This well-known mansion in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill has seen many changes since its construction 40 years ago. Now the Del-Ben family has given it a dramatic makeover with spectacular results. ‘Chateau de Benelong’ is instantly recognisable to those who have lived in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs for any length of time. With its towering white pillars, it is something of an icon in the city.

Elio and Makedonka Del-Ben bought the spectacular property two years ago and painstakingly renovated it from its dilapidated state, returning it to a state of splendor to rival the original. “The house was so unique and beautiful and was obviously a grand home in its day, we were inspired to bring it back to life,” says Makedonka.

Built with much fanfare in the 1970s by acclaimed designer Lesley Santy, the palazzo-style home with its neo-classical architecture has sweeping northerly views of Sydney Harbour. It features eight bedrooms, a poolside entertainer’s pavilion, home theatre and even a gym. And if that’s not enough, there is also approval for a roof terrace with Harbour Bridge views.

Elio and Makedonka, who own building company Big Dig, have literally renovated the house from the bottom up. They spent a year working on it, living there with their three children throughout the refurbishment. “The house was large enough to enable us to move into the ground floor while the top floor was being renovated and then we moved upstairs while the ground floor was renovated,” says Makedonka.

TRUE TO FORM

The house was built in the Hollywood Regency style and Makedonka says they wanted to decorate in a way that did justice to the striking and theatrical architecture. “We were steered by the style of the house so we tried to keep it dramatic – hence the black fl ors and pops of colour,” Makedonka explains.

To create a sense of luxury and glamour, silver and chrome accents can be found throughout, along with plenty of mirrors, and Makedonka added detail with ornate cornices and wall mouldings. With its dazzling allure and spectacular views, it’s reminiscent of a home you might find nestled in the Hollywood Hills. The couple wanted to achieve the glamorous Hollywood Regency look with some drama and fun. “We added bursts of colour amongst the white and used dramatic wallpaper to work with the black floors. We wanted it to be unique and leave a lasting impression,” Makedonka explains.

One of the greatest challenges they faced was how to do the home justice without losing its magic and to achieve this Makedonka says they removed many decorative elements. “There were so many trims and cherubs, lions’ heads and so on. We left some of the lions’ heads in place and then added some more,” she says.

There is no shortage of ornate detail in the architecture, so it was a matter of finding the balance between the original architecture and their desire to tone down the elaborate ornamental elements. They removed timber look-alike adhesive panels from the ceilings, ripped out cornices trimmed in gold leaf and the faux marble panels on one of the fireplaces as well as faux marble throughout the bathrooms.

One point of contention was a rather grand waterfall. “Elio and I debated whether to keep the waterfall on the front deck – I wanted it, Elio wanted it gone! In the end we repaired it and kept it but Elio still wants to rip it out – I may come home one day to find it missing!” Makedonka laughs.

GLAM IT UP

With bold salmon, lime green and moody black contrasted against stark white, the interior colour scheme is one of the most striking features of this palatial mansion. “The green, pink and black in the sections of the upstairs hallway is a look I saw on the cover of a book about a hotel interior,” Makedonka says. She loved the regal feel it created and wanted to replicate this effect when looking down the hall. “The bursts of pink and green in the hallway are favourite colours – pink for me and green for Elio.” They decided to paint most of the house in white to give it a contemporary feel. “Even with all of the trims, white on white was the best option. It toned down the over-the-top architecture and seems to work well.”

RENOVATIONS AT A GLANCE

The house has been completely renovated. “It was in a state of disrepair and needed a complete overhaul. When we first moved in, the columns were swaying in the wind, and much of the house was falling apart,” says Makedonka. The property was gutted – floors, ceilings, walls, tiles – everything was replaced. New kitchens and new bathrooms were installed and they added a pool. “The only things that were salvaged were the doors and windows. They were repaired and reshuffled throughout the house.

”The place was very pokey when they bought it so they opened up the layout by creating vast living spaces and hallways. Elio and Makedonka were very conscious of renovating the house to fit with the neo-classical style of the architecture. All of the wall mouldings and cornices were repaired and new ones matched. The gyprock work and the repair work took many months and a great deal of hard work by skilled tradesmen.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY HOME

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT THE HOUSE?

“I love the flow of the house. You can see right through from the front to the back across each level. It’s easy for me to keep an eye on the children and everything is linked by the central hallways.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ROOM?

“The front sitting/lounge room. It faces north and opens out to the front deck with the view of the harbour. The front of the house is drenched in sunshine almost all day long. It’s divine on a beautiful sunny day.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE OBJECT OR PIECE OF DECOR?

“I love the masks from Venice that hang in the curved alcove opposite the staircase. We purchased these on a family trip to Italy in 2010 and they work well in this area. They provide another dimension to the wall.”

STORY SUNNY DE BRUYN

PHOTOGRAPHY RYAN HERNANDEZ

STYLING KATHRYN BORGLUND