houses

an oasis of cool
Interior designer Megan Brown turned a run-down Sydney bungalow into a chilled-out sanctuary
ENTRANCE
Fronds of palm leaves give the
decking that leads up to the front
door a seductive tropical vibe.
Stanley wall light by Rakumba
at Design Nation

LIVING AREA
Housed in the extension that
was added to the bungalow,
this multifunctional space has
skylights that deliver amazing
views of the trees in the bushland.
Red upholstered 637 Utrecht
armchair, 1stdibs. Living Divani
Neowall sofa, available at
Twentytwentyone

KITCHE N
Megan designed the monolithic
island to match the scale and
grandeur of the high ceiling
(above). ‘I gave it a hanging
rounded edge so we could sit
around it rather than all being
on one side,’ she adds.
PHOTOGRAPHY Felix Forest Custom island in Cote D’Azur by
STYLING Claire Delmar CDK Stone at Imperial Marble.
X

&Tradition Pavilion stools, source

WORDS Juliet Benning
from Nunido. Apparatus Dyad
wall sconce, Criteria Collection

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houses

hen nature is left to its own devices, eventually it will encroach

on any man-made structure. Such was the garden of the 1930s
bungalow that Megan and Martin Brown bought at auction. ‘The
backyard was a jungle. At the sale, the woman next to me said,
“who would buy this place?”. We were the only bidders,’ Megan laughs.
Yet its position, on the edge of a bushland reserve, gave the house a
secluded quality rarely found in the homes so close to Sydney’s Manly
Beach. Unperturbed by the fecundity of the plot, the couple saw it as
a characterful addition to the house. ‘The garden backed onto a steep
escarpment with tall gum and palm trees. It was beautiful to look at
and gave us the feeling of being in an urban forest,’ Megan says.
The solid double-brick construction also appealed, meaning the
house had insulation suited to the Australian climate. ‘There were
also lovely original features, such as the high ceilings and elaborate
plasterwork,’ says Megan. Left untouched for decades, the last change
had been an extension added in the 1980s featuring cedar and slate.
Inspired by the transformation that lay ahead, Megan, an interior
designer who founded the studio Penman Brown, saw the project as
an opportunity to exercise her creative instincts. ‘Planning took a
year and a half. You’re so meticulous when it’s your own home. I was
trying to achieve a distillation of many years of ideas,’ she says.
With the bungalow facing south, Megan was keen to open up DINING AREA
access to the northern sky. To maximise daylight, a pavilion with a Banquette seating has
been neatly tucked into
Dutch gable roof was added to the bungalow. This multifunctional the architectural recess.
space accommodates the kitchen and utility room, plus the dining
Akari light sculpture by Isamu
and living areas. Sliding doors give an uninterrupted panoramic view Noguchi, Vitra. &Tradition In
Between table in smoked oak;
home profile
of the newly landscaped garden and pool. ‘As you walk into the pavilion &Tradition In Between upholstered
you can see the tops of the trees and sky through the skylights – you chairs in smoked oak, source at
Nunido. Hotel 2018 artwork by
feel as if you are sat among the trees of the bushland,’ she says. TH E OWN E RS McLean Edwards
‘The new addition is contemporary and it’s a lovely experience to Megan Brown, founder of Penman Brown
move through the classic, more elaborate, features of the bungalow Interior Design, and her husband, Martin,
and find yourself in the simplicity of the pavilion,’ Megan notes. To GARDEN
a cardiologist, together with their children, ‘I wanted to create a balance
marry the two components and create consistency, she used a colour Piper, 11, Hugh, nine, and Ottilie, five. between the hard-landscaped
social areas and grassy terrace
palette of soft, earthy whites. ‘I wanted a sense of continuity and relied above,’ says Megan. The wooden
on texture to add interest and depth. We used Marmorino plaster THE PROPERTY sleepers and natural stone soften
A Californian-style bungalow near Manly the angular elements.
to soften large volumes. It has a lovely waxed texture, so as the light
Beach in Sydney. Originally built in the 1930s, SP01 Jeanette chairs, Space
moves through the space the walls glisten and glow,’ says Megan.
Furniture. Wooden table, Tribu
the house has four bedrooms, one with an
With their original intention to move to the northern beaches
en suite, a bathroom, a family room and a
being prompted by the desire to embrace a slower pace of life, Megan FA M I LY R O O M
large pavilion-style extension to the rear for
and Martin’s home has become a special bolthole. ‘When you walk ‘I love the unexpected modernity
the kitchen, utility room, study, dining and of the Pietro Russo light in the
up the decking to the entrance you feel like you’re coming out living area. On the first floor is a large more classic setting,’ says Megan.
of everyday life and crossing over into a completely different playroom loft and storeroom. Apollo pendant light by Pietro
experience,’ says Megan. ‘The house is an absolute oasis to be in Russo Design, Criteria Collection.
&Tradition Catch lounge chair by
and there’s a sense of peacefulness and calm we all cherish.’ Jaime Hayon. Poppy pouffe by
X Nina Jobs, Fogia. Precision double
sconce by Kelly Wearstler
See more of Megan Brown’s design portfolio at penmanbrown.com

88 livingetc.com livingetc.com 89
houses

MASTER BEDROOM
A few muted, earthy colours lift
the serene palette in this space.
Curtain in Grande Larger in
Blanc; trim in Lin Leger in
Pompei, both Dominique Kieffer,
available at Rubelli. Custom
bed by Penman Brown. Austere
floor light, Great Dane. Redondo
armchair (just seen), Moroso

MASTER EN SUITE
The undulated lip of the bath riffs
with the curve of the tap.
Yokato bath spout in Statue
Bronze, Brodware. Omvivo Latis
Oval bath, Bathroom Collective.
Source similar Moroccan Zellige
tiles from Maison Bahya

home truths
A MEMORABLE SCENT?
Saltwater baked on to your skin after a day at the beach.

T H E O N E L U X U R Y YO U C A N ’ T
LIVE WITHOUT?
Art… and the ocean.

M O S T FA S C I N AT I N G P E R S O N
YO U ’ V E N E V E R M E T ?
Catherine the Great of Russia.

A C L A S S I C A U S T R A L I A N D AY…
Sleep in, get up, check the surf, cycle to the beach, jump
in the waves, read a book under the umbrella, head
home, have a snooze… maybe squeeze in a sunset surf.

FAV O U R I T E C O C K TA I L ?
An Italian negroni.

W H AT ’ S O N YO U R P L AY L I S T ?
I’m listening to Mara Hoffman’s ‘All the love’
playlist on Spotify.

the blueprint
BED
ROOM MASTER
F A M I LY BEDROOM
ROOM
KITCHEN/
DINING/
LIVING AREA
BED
BED
ROOM
ROOM

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