This two-level townhouse is transformed by a materials schedule that heroes some of Artedomus’ most popular designs in natural stone, porcelain and Japanese tiles.
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Located in inner city Sydney, PB House has received a much-needed facelift at the skilled hands of Studio Priscilla, working with client Phil Brenton. From a small refurbishment intended to bring better functionality, spatial efficiency, and elevated comfort into the two-level townhouse, the project grew into a whole-house make-over.
As Managing Director at Artedomus, Phil holds a wealth of knowledge in architectural surfaces which has led to an exceptional selection of finishes that have been fundamental to the revitalisation of his shared living space. Selecting natural stone, porcelain and Japanese tiles, the refined and tactile material palette, often pared back in tone and texture, beautifully offsets the bold, colourful artworks and Australian-designed furnishings that fill PB House.
As the refurbishment unfolded, the kitchen and dining area took immediate priority. The original space, with its limited benchtop space and lack of storage, made basic family-life functions an everyday challenge. Working with Studio Priscilla, Phil has chosen a muted, natural palette of materials, anchored by olive green on the central island bench, in the concealed pantry and concealed laundry cupboard, too.
Phil opted for Sareva benchtops and splashbacks, choosing this 20 millimetre-thick, honed quartzite for its strength and low maintenance characteristics. The Sareva’s soft colouring and veining are a perfect chaser to the overall design scheme, blending into the neutral tones of the joinery and blinds, and creating a calm backdrop to the kaleidoscopic Nick Thomm artwork, entitled ‘After Dark (Blue)’.
Two walls of concealed storage have been developed to house the pantry, laundry, general storage and the downstairs powder room. This was vital to the transformation of the main living area, allowing the kitchen and dining to expand and contract with the rhythms of family life. It also gave Phil the opportunity to create his own curated selection of Spiggy door furniture, which adds a handcrafted element to the seamless uniformity of the floor-to-ceiling joinery.
An overhaul of the home’s original flooring saw carpet and old floorboards removed and replaced with new floorboards as well as Fiandre Veneziano tiles. The latter, a full bodied porcelain tile with a terrazzo-like design is favoured for its strength and durability and has been used in the kitchen as well as outdoors in the adjoining courtyard. Phil notes the almost invisible joins between each tile, which makes the flooring appear almost as if it were poured. It also extends up onto the kickboards around the freestanding island bench, so the island appears as if it is floating in the space.
As is often the case with renovations, new opportunities to improve the home emerge throughout the process. Phil with Studio Priscilla has tackled the bathrooms, updating each with new surface finishes that deliver simplicity and durability and enhance ease of use. In the downstairs bathroom INAX Kaleido Glaze small-format mosaic tiles clad the walls from floor to ceiling. Upstairs Maximum Jatoba porcelain panels have been used for the wall panelling (ideal for its high performance, low-maintenance qualities and natural stone-like appearance), accompanied by Le Corbusier Beton Blanc, a porcelain design with a concrete look finish, to clad the walls.
Words by Alice Blackwood
Photography by Joanne Ly