This home was up for sale until a renovation changed the family's mind

It takes chutzpah to draw inspiration from a bird, but Queenie, an Adelaidean gem, does just that.

A heady mix of glamour and colour, the semi-detached Victorian sandstone cottage was reimagined as a contemporary residence, inspired by the parkland it faces and its noisy occupants – birds.

“The abundant birdlife was a trigger for the palette of pinks and greys, captured perfectly in Leila Jeffrey’s 2012 galah portrait, Queenie,” says creative director Sonia Simpfendorfer, of Nexus Designs.

Simpfendorfer was originally briefed to prepare Queenie, sun-bleached a dusty pink and owned by the same family for years, for sale.

“As the project progressed, Queenie’s potential to be something really lovely became apparent and the brief changed to making it a compact city haven,” she says.

She made simple interventions to ensure seamless flow and generous spaces. At the front of the house is the main bedroom with french doors, and a series of rooms off the hall. The living room flows through to the kitchen and laundry, and at the back is a sunroom that opens out onto a vine-covered outdoor dining space.

“When you open the front door there is a big breathe-out sense of ‘I’m home’,” she says. “Space planning, colour, lighting, furniture, and custom joinery were meticulously planned to create that feeling.”

To make the most of Queenie’s sunny disposition, Simpfendorfer fixed and tinted the floorboards (galah pink, of course), repurposed pre-loved modern furniture and lighting, integrated historic family pieces, contemporary Australian art, European furniture and contemporary statement pieces.

She didn’t shy away from using plain expanses, like white walls, to provide calming counterpoints to more extravagant moments.

“Not every client is going to say yes to painting floorboards a customised pink, but this one did,” she says. “The ultramarine elements, inspired by her early Ken Done artwork, were used unexpectedly on the inside of a custom wardrobe, as well as navigation. At the end of the long hallway there is a beacon of blue from a repainted heirloom chest of drawers leading you forward.”

The end result is Queenie, a home so warm and beautiful the family decided to keep her.

“Queenie’s family runs on strength and love and I think that shows in the design response too,” says Simpfendorfer.

Style notes

Custom joinery

Custom joinery in the bathroom features timber veneer and Bianco Carrara marble.

Lights

Aquaparete wall lights by Produzione Privata. The diffusers are made from hand-blown Murano glass.

Fireplace

The custom-designed fireplace surrounds in the living and bedroom feature grey Bianco Carrara marble.