BELLE STYLE DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE

Steve Cordony imbued his former apartment in Sydney’s Surry Hills with a mood of relaxed elegance and globetrotting electicism.

What was the brief? My partner Michael and I decided to do a ‘soft’ cosmetic renovation on this art-deco apartment in Surry Hills to make it more layered and textural. The double-height doors and sash windows, which lead out to the large terrace, informed the interior as we wanted to make the transition between the rooms seamless and for the spaces to complement each other. What were the challenges of the space and how did you resolve them? The house is quite long and narrow, so manipulating the layout of furniture to make the space seem more expansive was tricky. The use of a circular dining table, full-height mirrored wall cladding and a crisp white background allowed the interiors to feel open, airy and generous. How would you describe the completed interior? The interior is a dichotomy between traditional European detailing and classic American styling, with Italian mid-century accents. What are some favourite elements? One of my favourite pieces is the brass chandelier we found at the SaintOuen flea-market in Paris that was handmade by a local craftsman based on a vintage design from the 1960s. Also, the original ‘Beverly Hills Martinique Banana Leaf’ wallpaper from Designer Wallcoverings was something I had always loved and wanted to use for a while, so creating the study based around this was one of my favourite elements. What informed the selection of furniture, art, fittings and finishes? The art-deco heritage of the building definitely informed the interiors but I also wanted to give a contemporary spin to the space. The fittings and finishes were kept neutral so we could add textural layers, such as the contemporary artworks from Leila Jeffreys and Kerry Armstrong and the wallpapers from Designer Wallcoverings and Phillip Jeffries. What did you enjoy about living here? The abundance of natural light was the biggest drawcard plus the almost invisible line between indoors and out made it feel as if we were living on top of the city.

stevecordony.com

This page, from left Dining chairs from The Vault Sydney surround a pedestal table from MCM House that was selected to make the space feel more expansive. A Leila Jeffreys artwork hangs below the vintage pendant light from a flea market in Paris. The study is clad in ‘Beverly Hills Martinique Banana Leaf’ wallpaper from Designer Wallcoverings. Maxalto ottomans from Space, bar trolley from Bowerhouse, carafe and vase from Waterford, and lamp from Jason Mowen. Opposite page Looking through to the bedroom, covered in Ralph Lauren ‘Chevron Moderne’ wallpaper from Radford Furnishings, a Gebrüder Thonet Vienna ‘Lehnstuhl’ armchair by Nigel Coates from Space sits beside a Rubn ‘Lektor’ floor lamp from Fred International on a rug from Cadrys. A Flos ‘Taccia’ table lamp from Euroluce sits on a console from Conley & Co with an artwork by Kerry Armstrong above and a vintage trunk from Palmer & Penn below.