Interior designer Jillian Dinkel has transformed an arts and crafts house in Sydney, Australia, into a dedicated space for entertaining that combines traditional details with contemporary finishes.
Kilmory House is part of a redevelopment of a 1913 arts and crafts estate located within the heritage enclave of Point Piper, one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs.
Having designed the clients’ main residence in the same estate, Dinkel was asked to create a second home exclusively for entertaining so the family could host private dinners and parties in style.
“Kilmory House reimagines Australia’s arts and crafts legacy through a modern lens, transforming a historic home into a vibrant entertainer’s retreat,” said Dinkel. “The design needed to capture the spirit of the original estate while accommodating quite diverse purposes, seamlessly transitioning from one use to the next.”
The original redevelopment of the estate, undertaken in the early 2000s, preserved the home’s traditional exterior but produced a compartmentalised layout that felt dated and unsuitable for modern living.
The three-bedroom property was reconfigured to accommodate a variety of spaces for entertaining, including a commercial-grade kitchen, grand dining room, wellness space, pilates studio, playroom and art studio.
Dinkel told Dezeen that her team of heritage specialist designers set out to reinstate the building’s early 20th-century proportions and detailing, based on photographs of the home’s original interiors unearthed during their research.
“Aesthetically, our design approach balances heritage with contemporary functionality, reimagining the space through the lens of modern luxury, layered materials, rich textures and a bold, confident use of colour,” she explained.
The house’s dramatic colour palette aims to provide a “modern gothic” feel informed by Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Inky blue tones and cool steel finishes combine with deep burgundy hues, including the custom marmorino Venetian plaster applied in the entryway and staircase.
In the dining room, dark-timber panelling and an oversized fireplace evoke traditional English design elements, while a 400-bottle wine fridge, complete with a rolling library ladder, adds a luxurious touch.
The main living space features a modular sofa facing a wall of windows and French doors that open onto a small terrace. The other side of the room contains the expansive kitchen, which centres around a stainless-steel and stone island unit.
The project features on the shortlist for Dezeen Awards in the bathroom category and its richly decorative powder rooms embody the home’s whimsical yet refined character.
“The bathrooms are truly where our imagination and potential were given limitless bounds,” said Dinkel, who combined heritage elements with modern craftsmanship to give these spaces an escapist feel.
Hand-painted wallpapers from De Gournay add an artistic element to the bathrooms, which is complemented by patinated brass surfaces and richly veined marble washbasins.
Elsewhere, the children’s playroom and art studio features a wall mural by Los Angeles artist Abel Macias for interior decor brand Schumacher that was chosen for its whimsical narrative quality.
The home’s transformation gives it a new sense of purpose, creating a private retreat where its owners can entertain guests in a setting that is tailored to their individual tastes.
“In today’s overexposed world, the desire for privacy has become a defining element of luxury,” Dinkel added.
“This home challenges the idea that one must go out to experience grandeur or service, bringing a sense of escapism into the private sphere.”
Dinkel worked in the fashion industry in New York City prior to founding her Sydney-based interior design business in 2016. Her studio specialises in updating heritage homes using timeless design principles to create spaces that reflect their owners’ personalities.
Other Sydney interiors that have recently been featured on Dezeen include the Alémais office by YSG and a home extension made from reclaimed materials.
The photography is by Dave Wheeler.
