Sometimes it can be a blessing when good sense flies out the window. When Peter and Max Kater were looking for a home, they had a list of must-haves. And this house, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, ticked very few of them. What it did represent, however, was an opportunity to buy into what had once been part of the grand estate of Peter's great-grandfather. “It was literally the stables,” says Max. “As soon as we saw it, we knew it would be ours.”
Even so, the timing couldn't have been worse. “We bought our house at auction on the evening of September 11, 2001,” she says. “All the joy we felt quickly dissipated when we thought the world was going to end.”
But it didn't, and the pair, who are behind the eco-friendly home-cleaning products business Murchison-Hume, became the owners of a two-storey, three-bedroom house – albeit one that presented many challenges.
Because the stables had been built in a shady spot, the site lacked sunlight and the interiors were in need of a significant update. But the couple decided to live in the house while they saved and planned for major renovations. “For years we lived with a Swedish-sauna themed kitchen and a pink and grey faux-marble bathroom while we worked out what to do with the renovations,” says Max. “A bad idea – and false economy.”
“After our third set of plans we realised we weren't sure what we wanted. By then we lacked the time and money to do the kind of renovation required to make use of the land size,” she says. So, about three years ago they settled on a budget makeover, involving cosmetic changes. “It was the best thing we ever did,” says Max.
The couple focused on the kitchen, bathroom and garden. “My parents came to visit and before we knew it, Peter and my father had stripped the kitchen back to the bricks and my mother and I were doing drywalls,” she says.
As you head towards french doors that lead into the home, you pass a cabana with large day beds and tropical-print cushions. From here, it's on through the french doors and into the living area, which houses the dining table and offers a glimpse into the kitchen. Up the stairs and along a hallway are three bedrooms and a bathroom. Each room has a distinct theme but all encompass the formality and playfulness of the Hollywood Regency design movement. It's clear that Max's upbringing on the US west coast has influenced her aesthetic.
“I am a Kelly Wearstler fan from way back,” Max says of her decorating style. “I adore anything Hollywood Regency; The Billys (both Haines and Baldwin) and the Woolf/Wolfes (both John Elgin and Elsie de), but deep down I am a traditionalist, with serious Martha Stewart leanings. And I can never resist a little chinoiserie.”
And so, to this house bought with Peter's heritage in mind, Max has drawn on her own background and shared travels to produce a home all of their own.
