House tour: the grand family home of a powerhouse fashion publicist
Horseshoes originally graced the front doorways of houses across Northern Europe in the Middle Ages to ward off evil spirits, but the horseshoe discovered in the basement during the renovation of the van Haandel-Williams’ family home in Sydney’s Potts Point is distinct for a very different reason.
Now enshrined inside a wax sculpture fitted with a magnifying glass, through which visitors can view an amplified version of the ancient symbol for luck, the equine shoe represents a much-hoped-for change of fortune for the home’s owners, Emma van Haandel, her husband Joel Williams, and their two children, Peggy, 11, and Woody, 5. “We commissioned Dutch artist Ilze Buziau to do a piece for Emma’s father’s 70th birthday last year,” says Williams, who, with van Haandel, owns EVH Communications and has been renovating homes in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs for nine years. “And she created a little wax sculpture as a gift for us. When we found the horseshoe we gave it to Ilze to work her magic and she created a bigger version to act as a kind of frame, and added a magnifying glass.
“We had a bit of bad luck in this house when we were renovating it due to health issues with some of our building team. So when we found the horseshoe, well, I thought maybe everyone’s luck would change.”
In the foyer, Puffball floor lamp by Faye Toogood from Criteria; Untitled 2019 sculpture by Ilze Buzaiu.
Vogue Living talks to the husband-and-wife team about their unfurling fable of luck, love and smart thinking comprising a 17-month reimagining of their grand three-level 19th-century home.
Joel: The house was built around 1883 and was named Braeside. It was an original tall ship captain’s house — they used to dock down at Woolloomoolloo — with stables underneath. I saw it when it first went to market in late September 2016. It was called Horden House then, and was an antique book and manuscript store. There was no natural light as it was a gallery with lots of rooms, walls and vaulted ceilings. We lived here for six months before we started renovating.
Emma: I knew straightaway I wanted to live here. We loved it and we love Potts Point. We’re both from Melbourne and it felt like a grand Melbourne home in the middle of our favourite area in Sydney. We love the 100-year-old plane trees outside and the wide 21-metre street frontage.
In the living room, Baxter Nepal armchair and ottoman and Chester Moon sofa, all by Paola Navone, from Criteria; Saarinen Tulip side table from Dedece; Saarinen Tulip dining table from Shapiro Auctioneers; Hans J Wegner Wishbone chairs from Cult; New Volumes marble bowl from Artedomus; Louis Poulsen AJ floor lamp from Cult; Untitled (Plaster Positive) artwork by Anthony Pearson from David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles; ceramic sculptures on wall from the Netherlands.
Joel: I always wanted to have a grand entry in a home. We’ve created this 6.2-metre-high ceiling in the foyer, together with a folded steel balustrade on the staircase, which was partly inspired by one of our favourite destinations in Australia — the MONA [Museum of Old and New Art] in Hobart, Tasmania.
Emma: And I like that from the outside it’s quite unassuming. It’s very pretty from the street and you’d have no idea that inside there’s this expanse of three levels. My favourite space is the kitchen and living area with the glass wall divide. I love the fact that I can be cooking and Peggy’s doing her homework in one area through the glass partition, and Woody is playing with Lego in front of the fireplace. I can see everyone, but we’re not in each other’s space. We spend most of our time around the kitchen table. We also love the open fireplace. We sometimes heat the pool to have a swim in winter and the kids warm up by the fire.
There’s five bedrooms including two main bedrooms. We’ve created an adults’ retreat upstairs: one main bedroom has a masculine feel with a steam shower; the other has been designed to showcase and house an expansive collection of clothing, shoes and accessories. It’s a dream to have my own space and a spot for everything.
In the foyer, timber floors by Precision Flooring; The White Dead Slut Painting — Rock artwork by Dale Frank from Anna Schwartz Gallery.
Joel: We worked with Akin Atelier on the design. It was the first time we had to consider the heritage of a property, and Akin made this process seamless for us. We’ve been collecting the furniture and art for years. We don’t really replace anything — we just keep collecting. I’m a big believer that everything will go to the children eventually. I love black. Everyone tried to talk me out of doing matte black tiles for the pool. It was the first time I’d ever done a pool, but I was confident that the rich green colours created by the tiles would reflect through the pool windows on the lower ground floor — with both the natural light by day and the evening pool lighting. The effect is hypnotic and peaceful, especially when there is movement in the water. We made variations as we went along, and it was a fluke that it worked, which was really lucky.
In the lower ground study area, looking through to the pool window, Tomek Archer table; original Eames chairs from the Sydney Opera House, a gift from Emma’s father for her 30th birthday; Baxter travertine side table from Criteria; Faye Toogood Roly Poly chair from 1st Dibs; Jieldé floor lamp from Euroluce; artwork by Nan Goldin.
In another view of the living and dining areas, On Reflection, Material E14, After J Brueghel the Elder artwork by Ori Gersht from Ben Brown Fine Arts, London.
In the kitchen and adjoining media room, Fritz Hansen Swan chair by Arne Jacobsen from Cult; custom Agape Incas table from Artedomus; (on table) Dom Pérignon; bowls from Criteria; Tom Dixon slab bar stools from Dedece; custom joinery by Hoffman’s Interiors; splashback stone from Artedomus; steel-and-glass sliding doors by Skyrange Windows; (through doors) Herman Miller office chair from 1st Dibs; Poltrona Frau John-John sofa by Jean-Marie Massaud from Cult; Puffball table lamp by Faye Toogood from Criteria; vase from Ondene.
In the first main bedroom, vintage Cappellini bedhead; Society Limonta bedding from Ondene; Poltrona Frau bench by Gastone Rinaldi and Louis Poulsen AJ floor lamp, both from Cult; curtains by Fybre Furnishing Solutions; Conversation #5 artwork by Huseyin Sami from Sarah Cottier Gallery.
In Emma’s ensuite, custom Artedomus stone walls and benchtop by Geologic Stone; Vola taps from Candana; stool from Ken Neale Twentieth Century Modern; flowers by Fleurette; jewellery by Van Cleef & Arpels; Aesop body balm and hand wash.
In the second main bedroom, custom bedhead by Hoffman’s Interiors; Society Limonta bedding from Ondene; Fritz Hansen Swan chair by Arne Jacobsen and Louis Poulsen AJ bedside lamp, both from Cult; artworks by Noah Taylor from Olsen Gallery; curtains by Fybre Furnishing Solutions.
In Peggy’s bedroom, Eames chair; Roland electric drum kit; Jieldé bedside lamp by Euroluce; Society Limonta bedding from Ondene; artworks (left to right), Peggy by Hannah Jane Rankine; Spray Can by Max Doyle; 1 x Point by Daniel Askil from Gallery AS.
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