A Colourful Reimagining of a Victorian Terrace by Folk Studio

Location: Annandale, Sydney’s Inner West

Designed by: Folk Studio

Interior style: Bold, colourful and modern with a hint of vintage flair.

Favourite room: The front sitting room/lounge. This room was the most fun to create. It became the focal point of the whole house and features walls of art, stunning wall lights and bold furniture.

Favourite piece: The custom pink Valley Sofa from Jardan.

Set at the end of a beautiful row of Victorian terrace houses in a neighbourhood that’s renowned for its wide streets and heritage homes, this modest one-bedroom Annandale home was compact and tired looking. That is, until Sydney-based interior designer and founder of Folk Studio, Mariah Madder, worked her magic.

Armed with a brief to create a home filled with bold colours and organic shapes while improving functionality, Mariah set about reworking the interiors; a loft bedroom with two living spaces, a dining area and a combined bathroom and laundry, all without missing a beat on designer furnishings.

“Our client is a young professional who is incredibly busy and has a wonderfully eccentric taste: loves paintings, sculptures and all things colour,” explains Mariah. “She knew what she liked but wanted our help to make her vision a reality. She wanted to come home from her high-pressure job and feel a sense of tranquillity, comfort, and inspiration, but also host the odd dinner party or two and not lose that sense of FUN!” 

FOR THE LOVE OF DESIGN

Bold, colourful, and modern, but with a hint of vintage flair, the thoughtfully curated interiors inject a whole lot of personality into a compact space. Mariah carefully selected pieces that were unique to her client’s style. These pieces helped create distinctive zones within the home so her client could enjoy each space in different ways depending on her mood. 

“We wanted to include colourful and bold furniture and art but ensure that the home remained a place for solace and relaxation,” says Mariah. “We curated a mix of unique ceramics, hand-blown glass lights, Australian-made furniture, art and an array of textures to create a home that exudes a sense of fun and comfort.” 

THE INTERIORS

From the outside, the home boasts a classic Victorian façade, but step inside, and you’ll be instantly transported to a world of creativity and playfulness. The entry and dining areas blend into one another. It’s where the vintage travertine dining table mixed with royal navy blue velvet dining chairs holds centre stage. 

“The home’s most defining features are the classic Victorian facade and details mixed with the bold furniture in the front sitting room. It provides an exciting entry to the home,” Mariah says. 

From the entry, you can either go upstairs to the loft bedroom or continue into the main seating area, which features a bold pink boucle sofa with a vintage check rug. Mariah then brought in a check pattern and velvet fabric into the second lounge area to create a sense of continuity. 

“The front sitting room and lounge was the most fun room to create. It became the focal point of the whole house and features walls of art, stunning wall lights and bold furniture,” says Mariah. 

A SPACE OF SOLITUDE

The home is a celebration of colour, design and nostalgia. It’s whimsical yet sophisticated, bold yet comforting. And it strikes the perfect balance between space, intimacy and character, proving that you can have a lot of wow factor in a small area.

“We love that the home is very unassuming from the outside, but upon entering, you’re instantly transported to another place,” says Mariah. “We also love how our client interacts with the space and how much it has positively transformed her life.”

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Nostalgic wide streets, century-old mansions, heritage homes and shopkeepers who greet you by name, Annandale is a highly sought-after enclave that has an old-school charm to it. Johnston Street, the main thoroughfare, is lined with historic buildings dating back to the 1800s. Boutique cafés and restaurants with a distinctly European flavour form part of Annandale village, which flows down Booth Street. Despite its quiet nature, Annandale has had its time in the spotlight – once the epicentre of Sydney’s indie rock scene, Annandale has retreated into its charming village atmosphere.

SITCHU’S FAVOURITE ANNANDALE HANGOUTS

For breakfast: Trafalgar Street Espresso is a must for their coffee and café bites.

For brunch: Revolver Café in the backstreets of Annandale is a mainstay on the local brunch scene.

For takeaway: Fat Fish is a local institution for ocean-fresh seafood.

For dinner: Bar Asia is a real treat when it comes to Asian street food.  

For drinks: The Annandale Hotel has been given a refurb and is a great spot for drinks and a pub feed.

GET THE LOOK

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PROJECT CREDITS

Interior Design & Styling: Folk Studio @folk.studio___ Carpenter: Red Carpentry @ Red.Carpentry Photography: Jacqui Turk @jacqui_turk Words: Margaret Quilter @inky.content