Inside A Former Bank, Turned Stately Family Home!

Interior designer Sheila Smith’s home in Hay, New South Wales, has a loaded background. 

The 1891 constructing was initially commissioned by The London Chartered Bank, but also held residency for the London Bank of Australia and the English-Scottish Lender Corporation ahead of currently being bought to Australian agricultural company Goldsborough Mort in 1942.

In 1973 the making was bought by Sheila’s grandmother Noreen Smith and her sister Marjorie Houston. The sisters renovated the outdated financial institution to make it their house and in 1990 offered it to Sheila’s mothers and fathers Kyle and Sally Smith, who continued to rejuvenate the historic building, incorporating a conservatory and open-program living space. 

In 2020 the developing grew to become Sheila and partner Grant Volz’s home, who, with the arrival of their son Oscar, mark the 3rd and fourth generation of Smiths to call the outdated bank household.

‘I enjoy the record of this building,’ says Sheila. ‘The integrity of the home nonetheless stands robust, but we’ve purchased her into the 21st century.’

Sheila and Grant have a three phase renovation planned for the substantial 15 home property. Stage one particular is total, and noticed them exchange the authentic balcony floor fix the roof, fascia, scotia and gutters paint the exterior restore the entrance doors and update the inside with new window furnishings, new carpet, paint and wallpaper. 

Stage two, which is now underway, will see the loos up-to-date and the garden extended. Then, in five or so yrs, phase three will see a complete overhaul of the laundry and kitchen area. 

‘We had been adamant we didn’t want to modify any of the historic features of the developing,’ explains Sheila. ‘But we required the property to replicate us.’ 

Discovering a harmony of previous and new inside the 131-outdated developing was a challenge, but one particular that Sheila – who owns an interior style and design business referred to as Miss out on Smith Interiors – was well geared up to take care of. 

‘The ceiling heights in this developing assortment from 13 feet to 19 ft, so scale and proportion were very essential,’ she says. ‘The dining home is most likely my favourite as it is quite unexpected and not too really serious.’ 

The area in dilemma attributes superior drama with Porter’s Evergreen gloss paneling beneath a vintage Grisaille wallpaper mural. ‘We enjoy that we can have evening meal in the forest, in the middle of the Hay Plains!’, she claims.

Slowly but surely, Sheila has transformed the five bedrooms, three loos, powder home, drawing room, dining space, conservatory and open up system kitchen area, residing and dining into spaces swathed in colour and texture.

Features of the building’s earlier continue to be, however have been adapted for present day use the previous banking chamber has come to be Sheila’s interior style and design studio and the original robust space/lender protected is now the wine cellar.

‘Our residence embraces the tips and information of a typical interior, although preserving factors fresh new and joyous,’ says Sheila. ‘Every space has character and exhibits a minimal persona.’