Hillside Wollerau New | Home Renovation & Interior Design

Hillside Wollerau

At Hillside Wollerau we worked with a general contractor to fully renovate a charming family home. This property has four bedrooms _ guest and master bedrooms both with ensuite bathrooms, two additional bathrooms; open-plan kitchen, living, dining; walk-in pantry, study, laundry room, cellar & outdoor spaces. The transformation took a total of eight months and involved everything from material selection for the new construction to space planning, lighting, furniture and furnishings concept, project management, delivery and installation. Our clients _ a couple whose children have recently moved out, wished for their home to be "a retreat for ourselves and our guests. Our home should be open, bright and welcoming. The right balance of modernity, warmth, functionality and comfort."

Photography: Analia Lazzari

Open Plan Living - Dining

We used various textures and colour palettes to define the different areas in this open-plan space. Kitchen cabinets add interest and layers in a warmer shade of white. We went for a waterfall island in engineered quartzite with extra storage at the front. An existing traditional hutch divides the dining and living spaces. The living room is a feast of textures: from the hand-knotted custom rug and brushed chrome on the feet of our sofa set, to the marble top accent table, oversised linen pillows and wood combination, it's designed to be flexible and social, and to accommodate hours of watching sports on TV with friends and family. Following sports is essential in this family, so the TV can be seen from the kitchen as well. Overall the space still feels inviting and decluttered, the clean lines making it stylish.

Walk-In Pantry

Transition Areas

A staircase joins the three levels of this home, so in order to create harmony and flow we chose an elegant accent colour for the only connecting wall. We decided to keep the existing the wonderful handrail and have it refreshed. That, in turn, was the inspiration for the mirror that acts as a window and reflects in lots of natural light into what would have otherwise been a darker space. A family gallery wall hangs in one of the hallways with plenty of space to build on as more memories are collected. The secret was to keep the frames timeless in black (we bought a few extra already), which in turn integrates the elements mentioned in the staircase. Cohesion, elegance, natural light, and lots of meaning for our transition areas.

The Study

With one of our clients being a teacher in higher education, designing a home office where she would feel completely organised was a top priority. The wonderful rosewood desk was the inspiration for the full space. When we found it, we knew that would be our only statement piece, and the rest would fall into place around it. To avoid overcrowding with filing cabinets we utilised the corner on the left hand side of the door with floor to ceiling wrap-around white storage combining doors and shelving. We created cohesion and interest by adding a line between ceiling and walls and the walls are painted in a deep dark green to highlight the unique elements we have in the space. A low pile hand-knotted woolen rug ensures that the desk chair moves seamlessly. And in order to capitalise on natural lighting for video calls, the desk was placed facing the largest window. Drapes pull the space together and bring in timeless elegance.

Master Bedroom & En-Suite

The master bedroom is an oasis for the couple who have busy schedules and long commutes. Despite the ensuite bathroom, it was one of the home owner's wish to incorporate an attractive free-standing bathtub. We paired it with a large rug in a natural fibre for comfort and style. To contribute to the feelings of calm we went for layers of textures and soft tones, taller than usual curtain hems, wood in different finishes, cotton, mohair, cement, linen, and an evocative picture that reminds the other home owner of her roots. There is something for each person in this space, and it is the proportions of furniture and decor that provides that restful harmony in the space. The ensuite bathroom is dressed in warm travertine tiles cut in large slabs.

Bathroom Design

When it came to bathroom design, we kept the same flooring as in the rest of the home allowing us to choose bold wall finishes while still keeping a harmonious flow. In the bathrooms that are accessible by guests more often, we decided on large Carrara tiles for interest whilst in the more private bathrooms _ as you saw in the master bedroom, we opted for unpolished travertine, aiming for that calming aesthetic our clients were after. We kept accessories to a minimum focusing on functionality and used rustic materials like wood and ceramic for extra warmth.