A Sydney Home With Clean Lines And Pops Of Color

In its original iteration, this Bellevue Hill house in Sydney had both scale and location, but very little personality. Recently purchased by a busy family returning to Australia, the interior felt flat, dark, and unresolved. 

Rather than rebuild, designer Anna Trefely of esoteriko worked within the constraints of the existing structure. The approach was deliberate—to keep what worked, adjust what wasn’t, and avoid unnecessary intervention. “Fundamentally, I really wanted to bring in warmth and contrast via hues of red, brass and green to balance with the expanse of dark Portuguese limestone flooring,” Trefely explains. “A huge goal to was also to transform the garden as both a focal point and an additional space for living.” 

esoteriko Adds Personality Through Design Details

A key constraint was the existing flooring which the client wanted to retain. While high quality, it absorbed light and made the house feel heavy. The response was to introduce contrast—leaning into reds, greens, and brass tones across joinery, furniture, textiles and art to bring warmth back into the space. 

Walls were refinished, ceilings simplified and bulky partitions removed to improve flow and allow more light through the plan. The most impactful move was in the main living area. An overhead bridge was removed to expose the full double-height volume, changing the scale and feel of the space. A new staircase with a fine brass balustrade was inserted, giving the room a clear focal point without adding visual weight. “This created an opportunity for an open gallery—with art viewed from both levels,” adds Trefely. It forms a dynamic dialogue between the raw ‘grey’ elements of the building and delicate golden lines and hues. 

Elsewhere, the design relies on restraint. The kitchen was updated by replacing door fronts rather than rebuilding it. A formal living room was repurposed into a more usable space centered around a fireplace. In the main bedroom, an awkward bulkhead was turned into integrated storage, resolving a problem rather than hiding it. The connection to the garden was also improved in collaboration with Myles Baldwin Design, allowing the outdoor space to function as part of the living areas. This helped offset the density of the interior materials. 

Furniture, lighting and art were carefully selected and combined with the clients’ existing pieces from New York and rich and tactile textiles and custom elements were used to introduce softness and variation without overcomplicating the design. 

The home, named Hue House, is a practical example of working within limits. By making targeted architectural adjustments and using a controlled material palette, the house transformed into a warm, functional, and considered space.