FRIDAY FILES – Boyac Principal Susanna De Vienne’s House Featured In Belle Magazine Smart Spaces

FRIDAY FILES – Boyac Principal Susanna De Vienne’s House Featured In Belle Magazine Smart Spaces

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THE PRINCIPAL OF TEXTILES, wallpaper and lighting emporium Boyac, Susanna de Vienne, sought to inject her Sydney terrace with verve and colour without losing its heritage charm. What was the brief? The starting point was to maintain the original qualities of the terrace as one in a heritage group of four in Queen Street and to make a contemporary living space. We also wanted to display our furniture and artworks and make them work within a classic terrace design. The kitchen and dining area are an important part of my daily life and we were able to incorporate this idea at the back of the house opening onto the north-facing garden. What were the challenges of the space and how did you resolve them? Working within the original space and adapting to a more modern lifestyle proved challenging. We fitted two bathrooms into the existing layout and added storage without impacting classic features, cornices and ceiling roses. How would you describe the interior? Classic and comfortable as well as versatile. It works well in both summer and winter – there is a cosy fireplace for winter months while the house is open to the garden during summer. Were any devices used to maximise the sense of space? Having been in the design industry for more than 30 years, I loved being able to use wall coverings and textiles to add a further dimension to the space, both in colour and texture. The bi-fold doors and open-plan kitchen/dining area create a sense of space in a relatively narrow zone. What informed the selection of furniture, art, fittings and finishes? The furniture and artworks are elements we already owned. The paint colour was inspired by my grandfather Charles Lloyd Jones’ paintings, which hang in the main living room, and the bedroom with blush-pink grasscloth wallpaper and printed curtains. The pieces of furniture, large Watteau painting and Du Passage bronzes are from my late husband Count Patrick de Vienne’s collection. What do you enjoy about living here? Living in the heart of Woollahra with so much at my doorstep. We love being able to enjoy the total calm and green of our back garden like a secret sanctuary of our own. boyac.com.au

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Above Image Exhibited salon style at the bottom of the stairs and continuing along the front hallway is a series of paintings by Susanna’s grandfather,Sir Charles Lloyd Jones. Beneath a painting by Ray Crooke, a 19th-century console showcases bronze figures from the family of Susanna’s late husband, paired with ottomans upholstered in Colony Fabrics ‘Iguana’ fabric from Boyac. The South-East Asian head was purchased at auction, the red side table found at a flea market in Paris and the ‘Leila’ sofa from Jardan is upholstered in ‘Touch Me’ cotton velvet from Antoine d’Albiousse. A Ray Crooke artwork hangs beside the staircase. Opposite page Flanked by bronze sculptures from a Paris antiques dealer, the fireplace hearth was finished in tiles sourced by design consultant Wende Reid of Form and Colour to match the original front hallway. Artwork by Ray Crooke.

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Consultant Wende Reid of Form and Colour restored a pair of Chinese cabinets to fit the formal sitting room, which also features a painting by Patrick Hockey, a tortoise shell from Tahiti purchased by Susanna on her honeymoon 40 years ago, coffee table from a flea market in Paris and Empire-style chairs in de Le Cuona paisley fabric. A red shelving unit designed by Chris Connell displaying collected curios pops against the walls. In the second bedroom, curtains by No Chintz in Fermoie fabric from Boyac. In the bathroom, the Iksel ‘Edo Wisteria’ wallpaper from Boyac creates a sublime backdrop to the bath from ACS Designer Bathrooms in Woollahra. In the main bedroom is an 18th-century painting by Watteau and curtains by No Chintz in Normandy fabric with navy trim from Boyac. The rear courtyard is a leafy sanctuary with an appealing profusion of palms and bougainvillea. The powder room is clad in Colony wallpaper from Boyac.

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