This creative duo turned a 1940s Freo bungalow into a family haven
'We were deeply grieving when we got to Perth,' recalls Sweeney. 'It was more important than ever to create an established family home and feel nurtured. This house and the old gum tree did just that.'
The family moved into the back studio while Sweeney worked on patching and painting the house.
The single-storey structure – made of weatherboard, fibreboard, and horsehair – included a living space and two bedrooms at the front, as well as a kitchen, laundry, toilet, sunroom, and bedroom at the back.
Keeping the layout, Sweeney painted the spaces white and restored the ornate features, including art deco ceiling roses and cornices adorned with pineapples and grapes and a large keyhole-opening linking the kitchen and living space.
'We wanted to respect the home's history while making it a blank canvas,' says Kawai Tang. 'This included painting the jarrah floors white, which everyone thought was strange.'
When their oven broke down, the couple decided to address the 1980s kitchen.
Sweeney removed the cabinetry, along with a door, window, and step down that led to the sunroom, which was part of a pokey 1960s renovation.
They installed a high, horizontal decorative window featuring a Kawai Tang design of a rising sun for their son, Beau Sunray.
Kawai Tang drew inspiration for the kitchen from characterful apartments in Berlin, Scandinavia, and London. 'I also love kitchens depicted in children's books, with a table in the middle and little cabinets scattered around it,' she explains.
Scouring Marketplace, she uncovered vintage larders, which Sweeney restored, and a ceramic butler's sink, to which she added a curtain instead of a door.
An old timber storage box, used as a coffee table, was transformed into an island bench.
'The biggest challenge was patience,' Sweeney says. 'Joinery is quick to install – finding the right vintage pieces takes time.'
A tiler created a large splashback, and the couple invested in a vintage-style Smeg refrigerator, oven, and Marri timber for the benchtop and open shelves.
Sweeney applied a distressed finish to the walls using a mix of plaster, limewash and pigments, a technique he used while working as a scene artist at the Sydney Opera House.
'I often painted opera backdrops in rustic Tuscan and Spanish styles,' he says. 'It is a look perfect for this space and great for concealing imperfections.'
Kawai Tang's studio at the back, with its floor-to-ceiling geometric windows, was once a hub for glass artists.
Now it is a charming and eclectic creative space for her business, Kawa Heart Studio, and a mini-break retreat, complete with claw-foot bath found at a market.
Rather than spend $20,000 on a rebuild, Sweeney Gyprocked the building for just $1000 in one day.
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'We cut corners on this reno wherever we could and never spent a cent we didn't have,' he says.
Though the original owner has passed away, Kawai Tang says his wife still visits for tea.
'We love listening to her stories about living here,' she says.
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Sydney Morning Herald
22-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
This creative duo turned a 1940s Freo bungalow into a family haven
'We were deeply grieving when we got to Perth,' recalls Sweeney. 'It was more important than ever to create an established family home and feel nurtured. This house and the old gum tree did just that.' The family moved into the back studio while Sweeney worked on patching and painting the house. The single-storey structure – made of weatherboard, fibreboard, and horsehair – included a living space and two bedrooms at the front, as well as a kitchen, laundry, toilet, sunroom, and bedroom at the back. Keeping the layout, Sweeney painted the spaces white and restored the ornate features, including art deco ceiling roses and cornices adorned with pineapples and grapes and a large keyhole-opening linking the kitchen and living space. 'We wanted to respect the home's history while making it a blank canvas,' says Kawai Tang. 'This included painting the jarrah floors white, which everyone thought was strange.' When their oven broke down, the couple decided to address the 1980s kitchen. Sweeney removed the cabinetry, along with a door, window, and step down that led to the sunroom, which was part of a pokey 1960s renovation. They installed a high, horizontal decorative window featuring a Kawai Tang design of a rising sun for their son, Beau Sunray. Kawai Tang drew inspiration for the kitchen from characterful apartments in Berlin, Scandinavia, and London. 'I also love kitchens depicted in children's books, with a table in the middle and little cabinets scattered around it,' she explains. Scouring Marketplace, she uncovered vintage larders, which Sweeney restored, and a ceramic butler's sink, to which she added a curtain instead of a door. An old timber storage box, used as a coffee table, was transformed into an island bench. 'The biggest challenge was patience,' Sweeney says. 'Joinery is quick to install – finding the right vintage pieces takes time.' A tiler created a large splashback, and the couple invested in a vintage-style Smeg refrigerator, oven, and Marri timber for the benchtop and open shelves. Sweeney applied a distressed finish to the walls using a mix of plaster, limewash and pigments, a technique he used while working as a scene artist at the Sydney Opera House. 'I often painted opera backdrops in rustic Tuscan and Spanish styles,' he says. 'It is a look perfect for this space and great for concealing imperfections.' Kawai Tang's studio at the back, with its floor-to-ceiling geometric windows, was once a hub for glass artists. Now it is a charming and eclectic creative space for her business, Kawa Heart Studio, and a mini-break retreat, complete with claw-foot bath found at a market. Rather than spend $20,000 on a rebuild, Sweeney Gyprocked the building for just $1000 in one day. Loading 'We cut corners on this reno wherever we could and never spent a cent we didn't have,' he says. Though the original owner has passed away, Kawai Tang says his wife still visits for tea. 'We love listening to her stories about living here,' she says.
