Glamorous vibe that strikes a pose between ease and elegance.
Tall and thin with fans of strappy leaves up top, palm trees have a ubiquitous presence in this Melbourne home by interior designer David Hicks. He sought to give the slick, minimalist architecture, built in the late 1970s but with a modernist vibe, what it deserved: a tropical-glam gloss outfitted with contemporary art and luxurious pieces well suited for a chic patio party. It’s a mise-enscène that calls to mind a sprawling mid-century compound, high up in the Los Angeles hills. “We have created a carefree home that’s also very glamorous,” says David. “But not in a flashy new way: more in a subtle, old-school way. I would like to think we have returned it to its former glory.”
Fortuitously, David knew the home’s original owners (he has memories of the house with a waterfall) and was conscious to strike a balance between ease and elegance. His clients, a design-savvy couple with young children, who had also worked alongside David on their Hamptons-style beach home, decided to go more ‘ West Coast’ with this inner-city property, remodelling with ideas picked up on their travels throughout the US, particularly California.
“The original bone structure of the house appears to be transplanted straight out of the Trousdale estate in Beverly Hills,” says David. “It incorporates a relaxed Los Angeles vibe that is very complimentary. Much like modernism, this house is
about light, space and being enveloped by a seamless architecture. The existing bone structure provided an amazing starting point.”
Access to the front door is via a walled outdoor vestibule flanked by sculpted palm trees and blinding white walls. To create a lounge-like foyer David added furnishings including gold custom chairs and a smoked Venini chandelier. Tucked behind the entryway, an eye-popping powder-room features a cantilevered marble basin, black marble floor and handpainted de Gournay wallpaper.
A set of wide Arabescato marble stairs splits the ground floor into two levels, leading to a cavernous space incorporating a dining suite ahead, and living areas on each side. To the left, the lounge is outfitted with a sheepskin rug and a custom-made white curved sofa reminiscent of a conversation pit. An antique Javanese wedding drum is used as a side table and gallery-style walls are arranged with Italian-themed photos by Massimo Listri. Behind the dining area lies the kitchen with an adjoining casual dining and family zone. Vast expanses of operable sliding glass blur the inside with the outside, the rear opening up to a ‘David Hockney-blue’ pool with its original diving board. An alcove under the tennis court acts as a cabana with long banquettes upholstered in the original Beverly Hills Hotel’s ‘Martinique Banana Leaf’ fabric by Don Loper from Designer Wallcoverings and plenty of pale pinks, white and greens.
Another short flight of stairs runs back to the home’s entry level where there is a study, rumpus and games room. At the rear, a new extension incorporates a golf simulator and day spa complete with infra-red sauna, steam room, and ice bath. With its rich timber ceilings and black moiré wallpaper, this side of the house was designed to contrast with the lighter, brighter palette of its opposite wing.
Upstairs, there are five bedrooms including a master with dusty pink walls offset by a more masculine timber-clad ceiling. Her walk-in robe is light and feminine while his is an opulent black with glassed-in shelves trimmed in gold. David outfitted the contemporary private spaces with “simple yet beautiful objects with sumptuous overtones,” such as a silver Vladimir Kagan sofa, and the vintage pendant and oversized rock-crystal bedside lamps.
“These interiors are not precious. Every part of the house is used by the family and the dog,” says David, who designed white sofa slipcovers for easy removal and cleaning. “Everybody works and lives in different ways. Some people want total carefree surroundings while others are prepared to respect certain aspects of their home and maintain them. You have to weigh up the functional with the aesthetic,” he adds. The clients, wanting both, were open to exploring their desired look while understanding how to treat and use certain parts of the house. “There is a saying: if you want nice things, you have to be prepared to work for them.” #