Inside A Former Bank, Turned Stately Family Home!

Interior designer Sheila Smith’s household in Hay, New South Wales, has a rich heritage. 

The 1891 making was originally commissioned by The London Chartered Financial institution, but also held residency for the London Financial institution of Australia and the English-Scottish Bank Enterprise right before staying bought to Australian agricultural business Goldsborough Mort in 1942.

In 1973 the setting up was acquired by Sheila’s grandmother Noreen Smith and her sister Marjorie Houston. The sisters renovated the aged lender to make it their residence and in 1990 sold it to Sheila’s parents Kyle and Sally Smith, who continued to rejuvenate the historic building, incorporating a conservatory and open-strategy living spot. 

In 2020 the building grew to become Sheila and spouse Grant Volz’s property, who, with the arrival of their son Oscar, mark the third and fourth technology of Smiths to connect with the previous lender residence.

‘I appreciate the heritage of this constructing,’ states Sheila. ‘The integrity of the residence however stands sturdy, but we have bought her into the 21st century.’

Sheila and Grant have a 3 phase renovation prepared for the extensive 15 area house. Phase one is entire, and observed them replace the unique balcony floor resolve the roof, fascia, scotia and gutters paint the exterior restore the entrance doors and update the inside with new window furnishings, new carpet, paint and wallpaper. 

Stage two, which is presently underway, will see the bogs current and the backyard garden extended. Then, in five or so decades, phase three will see a full overhaul of the laundry and kitchen area. 

‘We ended up adamant we did not want to alter any of the historic functions of the creating,’ points out Sheila. ‘But we wished the property to replicate us.’ 

Getting a balance of old and new inside of the 131-outdated creating was a obstacle, but just one that Sheila – who owns an interior design company termed Miss out on Smith Interiors – was well outfitted to handle. 

‘The ceiling heights in this building selection from 13 toes to 19 feet, so scale and proportion had been extremely critical,’ she states. ‘The dining home is most likely my favourite as it is pretty sudden and not far too critical.’ 

The area in concern functions large drama with Porter’s Evergreen gloss paneling beneath a common Grisaille wallpaper mural. ‘We appreciate that we can have dinner in the forest, in the middle of the Hay Plains!’, she claims.

Slowly but surely but absolutely, Sheila has reworked the five bedrooms, a few bogs, powder space, drawing place, eating place, conservatory and open program kitchen, living and dining into spaces swathed in colour and texture.

Components of the building’s past keep on being, still have been adapted for fashionable use the aged banking chamber has become Sheila’s interior structure studio and the unique potent room/financial institution harmless is now the wine cellar.

‘Our residence embraces the strategies and information of a basic inside, although maintaining factors new and joyous,’ states Sheila. ‘Every place has character and reveals a minor persona.’