Stanley House by Georgie Shepherd Interior Design (GSiD)
In a neutral palette of timbers, stone, and white, Georgie Shepherd Interior Design (GSiD) harmonises the connection between external and internal spaces in the Stanley House.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson | Photography: Christopher Morrison
Photo: Christopher Morrison.
Photo: Christopher Morrison.
Located in the tree-lined streets of North Adelaide, the Stanley House received an update that honoured its 1900s sandstone heritage and set out to correct the 1980s brick extension with its pokey, dark rooms. Working together with architect Tim Evans, Georgie Shepherd Interior Design (GSiD) modernises and brightens the family home.
With the design process first unfolding in 2018, it was three years before the Stanley House was completed. This time delay allowed for a strong relationship to develop between designer and clients; as Georgie Shephard shares, ‘we were able to understand their tastes as well as help them furnish their house into a home with the additional artwork and sculptural pieces.’
The first step saw the architects changing the layout of the four-bedroom home; crucially, transforming the kitchen and dining area in the new extension, orientating to the alfresco dining and back garden. From here, GSiD employed a light colour and organic material palette that continued the connection between external and internal spaces. ‘One of the driving key design features required from the client was to create light and space.’
Georgie continues, ‘a light-filled glass hallway linked the old and the new together,’ grounded by two green-filled courtyards allowing the clients to live out their dream of growing herbs and vegetables, readily available next to the kitchen. Aesthetically, the interior design continues this mindset.
‘We chose finishes that already looked slightly worn and lived-in, and that will only look better over time,’ says Georgie. ‘The design of the kitchen originated from the client’s love of country style. We wanted to draw inspiration from this look, but make it more current in form and materiality.’
Custom timber joinery is featured throughout the kitchen creating simple and modern farmhouse style. Photo: Christopher Morrison.
“The overarching message of light and Zen-like feel from the client was maintained by both throughout, and this, in turn, allowed the architecture and interior to blend seamlessly.”
‘The connection was enhanced by the use of materiality — keeping the palette light and fresh and in tune with what was happening internally,’ says Georgie Shepherd. Photo: Christopher Morrison.
The ensuite echoes the oak joinery seen throughout the interior. Photo: Christopher Morrison.
The laundry features oak joinery and rattan details. Photo: Christopher Morrison.
As such, GSiD evoked a furniture-like style in the kitchen, using white-washed American oak and rattan cabinetry with limestone flooring and pale marble benchtops creating a ‘sense of light, while adding warmth and comfort to the spaces.’
In the open-plan living room — that effortlessly connects with the kitchen and garden — light and bright continues with light-footed furniture pieces and a neutral palette. At the centrepiece, GSiD referenced the existing bricked architecture with a contemporary La Paloma brick fireplace.
While the back of the home turned into a modern ‘Zen’-like retreat, the front of the home — housing the four bedrooms and extra living area — respected the heritage of the federation-era villa. In the centre, the master suite becomes a space to welcome the clients’ personality.
The new master bedroom, ensuite and main bathroom were adapted from the idea of “yin and yang” — ‘a light and bright ensuite adjoining the main bedroom, and a more formal look with darker tones for the main bathroom,’ says Georgie. ‘Natural stone stars in both spaces, paired with terrazzo flooring and custom vanities. Each space referenced each of our clients’ personalities.’
GSiD have created a timeless ode to both heritage and contemporary in the Stanley House, making it an inspiration for calm family living today, and in the years to come.
The simple and lush garden makes the house feel humble and connected to its roots. Photo: Christopher Morrison.
A contrast to the rest of the house – bold black cabinetry and white marble in the bathroom. Photo: Christopher Morrison.
A glass walkway links the old house with the new extension. Photo: Christopher Morrison.
‘GSiD was brought on board to help create a beautiful interior which picked up on the light as well as focusing on beautiful materials to create a design that was not only timeless but bespoke,’ says Georgie Shepherd. Photo: Christopher Morrison.