BLACK PEARL

in installing a curving wall in black devised by architect Brad Swartz delivers a cocooning mood within this newly opened up onebedroom apartment that can easily convert to offer a guest bedroom space. The client had seen some of our previous apartment projects and got in touch. When we met The original apartment felt tight with a long, narrow living space that was dark with windows at only one end – a problem commonly found in apartments. So the challenge became about increasing both space and light. We absorbed one of the bedrooms into the living area and used a single, curved timber wall finished in black to increase the apartment width, viewlines and light. The interior space is divided by the dark timber wall. The living spaces on one side of it are bright, open and connected to their outdoor surrounds while the main bedroom and bathrooms are concealed on the other side of the curved wall, exuding a sense of calm. The timber wall is both my favourite element and a device used to maximise the sense of space. The wall’s curve opens up the space and the black finish helps it to recede. It has a strong presence but through careful detailing it has an unexpected softness, too. On top of that, it secretly conceals the doors to the bedroom, guest bathroom, fridge, pantry, appliance cupboard and storage. Installing a wall bed and bi-fold doors in the dining room adds flexibility so that the room can easily be converted to a second bedroom if needed. We selected a pared-back material palette of crisp white walls and joinery, the black slatted-timber dividing wall, American oak parquetry flooring and touches of natural stone to create a sense of calmness. The few visible fittings were chosen to be timeless. Being avid art collectors, the clients also selected the majority of the furniture which mostly sits up off the floor, adding to the sense of spaciousness. Surrounded by gum trees, the apartment’s large terrace has views of the water and city – connecting to this became key to its success. External travertine tiles have a similar tone to the oak flooring, increasing continuity between inside and out. The dark balustrade recedes and blurs the line where planting on the terrace ends and the gum trees start. It takes a brave client to agree to a black wall in their home. But when the project was finished, they couldn’t stop telling us they loved the space and how glad they were they trusted us on it.