41/8 Birtley Place, Elizabeth Bay

When Chris and Matthew purchased the property in 2010, they were captivated by its potential long before they imagined the scale of what it would become.

"It was a beautiful old terrace painted in a peach colour with bottle green trim," Chris says. "We called it the Peach Palace."

Meticulously maintained by its previous owners, the home possessed good bones and a strong sense of history. More importantly, it occupied a position the pair had admired for years.

"We always loved the grand terraces overlooking Hollis Park and hoped one day one might be ours," Matthew says. "When this offering came up for sale, we knew there wouldn't be another opportunity for a long time."

What followed was not a renovation in the conventional sense. It was a complete reimagining - a careful exercise in preservation and enhancement that sought to make the home work harder for contemporary life while amplifying its sense of occasion.

"We wanted to respect the heritage and character of the original home, whilst updating it for modern living - and to inject more colour and wow factor," Chris says.

Working alongside Boddam and builder To The Mil, innovative solutions emerged at every turn. Skylights introduced natural light where there had previously been none. Floating rooftop decking transformed underused space into one of the home's defining features. Flexible entertaining areas connected indoors and out with an ease rarely found in traditional terraces.

Yet perhaps the most transformative influence came through the interiors.

The interior design references supplied to Kouros were unapologetically ambitious: European palaces, grand apartments in Paris, ornate historical residences rich in craftsmanship and detail.

"She interpreted that historic aesthetic for a modern home with a black-and-white palette and pops of vibrant colour," Matthew says. The result is both theatrical and remarkably liveable.

Marble surfaces, custom joinery and statement lighting create moments of drama throughout, while imported wallpapers add layers of texture and narrative. Every room reveals another carefully considered detail. Yet despite the richness of materials, the house never feels formal or untouchable. Instead, it radiates warmth, inviting life into spaces that could easily have become purely decorative.

Multiple living zones unfold across the home, providing room for both large-scale entertaining and quieter daily rituals. A library, study or fourth bedroom offers flexibility, while upstairs a luxurious primary suite occupies the top floor, complete with dressing room and an atmosphere more akin to a boutique hotel than a traditional terrace.

Above it all, the rooftop terrace delivers one of the most remarkable perspectives in the Inner West.

With panoramic views stretching across district rooftops, parkland and glimpses of the bay beyond, it transforms the home once again - from grand Victorian residence to urban observatory.

For Chris and Matthew, however, ownership has always meant more than architecture.

"It has been a real privilege to own a house like this," Chris says. "And even more so to reinterpret it for the modern day."

At the same time, the simpler moments linger just as long.

"Friday afternoons at Hollis Park became a tradition," Matthew says. "A quick visit to the playground would turn into a playdate, then dinner and a wine with neighbours."

Beyond the marble, craftsmanship and architectural ambition lies a place designed for life to happen naturally. When asked to describe the feeling of the home in just three words, the answer comes quickly.

"Opulent, spacious and historic," Chris says.

All are true. Yet there is perhaps a fourth quality that binds everything together.

There is a sense of joy here.

Not the fleeting kind created by novelty, but the enduring pleasure of a home that understands exactly what it is - a grand beauty given a second life through pure imagination.

In a suburb celebrated for its individuality, ‘Horaceville’ radiates a joy of its own.

View the listing: 5 Warren Ball Avenue, Newtown