Some homes are designed and adorned with the express mission to take our breath away. With their ingrained magic and magnificence, these homes have the power to pull us from room to room, always with the promise of more to come, just around the next corner.
This grand and handsome yet cheery home, aptly named Paloma, reminiscent of the tropical and bright tequila-based cocktail, throws us into memories of a time gone by while placing us, in tandem, precisely in the present moment - and we are so thrilled to be a part of it.
This newly built home is a perfectly balanced mix of classic, timeless and federation architecture nestled in a prestigious countryside area of New South Wales.
At first glance, it's clear that this home plans to sweep us off our feet. Our initial taste of federation meets classic contemporary is displayed for all to see through the exquisite exterior entryway. The entryway boasts a covered front porch lined with white iron lacework, a hallmark of federation architecture that feels even more stunning when we remember that its original purpose was to be beautiful yet practical, offering us style while allowing shade and breeze on a hot day. In contrast, we see other shapes and materials not typically paired with these elaborate characteristics. Minimalist windows with sleek white trim border both sides of the classic front door. Modern stonework and a cool tin roof round off our welcome into this home, demonstrating that the marriage between contemporary and classic themes remains strong, always continuing to influence and impress us.
The kitchen, our collective epicentre, persists in reflecting the classic contemporary theme. Traditional cabinetry encapsulated with hearty trim fills the space, and a coffered ceiling stretches the span of the open-concept grand room. The dark blue of the island, an incredibly classic colour choice, offers up a sleek white marble countertop subtly veined with dark grey, which sits rather imposingly across from bright white upper and lower cabinetry. Embellished, upholstered wooden stools bring a softness to the island and the kitchen overall while the deep and dark wood flooring grounds and accentuates this space and every other space you can find it.
The adjacent butler's pantry is the equivalent of a tall drink of water; long, clear, bright and cool, it strides lithely to the side of the kitchen. The heavy stone sink and the continuation of white cabinets, white marble and dark flooring carry the style story of the contrast between lightness and depth.
It's in the kitchen and butler's pantry where we first glimpse our Freya solid brass hardware in the Antique Bronze finish. Our Freya Handles were used on the lower cabinets in the kitchen, and our Freya Knobs were used on the uppers. The Freya Knobs continue into the butler's pantry, where they can be seen warmly punctuating the crisp white upper and lower cabinets and drawers. The Freya range, especially in the Antique Bronze finish, perfectly illustrates the play between contemporary and classic. The detail of this hardware, with its modern lines and luxurious finish, do wonders in melding together the components of this space while standing out as the gorgeous and unique handcrafted pieces they are. The coolness and warmth merged lend themselves well to designs that hope to span style movements, time and varying degrees of design temperature.
From the kitchen, we are invited into the living area, which further presses us to see the beauty of mixing styles. An emphatically modern cement hearth is framed with an ornate, nearly Roman mantle, and a plush white sofa and textured rug surrounded by earthy wood tones invite you to sit and relax.
As we continue, we enter paradise as promised, with a master bedroom and bath that reflects the tropical nature of the home's namesake. The lush wallpaper, featuring green palms and pink birds on a blue backdrop, brings the walls a bold splash of colour and a sense of whimsy that feels like fresh air and compliments the rest of the home. The colour and natural elements the wallpaper brings remind us of the past, but with the recent resurgence of bold patterned wallpaper, it feels decidedly contemporary.
Here in the master bath, we get the third glimpse of our Freya hardware in the Antique Bronze finish, which couldn't be more appropriate. The antique-looking yet elevated finish of our Freya range contributes to the beauty of the wallpaper while remaining in harmony with the other aspects of the space and of the home as a whole; this hardware feels perfectly warm, perfectly modern and perfectly placed.
The components of this home reach across decades and style movements to create an exciting, inviting and unique display of the classic contemporary theme that is not always easy to execute but so coveted today. From choices like filigree and bold wallpaper to the quieter moments of minimalist lighting and brushed bronze tapware - where even the heating source is a powerful style choice and a nod to a less modern time, our Freya Handles and Freya Knobs not only find their place but lend a hand to the other components in the home allowing the overall themes to coalesce into something cohesive, bridging the space between the styles and elements we love.
Build by @waratahbuilding
Photography by @nataliehunfalvay