The Age
22-05-2025
- The Age
This creative duo turned a 1940s Freo bungalow into a family haven
'We were deeply grieving when we got to Perth,' recalls Sweeney. 'It was more important than ever to create an established family home and feel nurtured. This house and the old gum tree did just that.' The family moved into the back studio while Sweeney worked on patching and painting the house. The single-storey structure – made of weatherboard, fibreboard, and horsehair – included a living space and two bedrooms at the front, as well as a kitchen, laundry, toilet, sunroom, and bedroom at the back. Keeping the layout, Sweeney painted the spaces white and restored the ornate features, including art deco ceiling roses and cornices adorned with pineapples and grapes and a large keyhole-opening linking the kitchen and living space. 'We wanted to respect the home's history while making it a blank canvas,' says Kawai Tang. 'This included painting the jarrah floors white, which everyone thought was strange.' When their oven broke down, the couple decided to address the 1980s kitchen. Sweeney removed the cabinetry, along with a door, window, and step down that led to the sunroom, which was part of a pokey 1960s renovation. They installed a high, horizontal decorative window featuring a Kawai Tang design of a rising sun for their son, Beau Sunray. Kawai Tang drew inspiration for the kitchen from characterful apartments in Berlin, Scandinavia, and London. 'I also love kitchens depicted in children's books, with a table in the middle and little cabinets scattered around it,' she explains. Scouring Marketplace, she uncovered vintage larders, which Sweeney restored, and a ceramic butler's sink, to which she added a curtain instead of a door. An old timber storage box, used as a coffee table, was transformed into an island bench. 'The biggest challenge was patience,' Sweeney says. 'Joinery is quick to install – finding the right vintage pieces takes time.' A tiler created a large splashback, and the couple invested in a vintage-style Smeg refrigerator, oven, and Marri timber for the benchtop and open shelves. Sweeney applied a distressed finish to the walls using a mix of plaster, limewash and pigments, a technique he used while working as a scene artist at the Sydney Opera House. 'I often painted opera backdrops in rustic Tuscan and Spanish styles,' he says. 'It is a look perfect for this space and great for concealing imperfections.' Kawai Tang's studio at the back, with its floor-to-ceiling geometric windows, was once a hub for glass artists. Now it is a charming and eclectic creative space for her business, Kawa Heart Studio, and a mini-break retreat, complete with claw-foot bath found at a market. Rather than spend $20,000 on a rebuild, Sweeney Gyprocked the building for just $1000 in one day. Loading 'We cut corners on this reno wherever we could and never spent a cent we didn't have,' he says. Though the original owner has passed away, Kawai Tang says his wife still visits for tea. 'We love listening to her stories about living here,' she says.
The Age
22-05-2025
- The Age
‘Like a Kinder Surprise': Manly ferry dishes up the unexpected
Sydney's renowned Manly ferries might be the largest vessels in the NSW government fleet, but one of them – the Narrabeen – is dwarfed in the giant dry-dock at Sydney's Garden Island when parked in front of a naval vessel. 'For our biggest boats in our fleet, they look very small,' Transport for NSW ferry projects director Tony New explained. New admits to a level of nervousness whenever the large Manly ferries enter the 347-metre-long dry dock, and the Narrabeen delivered surprises when the water was pumped out at Garden Island. 'They're 40-year-plus boats, and they're a little bit like a Kinder Surprise. Until you start pulling them apart, you don't know what you're going to get,' he said. 'You know what's above the water, but it's not until you get below it.' New said engineers found the Narrabeen required more extensive repairs than its sister ferry, the Queenscliff, due to a higher amount of rust on the hull and near internal fittings. 'The hull plating was a bit of a surprise to us. We expected that there would be some corrosion, as you would expect on a boat sitting in water, but we have had to do a bit more work than we first anticipated,' he said. The Narrabeen was originally meant to enter the dry dock last year but was bumped from the queue by one of the navy's defect-plagued Spanish-built warships. It can often prove difficult to gain a slot at Garden Island because the navy is given precedence. The $18 million of work to the Narrabeen comprises a rebuild of its two engines and the installation of a new control system, as well as repairs to the rudders and propellers. The refit initially began last year at Cockatoo Island, and included a refresh of the internal fittings such as seats and roof panels. The ferry is due to be re-floated on Friday and towed back to Cockatoo Island for final repairs and sea trials before returning to service on the Manly-Circular Quay route in late July or early August – about two years after it was withdrawn from passenger service. Loading The Freshwater ferry will be the next to enter Garden Island's dry dock as early as August for similar repairs, and is likely to return to the Manly route in February or March next year. The Queenscliff returned to service in late 2023 after two new 2.5-metre propellers were installed during its dry-docking at Garden Island. However, the Collaroy – the youngest of the four Freshwater-class ferries synonymous with Sydney's busiest route – was pulled from service in September 2023 and will not return because the government has deemed it 'prohibitively expensive' due to its 'one-of-a-kind build'. The ferry's fate lies in the hands of potential buyers or community groups. Expressions of interest in the Collaroy closed this month, and the responses are likely to be presented to the government shortly for consideration. All up, the government has budgeted $71 million to refurbish three of the four large double-ended ferries, which covers the cost of dry-docking and extending the vessels' service life. Loading The extensive refits will buy the three vessels another five-year survey, a licence to operate which New said was akin to a 'car rego'. Despite the major repairs, the three remaining Freshwater-class ferries are set to be retired by July 2030 unless their licences to operate are extended again.
