Creative couple’s inspiring vision brought to life
- November 23, 2023
When Julie Thomson and Nathan Hall bought 48 Short Street, Birchgrove in 2019, the property was a charming, recently refreshed two-bedroom semi with plenty of potential and the bonus of DA approved plans for substantial transformation.
Julie, a former cosmetic product development designer with a passion for interior design, and her partner Nathan, a builder with his own company City Built Developments, already had a handful of projects under their belts when the opportunity arose.
Julie comments, “The home really ticked all the boxes for us. After working on a project on the Central Coast we were keen to spend some time back in the Inner West, where we’d always lived, and a short-term renovation project was just what we were after. The fact that the home came with DA plans was particularly appealing, saving us the time and hassle of dealing with approvals.”
“We essentially rebuilt the entire property, keeping only the weatherboards of the original façade. Adding a second storey, we transformed it into a spacious three-bedroom, two-bathroom family home with a free-flowing floorplan that completely opens up to a rear courtyard.”
“Inside we wanted it to feel very modern yet organic, with natural materials and a soft neutral colour palette that’s easy on the eye. For the kitchen we chose a beautiful Taj Mahal quartzite stone for the island, complemented by veneer joinery in American walnut, gently curved to soften the aesthetic. We also integrated a drop-down six-seater dining table attached to the island, built from solid American walnut, which was a clever space-maximising idea that we’d used successfully in another project.”
“To make sure we referenced the home’s original flavour, we finished some of the floors in hardwood timber boards that were salvaged from the original Parramatta Town Hall. Juxtaposing these, we used Italian terrazzo for the floors in the living space, which perfectly complemented the kitchen finishes. To add some texture and uniqueness, we decided on fluted glass accents for both the shower screens and the overhead cabinets on the bar area that we’ve integrated into the kitchen/living space.”
“We’re so delighted with the way the home’s turned out. It’s exceeded our expectations,” enthuses Julie. Sales agent Rita Lopresti adds, “This dynamic duo has done such an incredible job. The home is so stylish, meticulously built and perfectly finished. Julie and Nathan have created such a wonderful ambience. With building and renovation costs and timings putting a lot of people off undertaking their own projects, this is a really amazing opportunity for buyers to walk into a home where every last detail has been taken care of.”
48 Short Street, Birchgrove goes to auction on the 9th of December 2023.
