Mark Paul and Sarah Kenny’s new home is all about compromise. Paul consented to move from his beloved northern beaches to Sydney’s Lower North Shore, as long as his design fundamentals came through strongly in the new house.
Both worked together with Tony Caro Architects to completely rebuild on a lot where 1970s army officers’ quarters once stood. Their new home pays homage to Paul’s work as a horticulturalist and also a creator of the Greenwall Company, which designs and builds vertical gardens. It also favors a minimalist, compact design, highlights a sleek indoor-outdoor stream and complements the couple’s active professional lifestyles.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Mark Paul and Sarah Kenny
Location: Lower North Shore, Sydney, Australia
Size: Approximately 2,500 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
That’s intriguing: The house was constructed on sandstone, which generated a design dilemma. Four trenches were eventually cut from the sandstone to ease the garden, pool and the detention tank.
Monica Kovacic
The original 1970s dwellings didn’t offer a sound basis for the couple’s plans, so the architect assisted with the demolition and rebuilding. The angular exterior is constructed of reverse osmosis veneer, meaning the brick is interior along with the frame along with the siding are out for optimal renewable energy control.
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The lush gardens and green walls made by Paul serve as the focal point of the home’s central courtyard and pool area. “I did it over about a nine-month span and additional bits and pieces as I went,” he states.
The garden is planted with native lithophytic and epiphytic plants, which increase off other plants and stones. The deck was meant to resemble a wetlands area, together with the fishpond and plant attracting regular visits from local kookaburras.
Garden: The Greenwall Company
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The courtyard garden gives a tropical entertaining spot, using a tiled, sleek pool capping off the home’s minimalist design bent. “If you build a house, you have to construct a modern house. There is no use redoing the past,” states Paul.
Paul’s work is inspired by the late Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, who specialized in tropical and subtropical landscape design utilizing endemic plants.
Barbecue: BeefEater
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The property’s architect, Tony Caro, was a protégé of this celebrated late architect Harry Seidler, who had been Austrian but based in Australia. The captivating open-plan, minimalist designs preferred by Seidler are observed in the living and kitchen space. The accent on glass surfaces and using light are both fundamentals the architect precious.
Wall organizer: kikki.K; dishwasher, oven: Miele; toaster, jug: Breville
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The open living and kitchen space leads out on the courtyard, offering a communal place for relaxing and dining. The sleek cabinetry assists in keeping the space’s aesthetic by keeping clutter at bay. Marimekko patterned throw pillows add vibrant colors to the dark leather sofas.
The weathered dining table was a secondhand figure from Ipswich Primary School that Paul considers dates back to 1902. “I got it through a few of my mother’s friends,” he states. “She brought it back from Ipswich and was planning to get rid of it so I purchased it from her.”
Monica Kovacic
The home’s compact look is sometimes interrupted by comparison. A green rug in the playroom, for instance, pops against the slick, pale surfaces and uncluttered finishings. A hydronic floor heating system was installed and is an especially welcome feature on a cool winter day in Sydney.
Rug: Rug Couture
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The home office is a mélange of colours and files, offering a work-focused retreat from the rest of the home’s careful styling.
Monica Kovacic
The laminated glass concealing the staircase from the exterior displays the house from the Australian warmth whilst at the same time allowing natural light in.
Monica Kovacic
The master bedroom parallels the stark look of the home’s living areas and bathrooms. A personal deck extends out past the foot of the mattress.
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The master bedroom provides a well-organized, enviable double walk-in cupboard.
Monica Kovacic
The en suite master bathroom stays true to the property’s focus on regeneration and greenery. Paul utilizes potted plants to decorate the tub.
Monica Kovacic
The guest bathroom includes Seidler’s famous curves, together with the ceiling-to-floor mirror giving a contemporary feel.
Monica Kovacic
This bedroom belongs to son Max when he stays at the house. The rocket- and – space-theme room provides lots of inspiration for an ingenious boy.
Monica Kovacic
Presently, the few is building another house they eventually plan to retire. “The home will have more incorporated green spaces, in which all the surfaces that can be greened will be greened, instead of simply having a retrofit,” states Paul, shown here.
Have you made plants the focus in your home? We wish to see it!