How classic details brought new life to an old Californian bungalow

Fadia and Charles had been hoping to buy in a picturesque pocket of Western Sydney for over seven years when their dream home hit the market. Situated on a big block and in the bungalow style the couple love, it seemed perfect for their family of five. However, the dream turned nightmarish beyond the front door, where a jumbled floor plan and drab interiors awaited.

The updated entry nods to the home’s heritage. (Photography: Ryan Linnegar / Styling: Holly Irvine)

Undeterred, they bought the property, all the while questioning whether to raze it or renovate. Their answer came from interior designer Karemeh Malek of Calla + Lily Design, who was confident they could gut the interior and work within the structurally sound, well-proportioned footprint to build Fadia’s vision, which was clear from the outset. “I love transitional style and I wanted to bring that California bungalow look inside,” she says.

The renovation journey

Who? Fadia, Charles, and their kids Victoria, 12; George, 10; and Nicholas, eight.
Where? A picturesque suburb in Western Sydney.
Original property? A 1960s to 1970s brick bungalow that hadn’t been touched since.
Time frame? The six-month design phase began in 2019; construction started in 2020 and finished a year later.
Why the reno? The size, site, bungalow style and single storey (with an attic) were perfect for family life, but the floor plan was dysfunctional and the interiors drab.
Must-haves: Four bedrooms, a generous entertaining area and a transitional aesthetic.
The works: Kept structural elements but gutted the rest.
Favourite aspect? “We love to entertain in the open-plan area and have friends and family over,” says Fadia.

Entry

Aesthetically, Fadia’s brief was for a traditional home with a trendy twist. “We added classic details like the wainscoting from Intrim and the tiles,” says Karemeh. “Then we introduced some contemporary elements with the brass tapware, which is quite modern, the mirrors, furniture and the neutral colour palette with that beautiful beige-grey cabinetry.”

“We incorporated the owners’ antique mirror on a West Elm console, and there’s the little bench seat where the kids put their shoes on and store their school bags,” says Karemeh of the entry. (Photography: Ryan Linnegar / Styling: Holly Irvine)

Living area

Functionally, the family needed four bedrooms so their three children could have their own rooms. A decent-sized entertaining space was also a must, plus an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area to readily welcome their nearest and dearest.

“The original living room was smack bang in the middle of the house and there was no entertainment area,” says Karemeh.

Kitchen

“In my old home, the kitchen was so small that it put me off cooking. We love having family and friends over, so needed a big kitchen with lots of space,” says Fadia. “My husband and I wanted beautiful joinery too, so we allocated the majority of the internal fit out budget to that trade.”

“The Shaker cabinetry and benchtops were the main splurge items,” says Karemeh. Fadia wanted a tonal kitchen, so Karemeh specified Talostone Arctic White on the benchtops and splashbacks, with Talostone Onyx White in the butler’s pantry. For the cabinetry, Dulux Beautiful Beige swathes the kitchen island and tall joinery, which houses an integrated fridge and freezer from Harvey Norman. (Photography: Ryan Linnegar / Styling: Holly Irvine)

To amp up benchtop and storage space, Karemeh designed a long run of cabinets skirting the kitchen. A butler’s pantry and laundry hidden behind tall joinery delivers extra practicality, and the island turns cooking into a social affair.

“We put floor tiles in the butler’s pantry for durability, and having a laundry in there makes it even more functional,” says Karemeh of the multipurpose space tucked behind the kitchen joinery. (Photography: Ryan Linnegar / Styling: Holly Irvine)

Overhead, twin ‘Manor Barn Glass’ pendants from Beacon Lighting offer functional flair above an Orient House vessel. “We tried to choose fittings that looked high-end but without the price tag and we wanted to be reasonable with our choices in terms of lighting, so bought some pieces from Beacon Lighting and they look beautiful,” says Karemeh.

The palette is a tonal take on warm neutrals with brass, soft beige, earthy browns and white. (Photography: Ryan Linnegar / Styling: Holly Irvine)

Anchoring the scheme are engineered timber floorboards in Noble Grey from Ideas Flooring. “I love dark floorboards, they’re really practical with kids,” says Fadia.

There’s more than meets the eye to the tall cabinets in the kitchen. In true speakeasy style, a secret bar is concealed behind the joinery, where Charles is chief mixologist. (Photography: Ryan Linnegar / Styling: Holly Irvine)

“They’re a young family and love entertaining, so the kitchen is the heart of the home.”

Karemeh Malek, interior designer

A Globe West ‘Classique’ table suits family life, while ‘Dale’ dining chairs from Freedom tie in with dark Brosa bar stools. The keen entertainers give the Fisher & Paykel cooker a regular workout. (Photography: Ryan Linnegar / Styling: Holly Irvine)

Main bathroom

A key pearl of wisdom came from Karemeh. “She told me, ‘You can always get carried away with what you’d like in your home, so think about where you want the wow moments and focus on them’,” shares Fadia. “Ribbed glass in the wet rooms was a non-negotiable.”

Large-format floor and wall tiles sourced from Saba Tiling & Co. (Photography: Ryan Linnegar / Styling: Holly Irvine)

She compromised by using Shaker-style joinery only in ‘public’ areas – such as the kitchen, main bathroom and powder room – while opting for cost-effective flat-profile joinery elsewhere. “You can always pare it back in the less visible areas, which is what we did in the kids’ bedrooms,” she says.

In the main bathroom, ‘Mosaic Collection’ kit kat tiles in Rustic White from Di Lorenzo inject texture. (Photography: Ryan Linnegar / Styling: Holly Irvine)

Lessons learnt

To make budget-savvy decisions and ensure child-friendly interiors, Fadia recommends questioning whether pretty inclusions are practical, too. “Yes, you can splurge, but is it practical?” she asks. “‘Practical’ is my husband’s favourite word.”

Fadia and Charles also booked materials and trades well in advance to secure prices and lock in the pros they knew they’d eventually need – a tactic that helped buffer against price rises and labour shortages. So, were they able to stick to their original budget? “Oh, you never stick to the original!” says Fadia with a laugh. “But we did well.”

Interior design: Calla + Lily Design, 0403 353 637, @callalily_design_studio.
Joinery: Exquisite Kitchens, (02) 9755 4342, exquisitekitchens.com.au.

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This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.