“We certainly don’t attract clients looking for a ‘white box’ to live in. People come to us for that more layered aesthetic, something that’s more unexpected,” says Ghoniem, who sees the importance of creating a place that responds to one’s culture as much as the landscape.
Unique fixtures and fittings.Credit: Anson Smart
A Danish touch is also included, with Arne Jacobsen dining chairs, a Louis Poulsen light (a fitting from the owner’s previous home) and a couple of Eero Saarinen armchairs in the living areas.
The kitchen island bench, a combination of timber and turquoise quartzite, forms the heart of the new wing. Complete with a quartzite built-in tray at one end, there’s a section provided for each fruit – akin to a fruit bowl, but fixed.
And, as with the other rooms, the space is flooded with light and colour through the leadlight and via the intricate tiled floors.
“In the Victorian period, there was an endless amount of leadlight, including adjacent to many front doors. We’ve extended this idea throughout the house,” says Ghoniem, who also used the contemporary leadlight detailing in both the children’s bathrooms and for the ensuite to the main bedroom – the latter now benefiting from northern light and views of the back garden.
The children’s bathroom, with its tiled walls and floors, also features the same turquoise quartzite for the deep bath, loosely reminiscent of a Hamman-style bath house. As well as two bathrooms, the house now has three bedrooms, a separate study and two living areas, one referred to as the winter living room, the other for all seasons.
YSG Studio used tiling for the floors, extending to the walls. The many detailed frieze-like wall tiles add to the depth of each space. Bespoke graphic rugs by Nani Marquina and linen curtains designed in-house create a richness to the interiors.Credit: Anson Smart
Throughout the Fitzroy North house are myriad fixtures and fittings, with 15 different lights alone, from wall sconces to pendants.
And rather than just stopping short of expressing an idea, the use of tiles goes beyond the glass sliding doors and are expressed on the edge of the outdoor terrace. “We saw this project as bringing together not just materials and finishes but ideas that told a story about our clients and their heritage as much as how they want to use the spaces,” adds Ghoniem.