In this picturesque home, the new owner's wanted to modernise without losing sight of its original heritage and charm. The bathroom became the catalyst for clean lines and lots of timber.

Nestled in the leafy suburb of Wahroonga on Sydney’s upper north shore, “Glennifer” is a picturesque family home with nearly 100 years of history.

First built on subdivided land that was part of the Toohey’s Estate Warrawee in 1925, the original residence was a Californian bungalow owned by an engineer, David Craig, and his wife Elizabeth. In 1980, the then-owners completed a major extension, which turned into a substantial rebuild and a complete transformation of the dwelling.

When the current homeowner, Glenda Green, bought the home to live in, she knew it needed a modern update, but it was only after they got into renovating that they appreciated the true extent of the work.

The roof and associated timber barge and fascia had to be replaced, but they wanted to maintain the home’s original look. In order to maintain the original feel of the dwelling, the owners replaced the rotting timber with timber-look cladding (DecoClad). This decision dictated the overall style of the home – warm timbers, clean lines and an overall classic aesthetic – in keeping with this look and feel, it was important to source a bathroom range to complement.

Carefully crafted to bring the experience of Australian nature into the home, Caroma’s Elvire collection was the perfect choice. The collection showcases a beautiful selection of locally grown and sustainably sourced Tasmanian timbers, passionately crafted in celebration of Australia’s natural environment. In addition to providing the requisite functionality, the collection’s timber-look accents matched perfectly with the overall aesthetic of the Glennifer house.

With four full bathrooms and two guest toilets in the home, the choice in bathroom fittings became a key element of the interior design. Additions like the Elvire Cleanflush® Invisi Series II® Wall Hung Toilet and the Elvire Toilet Roll Holder with Shelf provided an understated, yet effective, complement to each other, and a valuable contribution to the biophilic touch of timber.

The muted tones of gunmetal and dark timber across the tapware, as seen in the Elvire Progressive Basin Mixer and Elvire Progressive Freestanding Bath Filler, provided an earthy counterpoint to the matte whites of the Elvire Freestanding Bath 1700 and other basins. A matching gunmetal heated towel rail from Thermogroup added yet another refined touch.

As each bathroom was fitted out with the same Elvire product range from Caroma, it only made sense to continue the same aesthetic throughout the home. The timber theme was carried by the blackbutt timber flooring into the kitchen and decking, and further enhanced by an Australian rock/pebble theme in the landscaping (designed by Seasoul Landscapes). 

While making the residence distinctively their own, the current homeowners were able to pay homage to its past in the process, which was helped along by the timeless characteristics of Caroma’s Elvire range. They decided to call the residence “Glennifer”, not because her name is Glenda, but because David and Elizabeth Craig in 1925 chose that as the name of the property. 

The modern update of the home went to great lengths to not only honour the history of the home, but also tie together timber, stone and metal looks into a cohesive, refined space fit for modern living.

In what is perhaps its most inspiring contribution to the project, Elvire’s timeless design language informed the overall design of the house.

Caroma
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