The Design Files: A former surrealist artists’ studio turned a contemporary family home

Who: Terri Winter (top3 by design), husband Bernd (owner of advertising agency DDI), sons Zac (15) and Jay (18) and a Siberian husky named Shadow

What: A surrealist artists’ studio and house is transformed into a contemporary family home

Where: Northbridge, NSW

From “a big caterpillar on the top of the hill” to a design-lover’s delight, the home that retailer Terri Winter shares with husband Bernd, sons Zac, 15, and Jay, 18, has been transformed over many years.

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In fact, the couple were not looking to purchase a house when this deceased estate came onto the market. They had just sold their previous home to invest in Terri’s business, top3 by design, and were planning to rent for a while.

However, the intrigue of this unusual house got the better of them. They went to inspect, and instantly fell in love.

Overlooking a huge overgrown garden, the property had previously belonged to surrealist painter James Gleeson, who configured the space to accommodate a studio – leaving an unconventional home layout.

“It was such an odd house, because it is really, really long and mostly only one room wide … like a big caterpillar on the top of the hill,” Terri Winter says.

Despite the awkward spatial flow, the couple registered to bid and “next thing we knew, we bought a house!”

Before they moved in, Winter injected a moment of luxury by secretly plumbing in a wooden bath as surprise for her husband. “We had nothing in this rundown old house except a beautiful bath and three Kartell lights we wired in the living room,” she says.

It took several months before the family were able to move into the house, as all of the carpets needed to be pulled up, sooty walls repainted, and rotting timber verandah railings replaced with glass. The blue 1950s kitchen was also replaced with Ikea base cabinetry, and a custom steel benchtop by cabinetmaker Dave Reddy.

The renovated house, now named The Gleeson after its original owner, is today filled with beloved treasures, and carefully selected designer details.

“I think a home is like a tapestry of your life, all the pieces weave together to form a story of your journey. It is never finished,” Winter says.

She admits that despite building a business based on the concept of a minimal, curated selection, and while she “loves the idea of being a minimalist”, “I just never will be!”

How to add flair

Injecting personal flair into your home is easier than you think.

• Banish white. Look for ways to add unexpected colour – if not an entire wall, consider doors and hardware, tiles and splash backs, rugs and soft furnishings.
• Art and artefacts. Art doesn’t just refer to the expensive, collectible variety. Everyone has treasured artefacts and personal items that can be displayed to tell your story.
• Feature lighting is the jewellery of interior decoration.Look for vintage lamps to add character.
• Obsessing over re-sale is paralysing. Be bold enough to make design and decorating decisions that are meaningful to you, like Terri Winter’s timber bathtub.