Right at Home with SJ in Salter Point.

In the latest edition of Right at Home with SJ, our Director Sara James speaks with our lovely client Kim Bishop - the owner and renovator-extraordinaire of our recent project in Salter Point. 

What was purchased by Kim in 2021 was an original 70’s mustard masterpiece - a unique, somewhat quirky pad, that had been enjoyed by the same family for almost 50 years. As the backdrop to many years of cherished and unforgettable memories, Kim has thoughtfully restored this wonderful home and given it a new lease of life as a contemporary Hamptons marvel. 

Tell us about the initial concept for the design. 

The design starts with a dream for me. When I view a potential property for purchase I day-dream about living there. I get quite specific in my imagination - I imagine arriving home, seeing the house, entering the front doors and seeing my family - all of us hanging-out and enjoying the different spaces of the home in our own way. I know a house is right for us as a project when I become aware that I’m smiling like crazy whilst dreaming. This house was so easy to enjoy the dream, the stature of the home, the lifestyle of the large backyard, the relaxation of the river views, the parent’s private retreat upstairs….it was all a joy. Of course, a lot of that only existed in the bones of the house – our job was to bring the spaces to life and make it come true. 

What are your favourite features? 

Obviously, I am incredibly biased as the features are all my own choices so I really like a lot of them! But, the things that really brought the dream to life in this house for me are the restrained elegance of the entrance with the detailed Hamptons staircase – it provides a moment to just pause as you arrive and become acquainted with the energy of the home. 

I also love the distinct parent/kids spaces in the home. The upstairs has a sophistication for the parents, a more formal sitting area where you can cosy up to the fire in winter with a delicious red wine or share a special evening entertaining friends in open plan living, dining, kitchen - all whilst the kids make use of the oversized rumpus room downstairs, back patio, BBQ, pool and yard. 

The kitchen is pretty special too, being 7m long from kitchen to scullery. The imported soft blue subway tile was carefully selected to emphasise the view of the river that you take in at the sink. Again, it’s about the feelings these spaces evoke for me. Our homes are about quality of life, how they help us to relax and feel safe, nurtured, and inspired. And on that, I guess my favourite feature of all would be the master suite. Its open plan layout has a luxury hotel feel. It’s indulgent with its big egg bath and soft blue walls - I could just kick back (or hide) in there with a good book for a very, very long time!

How do you envisage the new owners best optimising the space? 

I dream of the new owners sharing much joy in this space. Having lazy Sundays by the pool after a big family and friends fry-up on the BBQ for brunch, a friendly game of cricket on the lawn in the afternoon. I dream of the family wandering down to the end of the street and crossing the foot-bridge to take in an evening walk together by the river after a long day apart. Then, coming back to the house and jumping into the generous kitchen to share in the cooking, kids up at the bench helping prepare the meal or doing homework. I can see mum enjoying hosting a girl’s night upstairs in the sitting room, with the views as a relaxing backdrop. I imagine Saturday family movie night in the rumpus room, debates over what to put on the big screen and a big bowl of popcorn. I see a pretty special family life happening in this home. 

When it came to presenting the end product, how did our staging play a role? 

The staging is such an important part of the dream for the home. We humans are so visual and cues really help us to stoke our imagination. After meeting Jes and discussing in-depth my vision for the home, I really placed trust in Perth Style Co. to bring the dream to life. I wanted the furniture to reflect the life a family could share in this home - a sophisticated elegance with a very strong family functionality at its core. And what was delivered honestly exceeded what I had in my mind! The attention to detail is precise and the spaces have come to life just as I imagined. 

For more insight into this beautiful home or to visit a home inspection, please visit the property listing here.