Inside An Artist’s Colourful Sydney Family Home
Architecture
The covered balcony deck.
A bold red exterior sets the tone for the playful spaces inside.
New sliding doors help connect the house to the garden.
The mustard reading room! Paintings by Martha Protty, Kungka Katjara. Photographs by Carolyn Craig, Becoming Penguin.
The dining space. Artworks on left by Anne Herrero, Hunter Hunted. Centre by Emma Walker.
Dark joinery showcases an impressive ceramics collection.
Artworks on left by Anne Herrero, Hunter Hunted. Centre by Emma Walker.
The open-plan space features terrazzo tiles throughout. Painting by Anne Herrero.
Meditation by Libby Mewing.
Artwork on left by Gary Abkin. Ceramic wall plates by Issy Parker.
Artwork by Alexandra Duprez.
Ceramic vase by Issy Parker. Artworks left to right: Garden of earthly delights by Madi Luschwitz. Artwork by Gabrielle K Browne. Artwork by Emily Besser. Fragments by Peta Morris. Offerings by Tammy Whitworth. Landscape by Adrian Jangala Robertson. Self portrait by Edie Varga. Buddha Grid by Emily Besser. Hellene by George Raftopoulos.
The terracotta-tiled bathroom.
This home in Sydney’s Northern Beaches is unashamedly bold.
With colour-drenched spaces and an impressive collection of art on the walls, it’s no surprise the house belongs to a creative like artist Peta Morris and her family.
Originally built in the 1950s, the Manly Vale home had undergone several renovations in its time — including many driven by Peta herself — before most recently engaging Wollen Architecture for a final update.
‘The owners had been doing modifications both internally and externally over the years when budget would allow, but this ended up not meeting the needs of their growing family,’ principal Ben Wollen says.
It just needed one more ‘micro intervention’ to make the double-storey house feel complete, improving its connection with the garden and pond.
Luckily, the existing interiors were already packed with personality and inspiration. Terrazzo tiles line the floors of key communal spaces like the dining room, kitchen, and the mustard-coloured ‘reading room’, which was carefully reworked around the adjoining balcony.
New matte black windows and sliding doors now open to frame the outdoor space, while a built-in seat creates a perfect spot to sit and take in the garden views.
Inside, small changes gave the house a general refresh in line with Peta’s playful vision.
‘Her aim was to create a relationship from the colour palette and textures of the natural landscape into interior of the home,’ Ben adds.
Each room has a distinctive colour palette to suit the purpose of each room. In the living spaces, the white walls leave room for Peta’s beloved art collection as the dark joinery showcases her ceramics.
Both the bedroom and bathroom feature dusty terracotta hues, and the study is covered in a calming deep green hue.
‘Much of the joinery was painted the same colour as the walls such that they melded together to become more sculptural than a blank wall,’ Ben says.
Now, the house looks and feels resolved, with nature and art at its centre.
‘This was the last piece of the puzzle in finally connecting the home to their much loved garden,’ Ben says of the renovation.