MAKING WAVES
Sluiced with light, this luminous seaside escape overlooking Sydney’s Bondi Beach is a joyous expression of the tactility and colour of its coastal surrounds
Renowned for his use of tactile, natural materials and a love of fine-crafted details, Jonathan Richards leads the interior design team of the SJB architecture and design studio in Sydney along with business partner Kirsten Stanisich. Here, he reveals the inspiration behind one of his latest projects — an ethereal oasis in the clouds by the beach, suffused with a fresh, expressive use of colour. We wanted to create a residence that felt luxurious and
beautiful. But at the same time, we wanted it to feel very connected to Bondi, so that it had an unpretentious easiness to it. The clients interviewed me about what I liked about Bondi and living in apartments in general, and we connected. They have a love of art and culture, they’re well travelled and their aesthetic really aligned with mine. The brief was to understand the way they lived with their family, their love of colour, texture, textiles and ceramics and all the sort of stuff that I love. Before I became an interior designer I wanted to be an artist, so we got along really well. The first part of the project was to design a single apartment
from what was planned as two. That in itself was quite tricky because they were irregular-shaped spaces. There are two levels to what is now a 1000-square-metre apartment including external terraces. We joined the lower level together, but upstairs are two rooftop pavilions designed as shells by PTW Architects. One is now a music room or den and the other is the main bedroom. They’re physically separate and I love the idea that you can leave the building and re-enter it to get to the bedroom. There’s no better example of a secluded and private space — it’s literally a freestanding pavilion on its own, on the roof, overlooking the beach, and the bed faces the ocean. It’s absolutely extraordinary. ››
‹‹ The builder on this project, John Alvarez, was absolutely outstanding. There were many challenges, as he had to take over the site from the construction company that built the whole development. But we circumvented any issues by having a great trilogy of client, builder and designer with a firm direction. The clients love handmade objects as much as I do. They love imperfection and have an incredible collection of ceramics. The colours and glazes became an inspiration for the interior finishes, such as the kitchen benchtops made from lava stone with a very crackled, ceramic glaze over the top. It has a tactile quality and for me that’s the defining principle behind many of the finishes. Being at the beach is a tactile experience. I thought that if this space is at Bondi, overlooking the water with the sand and the wind, we needed to consider the feel of the materials as much as their appearance.The clients and I were looking at archetypal Mediterranean houses with terracotta floors and whitewashed walls — then I saw this beautiful pale blue hexagon tile and we thought it was the perfect starting point. We loved the idea that using a pale blue polished concrete tile would feel a bit like an Australian version of that traditional Mediterranean aesthetic. We really like the way the light bounces off the wax finish — and when you walk across them, it’s nice and cool, which to me feels like the right material to have underfoot when you return from the beach. We painted the ceilings in the living areas glossy white to reflect the shimmer of the ocean. ››
‹‹ Colour plays a massive part, too. The colours vary slightly from space to space, to give each area a little character. The clients and I both like pink. It could have been a lot stronger, but for me it’s important to consider the way colour is used, especially in what is quite an architectural space with all its clean lines and curves, swirls and geometrical forms. The use of timber in the shelves, architraves, doors and some of the flooring tames the colour. Timber gives the interior an aesthetic stability. The kitchen is a highlight for me. It’s painted a very deep, high-gloss green. The painter put on layer upon layer of green enamel and it’s so reflective. What’s impressive is that it looks so glossy but when you touch it, it has a beautiful texture to it. I love the lawn. There’s a big external terrace and it could have easily been overthought, but landscape architects Daniel Baffsky and William Dangar came up with a scheme that is beautiful, and includes bamboo coverings for shade and travertine tiles around the perimeter. In essence, it’s white rendered walls around the lawn and an olive tree in the middle. Seeing this expanse of bright green lawn… to me that’s luxury, a really amazing experience.
Visit sjb.com.au; alvarez.net.au