From dilapidated terrace to eclectic space: The home of furniture designer Adam Goodrum

Who: Designer, Adam Goodrum, wife Michelle and sons Oli and Archie.

What: Self-renovated Sydney terrace

Where: Waterloo, Sydney

It is little surprise that one of Australia’s most celebrated creatives has a home that sparkles with designer flair. Award-winning furniture designer Adam Goodrum and wife Michelle share this corner terrace with sons Oli and Archie, although it hasn’t always been such an eye-catching spectacle.

When the couple purchased the property in 2004, it was derelict, and after living in it for two years, Adam describes how they ‘‘gutted it and started again’’. The family moved out for the nine-month renovation process, and have lived here for the past 11 years in their perfectly updated home.

The renovation was a major overhaul of the property. Adam highlights how the small size of the home necessitated clever spatial organisation, where little pockets of space provide multiple functions. Where possible, windows have been orientated to look out onto foliage, and the bedrooms are on the top level, away from the street, with sky and treetop views from the beds.

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The aesthetic of the family home is described by Adam as “eclectic, minimal and honest” — chairs and collections of small designer objects interject into the otherwise minimalist vibe. While there is no particular strategy in the objects, there is a sense of cohesion, and Adam acknowledges “there’s a loose continuity in the forms and colours I like, so, mostly, things end up working together, but if they don’t that’s OK too”.

Adam’s designs inhabit the house, both in the form of small maquette models, and prototypes the family test-run before the furniture goes into production. Other favourite pieces include the comfortable and spinning Geoffrey Harcourt Artifort Swivel chair, and an arresting Alexander Calder print. The lineage of Adam’s inspiration is clearly evident.

It is hard to believe this home was initially the “most dilapidated, termite-ridden, fire-damaged terrace in the inner city” – its transformation is a testament to Adam’s ambition and vision. With the Goodrum design studio on the ground floor, this home is truly a living part of Adam’s brilliant and all-encompassing creative practice.

Buy local

Australia has a huge number of small-scale, independent furniture makers and designers.

• Do your research. Seek out local designers and interact with your favourites on Instagram.
• Furniture and lighting retailers who champion Australian design include Cult, Domo and Space. Ask staff about local designers and makers.
• It can be challenging to support local designers on a budget, but it’s still possible. Try Dowel Jones in Melbourne for contemporary furniture. In Sydney, NOMI furniture is well priced and flat-packed to keep costs down.