A globe-trotting couple have brought their family back to this peaceful abode, adorned with the spoils of their travels

STORY Chris Pearson STYLING Aimee Jones PHOTOGRAPHY Amanda McLauchlan

She's travelled the world and lived in London, Brussels and Washington, but these days, this smart Sydney house is what Isabelle Stanton calls home. Now, should she ever feel restless, she can roam the globe without leaving her living room, as the eastern suburbs house is filled with treasures she's collected along the way. When Belgian-born Isabelle, co-owner of White Home in Sydney's Woollahra, and her husband John moved here from London a few years ago, he arrived three months early to find a house for the couple and their two daughters, Noa, now seven, and Anaïs, three. "Buying a house without Isabelle seeing it was either courageous or stupid," he says. Luckily, he found a winner. It had high ceilings, natural light, room for a young family and a spacious garden. "It ticked all the right boxes," says Isabelle. "And it was renovated - moving from the other side of the world with two children, I did not want to do any major refurbishing."

To make the transition even smoother, the house, with its open-plan layout and shutters on the windows, had a similar ambience to their London home. "Shutters are very continental," says Isabelle. "I prefer them to curtains because they don't attract dust." The 1906 three-bedroom house had been renovated two years before. John Spiteri of John Spiteri Design & Drafting converted the building from three flats into one family home by removing internal walls and creating an extension at the rear to form an open-plan living, kitchen and dining area. An entry area leads into the living space on one side and a fourth bedroom, which Isabelle has transformed into a playroom, on the other. Upstairs are a main bedroom with ensuite, the two children's bedrooms and another bathroom, while a steep spiral staircase leads to a home office tucked under the roof line.

When the couple bought the home, it was all white. "I like white for linen, but it is too clinical on walls," says Isabelle. "I replaced it with a warm, sandy neutral. It's peaceful and fits in well with the furniture." As well as neutrals, Isabelle is a fan of vibrant colour, which she has introduced through accessories and artworks, where her favourite accents of red and fuchsia reign.

Throughout the house, she has created vignettes of her eclectic collections. There's always an element of surprise; in the entryway, an African stool shares space with an Asian lacquered console; the living room sees fine silver displayed next to hand-carved timber bowls; and tactile earthenware sits on an antique timber table upstairs. The result is a highly personal expression of the owners' bowerbird instincts. "I love this house," says Isabelle. "I was devastated about moving to the other side of the world, but now it's the opposite. I never want to move again."

INSIDE STORY

Who lives here? Isabelle Stanton, co-owner of homewares store White Home; her husband John,
a telecommunications executive; and daughters, Noa, seven, and Anaïs, three.

Which is your favourite room? Isabelle: "The bright and relaxed open-plan living area, where we all interact; there's plenty of space to entertain friends."

Where do you relax? "Once I put the children to bed, I stretch my legs out on the sofa and ottoman. I can enjoy the garden from there."

How do you entertain? "We have lots of barbecues. I often invite friends for dinner or brunch and we sit outside."

What's your most prized item from your travels? "A 100-year-old silver megillah - a container for parchment used in the Jewish festival of Purim. I bought it in Morocco and keep it in the vaisselier in the living area."

Where do you shop locally? "I recently discovered Beachwood in Avalon, which specialises in furniture using wonderful distressed timbers. I love the rustic, beachy style."

Can you have too many sandy neutrals? "They are calming, but I also want to paint a feature wall in dark brown just near the base of the stairs. You need contrast."
Any other plans? "We intend to install a nine-metre lap pool - we promised this to Noa when we moved here - and remodel our ensuite. It's dark and not a good use of space."