McMahons Cottage Renovation

Interior Designer - Anna Spiro

Photographer - Tim Salisbury

Featured in the July 2022 Issue of Home Beautiful Magazine

Situated in a charming area within Sydney’s lower North Shore, McMahons Point Cottage is a humble two-bedroom home originally built around 1905 before it was bought recently by a small family who were keen to transform it to make it their own.

Clare, the joyful and lively new owner, envisioned iconic splashes of colour everywhere with no neutral tones in sight – so this became the exact vision for the entire cottage, through and through.

From its exteriors to all the personal spaces within, the client wanted the Cottage to portray a cosy home vibe with big details to help extenuate its uncompromising character.

The main objective of the project was to turn the bland original colours into bright ones to reflect the full personality of the new homeowners. It was a rewarding experience working alongside people with such a unique vision who were willing to embrace so much individuality.

To give McMahons Cottage a personal and light touch, we started by repainting both the exteriors and the interiors, adjusted the lighting and added other vibrant elements to provide an overall aesthetic to the look and feel of the cottage.

The kitchen was already built – with cabinets and countertops that optimised the tight space – however, it all needed a serious splash of colour. So, our team repainted the walls and adjusted the lighting to give the area a more personal and modern yet elegant feel.

Our team was also quite excited to work on the living space. The room now features the same colourful walls with adjusted lighting, however we personally built and installed a customised floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall bookshelf. The expansive shelving now houses the owners’ prized collection of books, treasured keepsakes and mementos.

With complete ownership over the project’s design, Interior Designer, Anna Spiro and her team worked their magic with the furniture, lamps and curtains to complete the overall look.

As you can see, there are no sharp edges or bland colours – every bit of the space boasts a unique colour or print that gives the cottage a highly personalised feel, making it all an absolute joy to behold.

We used a paint scheme of soft mint green, cornflower blue and marigold yellow to serve as a backdrop to all the patterns and prints that were spread out across the entire home.

The doors were also repainted to complement the walls and the beauty that sits adjacent to each. Our team finished by installing new lighting to perfectly highlight every minute detail of the cottage.

The vibrant household hues also worked their way into each of the spacious bedrooms – with a classy sisal flooring that we installed to keep the entire home comfortable yet practical.

Our team was also tasked with adding elements to make the bedroom more personal, with details to showcase sophistication and femininity.

Through a clear vision and an understanding of the owner’s personality, Anna and our team came up with a colourful creation that perfectly combined heritage pieces with unique, vibrant patterns.

The two large rooms now display an Adlington wallpaper that we put up, with furniture and lighting meticulously chosen by Anna’s team – all perfect for a day of lounging around or reading a good book in bed.

Clare wanted McMahons Point Cottage to be as inviting as it was comfortable – and she couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

Each space is positively bursting with colour and personality, making this an iconic home of her own. Simple, roomy, warm and vibrant, McMahons Cottage is a JRFS Construction and Anna Spiro Design masterpiece that showcases creativity in all of its glory.