Pictured: Anna Charlesworth pendant in the kitchen.
Overlooking Lion Island on Northern Sydney’s shore, Adalea is a 1930s double-storey cottage where historic charm meets layered eclecticism. Designed by We Are Duet founders Dominique Brammah and Shannon Shlom, the home affirms their belief in honouring the past while elevating purpose and flow.
Working closely with their client—described as “a confident, charismatic powerhouse of a woman”—Brammah and Shlom set out to retain the cottage’s modest scale and inherent character, while recalibrating the plan to improve connectivity and deepen intimacy across the footprint.
“In Sydney, design often revolves around maximising the view—wide openings, minimal distractions. But at Adalea our intent was different; it was about celebrating quaintness and authenticity,” Shlom says. “The views are framed rather than exposed, moderated through windows and doors with detail. This allows the home to breathe—calm, warm, belonging.”
Anchored by the sweeping canopy of a mature angophora tree whose branches almost embrace the house, each room unfolds with subtle shifts of colour, texture and form. The atmosphere changes gently from one space to the next, hinting that here is a home for different times, feelings and ways of being.
An oak Monastery table from Tigmi Trading in the dining space, paired with vintage chairs from Clo Studios. Ceramic pieces are by Angela Xrisaphina and Adrienne Richards, with lighting by Long Made Co and Fat Shack Vintage and a sculptural Oko Olo side table completing the composition.
A custom breakfast bench by We Are Duet, upholstered in Pelle Leather Toledo and Schumacher Beaufort Awning Stripe Peche, sits above Rosso Verona tiles from Tiles by Kate, complemented by Calacatta Viola stone from Granite & Marble Works.
“This project represents a celebration of the idea of the room,” Brammah says. “Too often in Australian interior design, rooms lose their individuality; movement becomes predictable, and the delight of discovery fades.” With Adalea, the sequence of spaces is governed by variation—”each with their own atmosphere and rhythm,” Shlom adds.
Custom-designed furniture and vintage accents bring a distinctly feminine sensibility, where sculptural stone curves are met by plush, handcrafted textiles. Curved elements thread through the interiors with movement and energy; heavily patterned botanical textiles soften joinery, while a recurring red thread draws the ground-floor spaces together, tracing the backs of joinery walls, floating through rugs and velvet chairs.
The result is a romantic composition that honours history, while feeling resolutely now. “Our favourite part of this home is the feeling and atmosphere created through thoughtful design and the client’s energy. There’s an immediate sense of calm and serenity—a home-away-from-home quality—that seems to flow naturally from the surrounding trees. Come, sit, stay. That saying has never rung so true.”
Custom tumbled mosaic by We Are Duet in the butler’s pantry.
Looking through to the laundry, Perrin & Rowe Ionian 2 hole wall mounted mixer, Gaetano Pesce resin vase from 506070, and Moroccan mosaic tiles.
The internal floorplan organises itself in a square, with rooms around the central sandstone fireplace. The new loggia to the north opens graciously to the garden and courtyard, providing a more contemporary layout for the new kitchen and dining.
Pictured: Flos Snoopy lamp, Vitra Akari 21A pendant and a vintage Knoll Cesca chair in the study.
A vintage wrought-iron and glass dining table from Curated Spaces in the entry, accompanied by Grecian alabaster busts from Mercer & Lewis, a sculptural chair from The Vault, and a Vitra Akari UF4-L10 floor lamp.
Sisal carpet and Cultiver and Society Limonta bedding evoke earthy textures in the bedroom.
Perrin & Rowe tapware in the en suite.
Custom-crafted details—curved walls, bespoke cornices, moulded arches, draped fabrics—reinforce the home’s structural permanence and timeless appeal.
A Perrin & Rowe basin and wall-mounted tap sits beneath a mid-century French Riviera mirror from Curated Spaces, with vintage sconces, collected birds, and a Turkish tassel vanity curtain by Marlow & Finch adding character.
Soft tadelakt walls meet Popham Design’s Bi-Encaustic concrete tiles in Tagine and Pussy Willow from Onsite Supply & Design, creating a subtle play of tone and texture.
