Photography by Michelle Young, courtesy of Crawford Design.
Olivia and Catherine Crawford grew up sharing secrets and clothes as sisters often do. Rather than go their separate ways (which they couldn’t afford), the sisters decided to stay put and renovate. Good thing Olivia happens to be an architect.
The open kitchen is in the addition.
“A client was throwing out her Forbes & Lomax invisible switches with antique bronze rotary dimmer. These are like pieces of art.”
Also up-cycled were all the appliances.
I bought cast iron pulls in a market in France These were one of the most expensive purchases but I think they give unity to the property as they are on all...
...the cabinet doors throughout the home They re quite unique and good investment pieces as you can take them with you when you sell The walls are painted Farrow Ball s Strong White
“My favorite part of the project are the big glass doors and the skylights. The space honestly has been transformed. We now see the full width of our garden and it feels like it’s part of our living space,” says Olivia.
“Luckily for me, she gave me free rein to design the house,” says Olivia of her sister, a lawyer.
The cast iron pulls show up here on closets integrated into the staircase.
“We invested in engineered timber floors on the ground floor, where people are going to be entertaining, and saved money by laying carpet down upstairs. The carpet also means my sister doesn’t hear footsteps above,” explains Olivia.
While the public living spaces are modern and sleek, the bedrooms, which are all housed in the existing structure, are more traditional, with Victorian high ceilings, decorative cornicing, and shutters.
Olivia and her boyfriend’s bedroom.
“I spent two months with different fabrics draped over the bed, testing out the styles,” she shares.
Olivia’s wardrobe closet is a another castoff from a client.
Large ceramic tiles from Solus Ceramics make up the patio.
“My favorite time of day is at nighttime. When the garden lights are on and the living room/kitchen is dimmed down, it feels very moody and calming.”
The former kitchen with dated cabinets and inelegant flooring.
Before
The old garden, pre-addition.
The traditional shutters and architectural details in the existing structure remain.