for the soothing white surrounds of East Coast American chic. “I grew up in Boston, so perhaps the Hamptons were in my subconscious,” says Paula, who managed the year-long makeover of her Sydney home while juggling jobs as editor of two glamorous glossies and guest judging on television’s Project Runway Australia.
It’s two years since Paula and her husband, Saxon, bought the three-bedroom 1950s bungalow, on a ridge just a trot from Royal Randwick Racecourse. Perched centrally on the 600-square-metre block, with a dilapidated granny flat in the north-facing rear garden, the house had good bones. “It had high ceilings and lots of natural light,” says Paula, “but it had terrible flocked wallpaper and dark timber everywhere. There were green carpets, a copper mosaic-tiled bathroom and a tiny bath.”
Paula wanted her daughters, Ella, seven, and Lulu, three, to have a taste of the casual charm of the pretty Maine cottages and beach houses she’d spent childhood weekends in. Architect Roger Nahum helped the couple plan an inviting, family-friendly layout, making the most of space and light with a single-level redesign. Previously, visitors entered the property via a glassed-in front porch, through a foyer and down a corridor to a living/dining room, kitchen, bathroom, box room on one side of the house and two bedrooms on the other. “We liked the separation of living and sleeping areas and the bedrooms were a good size,” says Paula. “But we wanted a more functional layout and somewhere for the girls to play.” Consequently, the entry was repositioned to the north-west wall, allowing for the creation of a bay window and reading room in place of the foyer.
At the back of the home is an open-plan kitchen/family room. These spaces are divided by a tall cabinet, which also hides a TV on the living-area side. The granny flat-turned-playroom for Ella and Lulu is just a dash across the back lawn.
The all-white colour scheme, inspired by Paula’s favourite designers, India and David Hicks, ties the look together. Shells, candles and hurricane lamps combine with an heirloom dining table and Windsor chairs, all in harmony with cool sea and sand accents. For Paula, the look is as flattering and personal as a designer dress. “It’s a bit like fashion,” she says. “Less is more.” Roger Nahum, Rose Bay, NSW; (02) 9362 1817.Story Becky Barker Styling Janet James Photography Maree Homer