Photography: Prue Ruscoe | Styling: Sophie Wilson
Every room has a story in this family home, where cooking, comfort and afternoon naps inspired the design. When Siobhán Kennelly and husband Jamie started out looking for a bigger backyard for their two daughters, they knew they wanted to stay in the current neighbourhood their whole family loved. The children, then aged 10 and 13, were already deeply enmeshed in local schools and friendships, so the house hunt had to start locally.
More than just a bigger backyard, they wanted to find a way to indulge each of their domestic passions within their home. Siobhán is a dedicated reader whose downtime from her role as a lawyer calls for a soft, quiet space for reading. Jamie is a mad golfer who likes to keep his putting skills sharp. And the girls, well, if it isn’t netball, basketball, swimming or finding nooks of their own to curl up and read in – it’s baking. Family bake-offs are what counts for a fun time around here, and even Jamie’s rosemary sausage rolls give him reason to be prepping in the kitchen with his girls. But to accommodate all of these varied passions in one property was no easy task.
The first time Siobhán saw this house 15 years ago, it was absolutely not that unicorn property she’d hoped for. “Oh, it was ugly!” she laughs. “The finishes were awful and I could feel it was a hard house.” But something pulled her back for another proper look.
It was only a 10-year-old build, but it already felt old and cold. The rigid surfaces – shiny white, oversized tiled floors and a terracotta-tiled staircase – stopped Siobhán in her tracks. “It had a great big void through the centre, a lot of wrought iron and bright green carpet,” she recalls. But her gut told her it could work.
“As I walked up to this top level and looked down, I thought, ‘I could do something with this’. I loved the space, it was just so big.”
And so she did. They kept the existing footprint mostly intact, aside from the sensible tweaking of the tandem garage to a side-by-side, which also moved the entrance and staircase. But the main task was to soften the home with warmer materials and a welcoming feel.
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Being so close to the ocean, establishing a garden was going to be tricky. But seeing the neighbours’ tennis courts showed how the backyard could start taking on its own luxury sport-and-rec vibe. So the existing pool was covered with a full-sized tennis court, the ball machine was ordered, and netball and basketball hoops were erected.
A new saltwater pool was introduced, which offered the opportunity to work in some strong sustainable benefits, too. Rainwater runoff is now stored under the court and repurposed for the gardens and pool, and installing 35 solar panels and stored batteries in the garage mean this house is generally running off-grid.
“Whale watching from every level of the house is very special.”
SIOBHÁN, OWNER
With the remaining space, Jamie added in a five-hole putting green with adorable flagsticks that might convince Siobhán to return to her teenage Irish golfing roots, but the family magnet is the outdoor wood-burning fireplace, surrounded by daybeds.
The outdoor fire has made such a huge impact, that the kitchen was fitted with a gas-burning fireplace as well, “I think the fireplace is a game-changer. It’s one of the highlights of winter.”
With every house there’s an unexpected element of joy and in this home, being able to whale watch from every level is a real treat. Siobhán is delighted by the evening ocean aspect.
“What I’ve grown to absolutely love about this house are the moonrises. When there’s a full moon shining on the water, it’s unreal.” Much like this home.
“I absolutely love the moonrises. When there’s a full moon shining on the water, it’s unreal.”
SIOBHÁN, OWNER
This east-facing clifftop home in Sydney’s Dover Heights has been the generous home it needed to be. Now, with two grown girls, Siobhán and Jamie are planning their next steps: a downsize to a new neighbourhood or perhaps an overseas adventure. The six-bedroom, five-bathroom house is ready for the next family to enjoy.
For enquiries, contact Ray White Double Bay.
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