Incredible Paddington home of the late Boris Tosic listed for sale

• Owner: Naomi Tosic
• Type of property: 1890s hat factory reimagined by late master craftsman Boris Tosic
• Address: 2 Church Street, Paddington, NSW
• Price guide: $13 million-$14 million
• Auction: 12.45pm, March 1

There are homes, and then there are masterpieces. This one – a soaring, timber-clad vision of precision and craftsmanship – firmly belongs in the latter category. Once an unassuming 1890s hat factory, later an artists’ enclave under Margaret Olley and gallerist Robin Gibson, it has since been transformed into something extraordinary.

The home is an architectural crescendo shaped by the singular vision of the late Boris Tosic, a master joiner and design industry stalwart whose passion for materiality and detail remains ingrained in every surface.

For Naomi Tosic, this was the beloved family home she shared with Boris and their two sons, Mali (18) and Quinn (12). When they purchased the property in 2011, it was a commercial building with striking bones and an incredible outlook. What followed was a five-year transformation, a labour of love that became Boris’ magnum opus.

“It was a huge undertaking. However, Boris had an ambitious vision for converting this into our family home,” Naomi says. “He often said he had bitten off more than he could chew, referring to the scale of the home, the height of the ceilings, and his uncompromising commitment to creating the most beautiful interior.”

Walnut timber sweeps through the home, wrapping it in warmth and rhythm. The details are a masterclass in restraint and refinement, every decision deliberate, every line clean.

“The timber is all Boris,” Naomi recalls. “He was an extraordinary joiner with impeccable style. He chose walnut for its rich, masculine tone, softened by more delicate features like the curved balustrade above the floating staircase and the suspended 11-metre credenza along the western living level.”

This is a house of stories layered with art, memory, and an unmistakable sense of place. The lift – clad in walnut timber with a glass rear wall – works like a private gallery, with the internal shaft hosting a series of Del Kathryn Barton collages. As you travel between floors, the artworks glide past like a private peep show.

“Even the smallest details hold significance, like the two handles at the front door and those inside the master shower,” Naomi shares. “I have no idea who made them, but I know Boris had them specially commissioned, and he was so proud of them, so I love them.”

Bathed in natural light, the living level is framed by 13 windows, each revealing a different slice of Paddington’s tree-lined streetscape. Above, a rooftop terrace soaks in the Sydney sky, its centrepiece a rare feature: a glass-bottomed pool, casting shifting light onto the timber kitchen below.

“The pool is heated so we can enjoy it year-round, and it has a swim jet for swimming laps,” Naomi says. “But the most beautiful aspect is how the light streams into the kitchen, casting ripples on the timber. It’s magical to lie on the kitchen floor and watch from below as the rain hits the surface.”

Before the Tosic family called it home, the building had a history of creativity and celebration. In 1979, it was the venue for Birds and Animals, an exhibition by Brett Whiteley that transformed the space into an immersive artistic experience. Art and Australia magazine described it as “something of a Happening,” capturing the energy of an event that once unfolded in what is now the living room.

Naomi reflects on the cherished memories her family has created in this home. But of all the moments, there’s one she holds closest: a surprise dinner for Boris, at which singer Rose Grayson performed his favourite song, Ne me quitte pas (Don’t leave me) by Jacques Brel.

“Boris adored that song, so we arranged for Rose – who sings it in the final scene of Del Kathryn Barton’s film Blaze (2022) – to perform it for him,” Naomi recalls. “Everyone was crying, but it was also a celebration of love and life.”

Now, this remarkable home awaits its next custodian – someone who will inherit not only its exquisite craftsmanship and the legacy of Boris’s 30 years in design but also the comfort and character of a place richly lived in.

“Huge emotions,” Naomi says. “Ultimately, this big, beautiful house doesn’t make sense for me and the boys without Boris. It was supposed to be our forever home, but our story has changed significantly, and it feels like the right time to let go and start a new adventure.”

Contact Agent

2 Church Street, Paddington NSW 2021

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