Inside A Former Bank, Turned Stately Family Home!

Inside designer Sheila Smith’s home in Hay, New South Wales, has a rich history. 

The 1891 constructing was at first commissioned by The London Chartered Lender, but also held residency for the London Financial institution of Australia and the English-Scottish Lender Company in advance of becoming sold to Australian agricultural enterprise Goldsborough Mort in 1942.

In 1973 the developing was bought by Sheila’s grandmother Noreen Smith and her sister Marjorie Houston. The sisters renovated the aged bank to make it their house and in 1990 bought it to Sheila’s moms and dads Kyle and Sally Smith, who ongoing to rejuvenate the historic developing, incorporating a conservatory and open-strategy residing space. 

In 2020 the creating grew to become Sheila and spouse Grant Volz’s home, who, with the arrival of their son Oscar, mark the third and fourth technology of Smiths to contact the aged lender residence.

‘I love the historical past of this setting up,’ claims Sheila. ‘The integrity of the property even now stands strong, but we’ve purchased her into the 21st century.’

Sheila and Grant have a 3 phase renovation prepared for the in depth 15 room property. Stage a single is complete, and observed them switch the authentic balcony floor resolve the roof, fascia, scotia and gutters paint the exterior restore the entrance doors and update the interior with new window furnishings, new carpet, paint and wallpaper. 

Stage two, which is currently underway, will see the loos current and the backyard prolonged. Then, in five or so several years, stage 3 will see a entire overhaul of the laundry and kitchen. 

‘We were being adamant we did not want to modify any of the historic options of the setting up,’ points out Sheila. ‘But we desired the residence to replicate us.’ 

Finding a equilibrium of aged and new inside the 131-aged making was a challenge, but one particular that Sheila – who owns an inside structure business enterprise identified as Skip Smith Interiors – was well outfitted to handle. 

‘The ceiling heights in this building selection from 13 feet to 19 toes, so scale and proportion were quite significant,’ she says. ‘The dining place is probably my favorite as it is really unanticipated and not as well major.’ 

The room in problem options substantial drama with Porter’s Evergreen gloss paneling underneath a typical Grisaille wallpaper mural. ‘We enjoy that we can have supper in the forest, in the middle of the Hay Plains!’, she says.

Bit by bit but certainly, Sheila has reworked the five bedrooms, a few loos, powder home, drawing space, dining place, conservatory and open up program kitchen area, living and dining into areas swathed in color and texture.

Features of the building’s past continue to be, yet have been tailored for contemporary use the outdated banking chamber has turn into Sheila’s inside layout studio and the first sturdy home/financial institution secure is now the wine cellar.

‘Our house embraces the concepts and particulars of a typical inside, even though retaining things clean and joyous,’ suggests Sheila. ‘Every area has character and shows a small temperament.’