The Design Files: Inside Sophie Trippe-Smith's terrace transformation

Who: Sophie Trippe-Smith, husband Adam Trippe-Smith and children Emerson (11), Tatum (8) and Pepper the dog, who is the boss of the house.

What: Renovated, art-filled family-focused terrace.

Where: Balmain, Sydney.

Sophie Trippe-Smith and her family have lived in this 1880s Balmain terrace since 2013.

After a few years in the house, they decided to enhance the “good bones” of the property with a fresh lick of paint inside and out, and some structural renovations.

The family bravely decided to live in the home throughout the renovation, which Trippe-Smith admits was challenging, but “we overcame this by having a positive, happy attitude and a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ feeling”.

Trippe-Smith is a life-long Balmain resident and describes “walking up and down this street since I was a little girl, thinking that one day I would like to live here”.

The family initially lived just around the corner from their current home, but outgrew the smaller property. When this terrace came on the market, Trippe-Smith “walked inside and instantly fell in love”.

Her adoration of the property has only grown with the renovations; the new garden oasis and double garage provide sanctuaries and functionality in the home.

The renovations also included new joinery and lighting in all of the bedrooms. Trippe-Smith says she was initially slightly daunted by the renovation process, but found solace in the capable hands of interior designer Kate Bell and landscape designer Adam Robinson.

The home is now filled with beloved items; Trippe-Smith explains that, “I feel like my home’s style is always evolving. I adore eclectic, colourful, interesting pieces. I don’t really like anything to match.”

Favourite treasures include the Gubi Beetle chair covered in green velvet, and a Grasshopper floor lamp. The shade also carries into the dining area, with a soft, mint green leather banquette.

As a self-described “art addict”, Trippe-Smith cannot choose her favourite art work, but she particularly loves the Esther Stewart piece in the dining room, and the neighbouring Mark Howson work.

“They are both Melbourne artists, and seem to complement each other and just complete the house,”
she says.

The piece-de-resistance in this home is the rooftop terrace, which offers sweeping views across the city, hugged by Anzac Bridge.

The family love dining on the roof, waving goodbye to a cruise ship, and watching the sunset.

Trippe-Smith enthuses, “It really is a happy life in Balmain.”

How to curate objects

Plenty is written on the subject of collecting and curating artwork, but what about curating objects, both functional and decorative, to enhance and enliven your space? While we generally accept and value the idea of framed artwork on a wall, decorative objects and small sculptural work are harder to get our heads around. Consider the following tips for a cohesive collection.

• Audit your existing possessions. Pull out all your vases, vessels, ceramics, bookends, paperweights, and other functional or decorative objects around your home. Start to group them, and look for existing themes or gaps. More often than not, a palette will start to emerge which you can build upon.
• Any collection must be guided by where it will be displayed. What “gaps” are you looking to fill at home? A bookshelf, a sideboard or simply an empty spot on the bedside table? Measure the width and height of key surfaces.
•  Group and display objects based on either colour, or materiality – all glass, all ceramic, and so on.
• Forget functionality, and focus on form. Think of decorative objects as you do artwork – be drawn to an object for its colour, texture or materiality. Not everything has to be “useful”!
• Having said that, functional pieces can be collector’s items too! The important thing is to seek out pieces with a sculptural quality to them, and invest in handmade (rather than mass-manufactured) pieces wherever possible, to add depth and variety to your collection.