Her Interior: Rachael Coghlan

Posted on 30 March, 2015

One of my favourite suburbs in Canberra is Ainslie. The area is full of established trees and stunning heritage homes, all within walking distance to the city. What’s not to like? Rachael Coghlan knows the perks of living here all too well, and was nice enough to invite us inside her beautiful heritage home before the house goes to auction tomorrow.

When Rachael moved into the home 15 years ago, she had big plans for the interior, which ultimately meant she needed to renovate. Being a heritage listed property, Rachael knew she needed an expert to help out. Enter Gina Carmody, of Carmody By Design – a well know Canberra architect who specialises in renovating heritage listed homes.

The extension

Now, I’ve seen my fair share of badly renovated properties. You know the ones I’m talking about. Where you walk in and there’s a spare room slapped on the back of the house, with absolutely no recognition for the pre-existing dwelling! I can say with 100 per cent conviction that when I walked into Rachael’s home, I couldn’t see where the old house ended and the new extension began. The flow between the two areas was seamless – a testament to Gina’s ability to stay true to a home’s structural integrity.

Old meets new…

The renovation process was not without its setbacks, which are to be expected with a heritage listed property. One particularly difficult issue was that the front of the house could not be modified in any way. This meant that the roof line could not be altered, making any extension to the back of the house more complicated. Gina took this in her stride though, and created a new plan that adds so much more the internal space. In order to keep within the heritage guidelines, Gina designed a central courtyard, which allows light to flood throughout the whole house. The addition of this outdoor room adds so much warmth and interest to the living space. It really is delightful.

The Cedar trim has been lovingly restored…

As well as this, Rachael also focused on restoring the stunning cedar detailing on all of the walls and fireplace. When she first moved into the house, the fire place and mantle were completely painted over. Now though, the cedar mantle sits proudly in the formal living room.

I thought Rachael’s sense of style was lovely. It was a nice blend of new and old, which works in this home perfectly. I was quite drawn to the unique tapestries she had hanging on the walls, designed by local Ainslie artist Dimity Kidston. They not only added colour to the space, but a sense of warmth and texture.

Dimity Kidston’s delightful tapestries fill the room with pops of colour and character.

All in all, I came away from Rachael’s home feeling happy. Here is a heritage home that has been renovated with care and integrity. Whoever ends up in this home is going to be very lucky indeed.

If you would like to have a look at Rachael’s home, please contact Holly at Luton Properties in Dickson on (02) 6230 0005.