A Stunning Sydney House Tour: a house log
We enjoy personally crashing every house that we feature but this remarkable casa was simply too far away (as in, Sydney Australia) to drop in on. Not to worry, we chose that holding back the remarkable eye candy was simply too cruel, so we opted to “virtually” house crash Max and her husband Peter’s home after they invited us to have a little look-see. They are the masterminds behind Murchison-Hume, an remarkable and eco line of posh cleaning products that are even carried here in the states by shops like Anthropologie (stay tuned for a YHL giveaway with them in April). Max and Peter live in an unbelievably inviting and organized home with their two adorable boys named Charlie and Ben. But sufficient jibber jabber. Here is their house. Oh and you might recognize it from this Apartment Therapy House Tour, but we snagged tons of never-before-seen pics so you can enjoy every inch of their home (simply keep a napkin nearby to catch the drool).
First we have their kitchen complete with a charming chalkboard wall. They ripped out the old 1980s cupboards in 2007 and replaced them with customized IKEA “Lack” shelving instead. It is in short an IKEA kitchen with fancy knobs that Max imported from Restoration Hardware. She’s so glad with it, she would not change a thing. And we think the idea of bringing in Ikea bookcases to create an open pantry is a seriously genius idea. Yeah, we were not kidding about the drool factor here.
How much lively is that sweet and functional chalkboard wall that they use for everything from reminders and shopping lists to an “art spot” for the kids? So plain yet so chic.
And speaking of chic, it is no surprise that their bathroom is sleek and organized- especially since they are all about keeping everything crisp and clean thanks to their cleaning line. Everything from the diamond paned windows to the vivid mosaic floors have us oohing and ahhing up a storm, and plain ideas like storing bathroom stuff in glass containers and on clean-lined ceramic trays can certainly be implemented in your quite own home to add some spa to your loo simply like Max and Peter did.
As you’d imagine, their laundry room is simply as sorted and orderly. Not only do they keep extra cleaning samples on hand, but they even manage to make things like an iron and an ironing board look downright stylish. And even though Max and Peter do not have a single linen closet (talk about a challenge!) they used an inexpensive Ikea Expedit bookcase to create an organized and functional stash spot for everything from linens to laundry soap and more.
If it were not already blatantly obvious, their children are especially lucky to enjoy such a cozy and livable home. Case in point, here is six-year-old Charlie’s room.
Max says: “Charlie’s room is all about toys and access. I picked up that another remarkable IKEA Expedit bookshelf (a modern classic, if you ask me) and some pleasant looking baskets and that is how he manages to play in there and tidy his room nearly all by himself at the end of each day.”
Gotta enjoy a house that looks good and works so well with little ones- especially when it even encourages them to clean up after themselves!
And we cannot forget about ten-year-old Ben’s room, which also works double-duty as Max’s office during the day.
“Yes, It is compact but it keeps me virtually paperless (there is no room for files). It is remarkable what you can get away with these days…” she says. A woman after my own heart!
We simply enjoy how Max accessorizes every surface with things that never feel too precious but consistently create interesting vignettes (all while keeping function and organization in the forefront of her arrangements).
Here is Max and Peter’s bedroom. We enjoy the chic asian influences and the plain tone on tone curtains and bedding. It is certainly not one of those gigantic bedrooms and we enjoy that they prove that it does not take square footage to create something inviting and lovely.
Warning: if you are anything like us, here is where the pangs of jealousy will truly kick in. As in: owww. Check out their remarkable backyard cabana surrounded by their gorgeously lush lawn:
They transformed the garden in 2007 with clean-lined pavers (that happened to be discontinued and on sale) along with a custom made awning. It has virtually doubled their living space and it is where they do all of their entertaining. Fairly dreamy, eh?
Max says that their yard is not large but it is all that they need. We agree that their private and lush lot proves that less truly can be more- especially when it is so green and vivid!
So that is the remarkable casa that we wish we could have shot in the flesh for ya. Thankfully Max’s strong photos truly paint a vivid picture of their home and we are thrilled to share the virtual inspiration with you folks. What do you think? Are you fighting off those envious feelings? Are you marveling at their smart and economical choices that look like a million bucks? Ikea bookcases in the laundry room, bedroom and even the kitchen! Discount pavers! Chalkboard paint! It is all fairly genius. What do you folks like best? Let us play the what is-your-go-to-part game. And thanks so much to Max, Peter, Charlie, and Ben for virtually opening up their doors to us. Next time we are in the neighborhood we might simply come a knocking for even more photos. Hey, a girl can dream, cannot she?
Psst- Wanna see more House Crashing tours? We have a slew of them right here (no foot wiping or hostess gifts necessary).
