We spoke with Virginia about her latest home refurbishment project in Sydney’s Crows Nest and how her design made the most hidden city views.

What do you love about designing homes for people?

Everyone is different, so what I find most enjoyable is creating spaces for people to enjoy for many years to come.

What was your client’s brief, and how does your design meet that brief?

Our client’s brief was to redesign the rear of their existing house. The design needed to create a living area that opened onto green space and courtyard areas while adding a studio space to the home that could also be used as an extra bedroom.

The homeowners have a beautiful collection of Japanese furniture that also needed to be factored into the design.

What were some of the challenges on the project? How did you overcome them?

One of the challenges was working with such a small site, so we ended up going vertically for the studio. This gave our clients more area outside to enjoy.

What are some of the design features on the project?

One of the significant design features includes a void space over the sitting area downstairs. This accentuates the height of the space in contrast to the adjacent area.

Another key feature is Tilt Industrial Design’s operable skylight, which faces the city view and brings light and air into the living area below.

Lastly, we used a very warm and natural palette of materials throughout.

Can you tell me about the skylight feature? Why did you choose to include it?

It’s all about the view it provides to the city from the study level and the light and air it brings into both houses’ levels.

What are the benefits of collaborating with other disciplines like Industrial Designers on your projects?

People from other disciplines are experts in their field. They bring another level of expertise into the mix that adds enormously to the way projects perform functionally, and the overall liveability of the house.

For example, I really enjoy working with Tilt because they are determined to achieve a quality outcome, and they’re on the same wavelength in terms of design.