Home Tour: An Interior Designer’s Dreamy Family Home

Who lives here

Interior designer Jillian Dinkel and her husband Kevin, their baby daughter, Delilah, and Italian greyhound, Miller.

Location

Manly, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Decor style

“Modern Victorian. I love preserving original architectural details and pairing them with contemporary furnishings and art.”

Design goals

“With this home, my biggest objective was to rework the period floorplan to suit modern living and entertaining.” 

Favourite room

“It’s a tie! I love the kitchen for its perfect marriage of functionality and aesthetics, and I love the drama of our entry hall.”

Where summer vibes linger year-round, Manly onSydney’s Northern Beaches is a dreamy locale to raise a family. Ocean swells,foreshore reserves, national parkland, and a vibrant village that’s pulsingwith on-trend bars and global eats. Among all of this, Jillian Dinkel, aSydney-based interior designer, transformed a tired-looking terrace into afamily home that simply wows from the moment you step through the front door. 

When it comes to house design, Jillian hasplenty of experience and expertise, so we wanted to get a few of her tips andtricks to learn what it takes to create a beautiful home.

We were lucky enough to sit down with thetalented designer to take a tour around her stunning Manly home. Just a word ofwarning: this may inspire you to completely redecorate!

THE HOUSE

For her terrace house, Jillian pulled out allthe stops, converting what was a two-bedroom, single bathroom house into a luxethree-bedroom, two-bathroom family home. And as keen entertainers, the dramaticentry and welcoming open plan kitchen and lounge room were high on the agenda.

“The house is on a beautiful street filledwith other heritage homes, but this one had been badly neglected for decades –it was pokey and dark and filled to the brim with furniture and garbage, andthe smell was almost unbearable!” says Jillian. “But from the moment I saw theoriginal cornices, the plaster arch of the hallway, and the soaring 3.3-metrehigh ceilings, I knew it was my home.”

Masterfully reconfigured and thoughtfullydesigned, Jillian admits that she loves to rework a tricky floorplan, which isprecisely what she did with her terrace house. 

THE STYLE

Starting as a fashion stylist in New York,Jillian spent a decade travelling the world working on photoshoots – giving hera sense of what true luxury is, and the thoughtfulness that goes into the mostintricate details. Transitioning into interior design, Jillian now worksprimarily on period homes in Sydney, where she blends traditional architecturalfeatures with contemporary furnishings and art. But it’s the moments of dramathroughout the homes she creates that really pop, and her home is no exception.

“The goal was always an elegant andsophisticated home for our growing family. I reworked the home’s layout andselected colours, wallpaper and lighting to highlight the original features,”says Jillian. “Inspired by my travels and experiences, this home reminds me ofmy childhood in the south and my 20s spent in New York.”

ENTRY & LIVING AREA

Indulgent from the moment you arrive, the homeopens into a dramatic entryway, which is reminiscent of a New York brownstonevestibule. Original kauri pine floorboards, marble floor tiles, wall panellingthat was designed by Jillian, and the wallpaper and pendant lighting wereimported from the United States.

Off the hallway, the living room is asophisticated yet welcoming space with lambskin cushions, a vintage Calacattamarble coffee table (one of Jillian’s favourite pieces), and a sleek bar cart.Jillian also had the original wood-burning fireplace reinstalled, and a SamsungFrame TV placed above, a discreet piece of tech when the TV is in art mode. 

THE KITCHEN

Hands down, Jillian’s favourite room is herkitchen and small dining nook that not only boasts two arched windows withocean glimpses but also features her beloved vintage Cesca dining chairs.

“I was incredibly inspired by the originalwedding cake style cornices – I designed a curved island that incorporates ourmain sink and a zip hydro. I hand-selected the Hermes marble, which is usedacross the kitchen.”

Jillian continues. “The cabinetry ishand-painted in Dulux “Blue Metal” with aged brass handles from Armac Martin. Ilove our Ilve Nostalgie range that has bronze handles that will patina withtime, and the six-gas burner is a dream when entertaining. I always include anappliance cupboard when designing a kitchen, and the same applied here.” 

MASTER BEDROOM & ENSUITE

For the master bedroom, Jillian created ahotel at home feel by painting the walls and ceiling a Dulux “Klavier” (a shadeof black), which envelopes the room that features a four-post bed and a Frenchcane bedside table. While the ensuite features wall to wall steel framepartitions that section off the shower and handmade Apparatus Studio lightsthat grace the custom bronze trimmed shaving cabinets and custom-designedmarble vanity. 

LAUNDRY & STORAGE

Having lived for many years in Manhattan,Jillian knows how to make every millimetre count. By reducing the size of theguest bedroom, it gave Jillian enough room to create a large storage closetaccessible from the main hallway. She installed shelving from the ground up,using every bit of the 3.3-metre height while the laundry got a full-heightcabinet to hold cleaning supplies and home utility items behind closed doors. 

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Tucked away on a peninsula surrounded bypopular surfing beaches and the spectacular bushlands of North Head, Manly is abustling hub with a laid-back attitude. Here you will find it all, secludedbays, world-class shopping, stunning views, and a vibrant dining and bar scene.It’s the perfect blend of city and coastal living that allows you to watchsunsets at North Head and take an after-work dip at Fairy Bower Pool.

When it comes to getting out and aboutlocally, Jillian swears by BelgraveCartel  for coffee, and for breakfast with ocean views,The Pantry  is her go-to. In neighbouring Freshwater, Piluis her pick for lunch, but for dinner, it’s hard to beat Sakealong Manly Wharf. Manly is also a hotspot for drinking establishments, and Donny’sis a firm favourite in winter, but come summertime, the rooftop at Greenhouse  wins hands down. 

GET THE LOOK

From left to right: Eliza, Cane Chair, Black, $829, Trit House;  AB Concept Book, $215.25, Assouline; Amara Curve, Side Table, White Marble, $1,605.00, Globewest; Bergamont Hand Care Duo, $75.00, Ms Brown.

Jillian has a way of incorporating vintage andone-off designs into her interiors, whether this is commissioned directly froman artist or sourced from a gallery. For ceramics, Jillian looks to localartists Tara Burke  and  Nat Rosin,or Curtorial &Co. And online 1stDibsand Pamono  are her go-to’s.

 Looking for more stylish finds for your home? From indoor plants to outdoor furniture we’ve got all your home décor needs covered.