Carter Williamson Architects breathe new life into a converted warehouse in one of Sydney’s heritage-rich suburbs.
Camperdown, located in Sydney’s east on Gadigal country, features a mixture of modern high rises and Victorian terraces. It’s where Carter Williamson Architects were tasked with reimagining an existing warehouse conversion, where they knew ‘space was at a premium’. Informing their detail-oriented approach, the studio have left no stone unturned in realising the home’s potential and creating subtle surprises within. Collaborating with landscape design studio Dangar Barin Smith, ‘Rosso Verde’ is now alive with light, foliage and colourful character.
The kitchen conceals a butler’s pantry and laundry. Pictured on the tiled wall is the Lost Profile Surveillance Wall Sconce.
The dining area features the Jardan Murphy chair and Snelling Studio Y chandelier.
The Lost Profile Surgeon wall sconce.
Soft curves, as seen in the rounded tabletops and the plush Jardan Valley sofa, reference the curved void.
The Jardan Valley sofa in the living space.
A Developed Direction
The original client brief for this converted warehouse space sought to evolve the interior into a light-filled, contemporary home that utilised every inch of space. The idea was to retain the structure’s architectural elements as points of interest, such as brick walls, exposed timber and a steel bridge.
Lead designer on the project, Julie Nass, loves that the home is an inherent reflection of the homeowner. “We feel proud we created something that feels theirs,” she says, “and has added positively to their everyday living.”
During the design process, a team of Julie, Shaun Carter and Elke Jacobsen proposed an outdoor space that replaced some of the interior floor plan. This idea was sparked by the desire for natural light to flood each space. “We presented the proposal to remove a third of the floor plate to provide a generous outdoor ‘backyard’ space, and still maintain a generous internal space that was more defined and functional,” Julie says, “they were blown away and convinced!”
The Jardan Joy Armchair in the living space, paired with the MakeBelieve Drop floor lamp.
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Into the Void
Calmness, warmth and safety were the driving themes for this project, informing the decision to maximise light and openness in each space. A curved void is carved into each level, offering light from the ceiling to the kitchen, living and dining area below. The opening not only establishes a light-filled visual connection with the outdoors but also between the interior spaces. Julie notes that it provides a ‘spatial joy,’ invoking a feeling of ‘wonder, light and openness.’
The Rosso Palette
Carter Williamson Architects integrated the homeowners’ love for comforting and earthy tones through brushstrokes of terracotta, ochre and olive against a neutral backdrop. Breccia Rosso marble in the kitchen earns the home its name, layered with brass and timber. The living room, home office and kid’s bedroom draw the exterior themes within, while the bathrooms’ tiled finish nods to a 1970s aesthetic.
Rosso Verde is a playful evolution of the site’s original angular layout. Carter Williamson Architects have articulated how a compact interior can be manipulated to feel large in scale with light, colour and negative space.
The Marset Theia table lamp in the study.
The bathroom features the RBW Crisp sconce.
The exterior is a tropical refuge, made complete with deep terracotta steel and abstract paving.
