UP IN THE AIR

[ Millers Point ]

HAVING WORKED with the clients in the past, Felicity King was called on to bring warmth and connection to their new apartment 28 floors above Sydney Harbour, and the result is an elegant and cocooning home in the clouds. What was the brief? To create a space for entertaining with family and friends that celebrated the harbour setting while providing a calm and intimate refuge from the bustling city below. The design was to express the personalities of the clients and an aesthetic of refined, understated elegance. What were the challenges of the space and how did you resolve them? The challenge was to achieve the most from a predetermined amount of space. The floor plan was reorganised by removing and repositioning non-loadbearing walls and relocating the services, which allowed for increased ceiling heights that add grandeur and delight. Every space integrates storage, with pocket doors revealing a pantry and cupboards hidden behind kitchen island tiles, under windowsills and in blade walls. There is flexibility in how rooms function, allowing the space to evolve. There might have been a tendency to mimic the city’s hard edges and shiny surfaces but instead we looked to the underlying natural environment: white linen curtains are soft as clouds, surfaces shimmer like the harbour, curved bulkheads echo undulating hills and rounded corners draw in fluid bends, coves and bays. We held an all-encompassing view, considering the layout and decoration from the beginning so that upholstered walls act as bedheads, veneer doors melt into veneer walls, built-in bench seats extending from the kitchen provide seating for casual dining, and partition walls house storage and display areas. How would you describe the interior? The original fit-out was stripped bare and transformed into a home that is functional and transportive. The design has a European character and elegance while also expressing a uniquely refined Australian aesthetic that draws upon the landscape. What are some of your favourite elements? The spaces have a soothing, warm quality so that, whether it is day or night, it is never cavernous or lifeless when just one or two people are home. This is achieved by the layering of complementary materials throughout. I love that in the

“THERE IS FLEXIBILITY IN HOW ROOMS FUNCTION, ALLOWING THE SPACE TO EVOLVE.”

evening the apartment takes on a more nocturnal character, mimicking the daily transformation of the city as the sun sets and the lights of the city shimmer. The lighting effects do not blanket the space in flat light. Instead, pendant and wall lights as well as dimmable, warm concealed lighting in curtain bulkheads, low bookshelves and handrails allow for interspersed shadow and light. In this way you feel conscious of and part of the urban community. What informed the selection of furniture, art, fittings and finishes? There was considerable reflection upon site and context when starting this project to create a space that celebrates the harbour landscape. The tonal and textural palette of veneer, natural timber and stone reinforces a sense of grounding and stillness, connecting with the elements of nature. The black steel band and fluted tiles of the kitchen island reference the built fabric of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Flickers of green marble and blue velvets, drawn from the clients’ Australian artworks, embellish the interiors. Furniture such as the Minotti sofa and Cappellini side tables were chosen for their sculptural lines. Art and curated accessories add an eclectic and unique expression. Were the owners happy? “As our family had grown up and we approached retirement, we wanted to downsize from the big house in the suburbs to a place in the city. We wanted to preserve our privacy but be able to entertain family and friends, and re-create the elegance of our prior home with large spaces and high ceilings. This exceeded our expectations. We wanted a place that was still our home and, as we travel more, our home is in the city we love – Sydney,” say the clients. studiobarbara.com.au

Photography ANSON SMART Styling IMOGEN NAYLOR

These pages, from left “It was important to layer the light and introduce shadow, softening the boundary between outside and in,” says architect Felicity King of the Sydney apartment, in which emerald and teal tones link to harbour views. On the balcony, ‘Loop’ wicker chairs from Harbour Outdoor, Tribù ‘Branch’ table from Cosh Living, recycled timber ‘Stanley’ stool from Jardan and ‘Tide’ rug from Armadillo. Knoll ‘Executive’ chairs by Eero Saarinen from De De Ce surround a Gubi ‘Moon’ oak dining table from Cult with vases from Jardan and Occhio ‘Mito Sospeso’ pendant lights from Koda Lighting. Blues In The Bottle artwork by Neil Frazer from Martin Browne Contemporary. Cappellini ‘Orla’ armchair and Zanotta ‘Tempo’ side table, both from Cult, with a coffee table designed by Studio Barbara in collaboration with Granite & Marble Works and Heavy Metal Architectural. Tom Dixon ‘Tank’ whiskey tumblers. Minotti ‘Seymour’ sofa from De De Ce. Rugs from Max Lawson Carpets. Behind the partition of Eveneer ‘Even-Mink’ veneer from Elton Group, Edra ‘Miraggio’ mirror and Moooi ‘Woody’ table, both from Space. Muuto ‘Framed Mirror’ from Living Edge. ‘Oak Chateau’ engineered timber flooring from Havwoods seen thoughout.

This page Behind the living-area sofa, Alexander McKenzie’s artwork Towards The Sea from Martin Browne Contemporary provides a tranquil contrast to the apartment’s city location. ‘Wrap Knot’ glass object and architectural objects on the rear shelf, all from Jardan. ‘Block Big Poche Rond’ marble object by Studio Henry Wilson on the coffee table. Opposite page, clockwise from top In the stair landing, a Jasper Knight artwork hangs above a Cappellini ‘Thin Black Table’ from Cult and sculpture from Jardan. In the dining area, a Knoll ‘Saarinen Tulip’ table from De De Ce complements the sinuous lines of the custom banquette in leather from Pelle Leathers. Dining chair from Space. Michael Anastassiades ‘White Porcelain Series D3’ wall lamp from Hub. Karakter bowl on the table from Cult. The large bowl on the wall was sourced by the clients in Cappadocia, Turkey. In the kitchen, an Elba stone benchtop from CDK Stone extends over a base in Inax ‘Giyaman Border’ tiles from Artedomus. Hay ‘About A Stool AAS32’ stools from Cult. Rich Brilliant Willing ‘Queue Pendant Multi’ light from Koda Lighting. Bowl from Manyara Home on the kitchen bench.

This page A bedhead wall covered with leather from Pelle Leathers is paired with earthy tones in the Francalia bed linen, custom cushions in Kvadrat fabric by Raf Simons from Cult and built-in side tables in Eveneer ‘Even-Mink’ from Elton Group. Candleholders from Hub. Opposite page, clockwise from top left A pair of ClassiCon ‘Bell’ side tables from Anibou reflect the view from this corner of the bedroom. Ligne Roset ‘Anda’ swivelling armchair from Domo. Foscarini ‘Buds’ table lamp from Space. Anna Varendorff vase from Hub. Curtains from Blinds By Bayliss. Carpet from Fine Carpets. In the bathroom, Victoria + Albert bath, Neri & Hu ‘Lianu’ stool from Spence & Lyda and White Fantasy stone from Granite & Marble Works for the vanity top on a base of Eveneer ‘Even-Mink’. Bocci ‘87 Series’ pendant light from Hub. In the media room, coffee table from MCM House, Knoll ‘Pilot’ chair and Minotti ‘Cesar’ side table, both from De De Ce, all on a ‘Sherpa’ rug from Armadillo. Mingardo ‘Elettra’ vase (on bottom shelf of bookcase, far left) from Hub. Stone paperweights from Living Edge. In the stairwell, artwork by Naomi White.