This heritage-listed Point Piper home has been transformed into a light-filled masterpiece

If the walls of the heritage-listed Danmark could talk, they would have hundreds of stories to tell.

Yet none would likely be as transformative as their own redesign resulting from a renovation led by Adam Higginbotham and Michiru Cohen, co-directors of Higginbotham and Cohen Architects and Interior Design.

When the homeowners first approached Adam to design their renovation, the brief was simple in nature yet challenging to apply. “The view is impressive and the brief was to maximise access to the beautiful setting and make the interiors commensurate with the location and outlook,” says Adam.

Indeed, the outlook of this Point Piper home is nothing short of impressive. The property allows visitors to take in breathtaking views of the jewel-like Sydney harbour, with verdant greenery framing the vista and the majestic city skyline in the distance.

Yet the old home didn’t capitalise on this impressive view. It was a rabbit warren of small rooms and unsympathetic additions over the last 40 years. “It was old and tired and dark, with little access to natural light and ventilation for some of the key spaces,” says Adam. Damp and serious remedial building issues were the icing on the cake. The owners, a young professional couple in their 30s, wanted a home that respected the heritage design but also celebrated a European aesthetic that protected their privacy yet still allowed them to enjoy the dwelling’s location.

And so the transformation began. The architects started their work by taking cues from the old Federation facade when planning and considering details of the new joinery and interiors. “We feel it is important to mix in contemporary features alongside old ones to suit the progressive lifestyle of the owners,” says Adam. One key way this was achieved was by mirroring the curves in the facade of the home inside the building itself with a romantic rounded feature wall that separates the kitchen and the living area. Not only does this allow for greater cohesion between the front and rear sections of the property, it also allows for harmony between the kitchen’s detailed Shaker-style cabinetry and the living area’s timber panelling.

This living area is one of the key elements of the home’s transformation. Not only is it a beautiful and calming space with its oak floors and soft furnishings, but thanks to the beauty of bifolds, this room opens up completely into the yard, making the line between indoor and outdoor living almost invisible. Bifold windows were also used in a bedroom and even the kitchen. This encourages natural ventilation and fresh ocean air to enter the home, all while bringing the homeowners one step closer to the magical view.

Every element of this home promotes considered design. Cornices are detailed yet not old-fashioned, nodding to the home’s heritage without feeling dated. Wainscotting again adds a traditional detail that still has a place in a modern abode.

The floor plan was altered to make better use of the space, with the house unfolding from the front entrance and opening towards the view, allowing the rear to be the true heart. This creates a sense of purpose and vacation-like living, transporting the homeowners light years away from the hustle and bustle of the city that’s less than 10km from their doorstep.

In an older home, showcasing natural light can be a challenge. “We predominantly used Dulux Natural White for walls and joinery to reflect sunlight into the deepest parts of the plan,” says Adam. “This colour has a warm base and picks up the warmer reflected tones of the timber and ephemeral qualities of the afternoon sunlight, creating an inviting and calm backdrop to daily life and routines.”

Natural materials are both calming and a connection point to the beauty found outside the house. Stone with just the right amount of marbling sits perfectly at home next to those oak floors, and the raw-edge table invites the eye to travel along its beautiful surface and then continue to the vista beyond.

Cohesion is a must in any dwelling, and it’s certainly found in Danmark. The flooring and the quality cabinetry are continued throughout — even the timber panelling is featured as a bedhead as well as used in that main living space.