Latest news with #KawaiTang
Sydney Morning Herald
22-05-2025
- General
- 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
- General
- 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.
