Stone, Silk and Slow Restoration

This article has been rewritten from a feature originally published in Vogue Australia on 25 February 2026, written by Saskia Tillers. Photography by Pablo Veiga. Styling by Kerrie-Ann Jones and Tom Mark Henry. Build by Built by MK. Joinery by Bondi Kitchens.

Stone, Silk and Slow Restoration — SIBU Artists in a Potts Point Terrace by Tom Mark Henry

(image — Exterior, Victoria Street Potts Point)

A Victorian terrace on Victoria Street, Potts Point. Heritage-listed facade, cast iron filigree, arched window openings. Behind the front door — four years of considered work by Sydney design studio Tom Mark Henry, and a home where stone does the talking.

(image — Living room with marble fireplace and artwork by Anna Curnuck)

The project — a three-storey terrace that had lost much of its original interior fabric over decades of alteration, including a stint as backpacker accommodation. Rather than attempt a strict restoration, Tom Mark Henry and boutique developer Kilcarra Developments treated the renovation as a continuation of the terrace's story. New architectural elements — skirtings, architraves, cornices — are deliberately pared back. The original plaster arch and corbels in the entryway remain untouched.

(image — Entry hallway with original arch, striped stair runner)

Marble threads through every room. Calcatta Vagli on kitchen surfaces. Carrara and Bardiglio tiles underfoot in a playful chequerboard pattern. Aldini Oriental Gold stone framing doorways and bath portals. It connects the old wing to the new rear addition without ever dominating. A quiet, persistent ribbon.

(image — Living room, Anna Curnuck painting above marble fireplace)

Works by SIBU Gallery artists appear throughout the home. Anna Curnuck's atmospheric paintings — layered fields of ochre, umber and soft grey — hold their own above veined marble fireplaces and against warm-toned white walls. They do what the best art does in a considered interior: settle into the architecture without disappearing into it.

(image — Anna Curnuck artwork beside window, ceramic stool below)

Tee McManus's ceramics sit on mantels and shelving throughout — tactile, grounded objects that echo the home's emphasis on material and hand. Dalin Alejandrino's work adds a second register of painting to the living spaces.

(image — Tee McManus ceramics beside marble fireplace, coffee table detail)

Tom Mark Henry project lead Carla Matias describes the palette as warm-toned whites that wash the interiors in a perpetual afternoon glow. Hints of terracotta and blue — in upholstery, the striped stair runner, a blush-toned Murano wall sconce — provide what she calls a "wink of playfulness." The herringbone floorboards and oak-based kitchen island ground the lighter tones.

(image — Anna Curnuck artwork and Tee McManus ceramics in Kitchen with Carrara and Bardiglio marble floor tiles, cabinetry)

(image — Dining room, oak table, arched courtyard doors, Tee McManus ceramics on dining table)

The dining room opens through double arches to a new internal courtyard — a key architectural moment connecting the heritage front to the contemporary rear wing. Natural light floods the space. On the marble console beyond the dining table, another Anna Curnuck work catches the changing light throughout the day.

(image — Dining room shelving with Anna Curnuck artwork, Tee McManus ceramics and vessels)

(image — Through-view from living room to dining room, Anna Curnuck artwork)

The primary suite unfolds in a deliberate sequence — portals of Oriental Gold marble following the original rhythm of the terrace. Patterned ice-blue silk on the wardrobe joinery. A freestanding bath set beneath a window, flooded with natural light.

(image — Bedroom, patterned silk wardrobe panels, Oi Soi Soi pendant)

(image — Primary bathroom, freestanding bath, Oriental Gold marble portal)

(image — Powder room, marble vanity, crackle tile, Murano sconce)

(image — Detail, marble fireplace with birdseye veneer and brass hardware)

The project took four years from concept to completion. Tom Mark Henry used the extended timeline to revisit and refine — a rare privilege in residential design, and one that shows in the considered placement of every material, every object, every work of art.

(image — Dining room looking through to living room, Anna Curnuck artwork)

SIBU Gallery Artists Featured

Anna Curnuck — Atmospheric abstract paintings in layered earth tones. View the collection.

Tee McManus — Handbuilt ceramics and vessels. View the collection.

Dalin Alejandrino — Oil and mixed media on canvas. View the collection.