Villa Sandringham

Villa renovation completed mid-2021. Interior design by Karen Kelly, KKID. Architecture by Malcolm Walker Architects.

The front bedrooms and façade are all that remains of the original 1920s villa in this renovation project, which was designed by Malcolm Walker Architects to bring light and openness to the living and private spaces. Owners and clients James and Maria were keen to retain what character they could while putting a contemporary spin on it. The brief for the interior was concise and realistic. The clients love natural materials and texture and value quality over quantity. As a family of three who have travelled extensively they deliberately don’t have a lot of ‘stuff’, and don’t see the need for a large home, so the aim was to invest in quality materials, fixtures and fittings to enable this home to serve their needs for a long time. This home needed to be a place of calm and relaxation and we kept the décor succinct and balanced strong finishes with neutral bases to ensure the interior was cohesive. An early expressed love for blues and greens informed our selection of key finishes; stone, velvet fabrics, glass lighting and custom wool rugs.

Boldly textured Mare di Giallo granite was selected for the kitchen island and became the base to build the whole interior palette from. We limited the main palette choosing mostly neutral wall colours except for a small nook off the hallway where we installed a boldly coloured patterned Arte wallpaper.

The bathroom features Azzurro marble across the walls and floors. Chosen for it’s movement and depth of colour it creates a dramatic feeling in the small bathrooms.

Furnishings have been chosen for their soft colours, with materials artfully varying among wood, stone, and upholstery. The office space has been put to immediate use, becoming the perfect 'WFH' environment for James and Maria and for their daughter to complete her school work – ensuring the bedrooms can be kept device free.