Behind the sandstone façade of a Paddington terrace, artist and designer Annalisa Ferraris has created a home that feels as transportive as it is timeless. Together with her husband, landscape designer Nathan White of Smokebush Studio, the pair have reimagined their residence as a romantic interplay between interior and exterior, where European courtyards meet modern functionality, and elegance is grounded in the textures of history. From pleached magnolias and antique French pots to a vintage silk-covered lounge once destined for the Packer family, every detail reflects a life attuned to beauty, versatility, and the quiet luxury of spaces designed to be lived in – and shared.
Here, Ferraris invites us into the space, and shares the inspiration behind the home she created with her husband.
The garden is such a unique “room” of the house – how did designing it differ from renovating an interior space?
Unlike most rooms in the house, the garden needed to be a bit of a chameleon. We host a lot of parties and events, and the garden often transforms into a space with a fully serviced bar or a long dining table. It had to look beautiful in its everyday state, with an outdoor lounge chair – yet be able to shift at a moment’s notice and still function seamlessly.
What was the biggest source of inspiration for the garden – were there particular landscapes, travels, or moods that shaped it?
We both love a European garden, drawing inspiration from the Jardin du Luxembourg to the Borghese Gardens, and all the little courtyard gardens in between. Nathan pleached the magnolias to give them more scale and a sense of grandeur, allowing guests to really nestle into the space. We chose plants that changes with the seasons, deciduous pear trees, Boston Ivy for seasonal colour and a mix of various perennials – keeping you invested as you watch the transformation from winter to spring, summer to autumn. Nathan sourced antique Anduze pots from France, and I pushed for pavers divided by mondo grass, like those you see in the courtyards of European hotels.
How did you and your husband collaborate on this project?
My husband is a landscape designer, so he brought all the knowledge and technical skill. I knew the space needed to be both versatile and beautiful. With a (mostly) shared vision and Nathan’s guidance, plus his patience with some of my wilder ideas – we got there in the end.
Were there any unexpected challenges or joyful surprises that came up in the garden’s creation?
At the front of the terrace, we discovered beautiful original cathedral-sized sandstone beneath the rendered and tiled stairs. After some arduous jackhammering and chiselling, we restored it to its original state – and thankfully, there weren’t too many challenges just one near miss of the gas main on my behalf.
The garden feels like a natural extension of the home – how did you approach the connection between inside and outside?
It was a rather seamless connection – the original footprint of the house already lent itself to a strong relationship between the two. Many terraces, when renovated, remove the courtyard that opens off the dining room, but we felt it was vital for the flow of the house and its connection to nature to keep it.
As with the banquette nook, I designed the seating to wrap around the room and face into the courtyard and garden, giving it a natural flow from indoors to out.
You designed the interiors while your husband led the landscape – how did those two design languages speak to one another across the whole project?
Across the entire project, house and garden – we knew we wanted a distinctly European influence, informed by our travels. We aimed for little pockets that felt like a French bistro, an Italian courtyard, a hotel bathroom, or a Tuscan villa. From plant choices to paint colours, we wanted the home to feel transportive, like stepping into another world.
The home has such a calm yet character-rich aesthetic – what words would you use to describe the overall “vibe” of your Paddington terrace now?
Elegant, romantic, and warm.
What role did art and objects play in shaping the interiors – were there pieces that became starting points for a room?
The only piece that was a starting point – was our couch in the formal lounge room. I found it at an auction in Bowral, designed by interior architect Iain Halliday and built for the Packer family. It’s covered in vintage Japanese silk with heavy feather-down cushions. I measured the room before we bought the house to make sure it would fit!
It’s such a solid, beautiful piece, and I can’t wait to see the different iterations it will take on as we reupholster it over the years.
How did you approach creating a home that feels both functional for everyday life and inspiring as a designed space?
If possible, I think it’s best to live in a house for a while and let it inform you. We lived here for a year before renovating, which made it clear we needed more storage. We closed in some of the void beneath the stairs, which gave us a huge amount of extra storage, while still leaving room for a full bar – the perfect balance between functional and inspiring.
Paddington terraces carry so much history and charm – how did you balance respecting the heritage bones with creating a fresh, modern space?
By listening to the house and aiming for a renovation that was sensitive to its heritage yet contemporary in execution, a pastiche of old and new. The cabochon tiles are a nod to its history; the fully integrated appliances bring a modern touch.
Was there anything (art, soft furnishings etc.) that you brought from your previous home into this one? And why?
Our last apartment in Darlinghurst was much more contemporary and minimalist, so many of the furnishings didn’t suit the heritage style we were aiming for. Most of the furniture was sold or given away, but all of our art collection came with us.
If the house could host a dinner party tomorrow, what’s the vibe – who’s at the table, what’s being served, what music is playing?
As we’re now in spring, I’d do a full spring menu: martinis in the courtyard, a string quartet in the garden, canapés of crisp polenta with baccalà, followed by ravioli with fresh peas, ricotta, and parmesan. A table full of family and friends, lots of laughter, good wine – a sgroppino and maybe even a dance for dessert.
