a large, freestanding family home in Queens Park while keeping a base in Sydney’s Darlinghurst, the owners secured this property for its outstanding views and handy location, says Nicholas Kaiko of Kaiko Design Interiors. “Its proximity to the city meant they could still be close to the parks and vibrant lifestyle of the eastern suburbs, but also walk Initially, our client came to us requesting help with a simple refresh. Quite organically the project grew to incorporate an entirely new kitchen, the introduction of a fireplace, refreshed bathrooms and a more layered and detailed approach to the decorative elements. We began by removing the apartment’s dated features, freeing up more space and adding colour and texture throughout. Our concept centres around the idea of creating an intimate, more homely character in an otherwise built-up urban environment. One of our client’s main requests was to introduce a fireplace which, in a high-rise setting, posed a significant challenge. We used an EcoSmart bioethanol burner to work around those constraints. The internal layout worked well for how our client lives and entertains so we worked within those parameters using finishes, colour and furniture to inject newness into the space. Working with our clients to understand what mood they wanted to evoke with the interiors, we found that they gravitated to darker, warmer and more moody tones. An important part of the design was to ease the transition from the busyness of the city below to the comfort of the interiors. One of the ways we could do that sensitively was through the use of colour. These new richly hued tones contribute a warmer character to the space – a transition from the city’s gritty greys into a more inviting and cosy environment. Abundantly liveable, concept-driven and functional. A sensitive response to the architecture of the building and in context with its surrounding neighbourhood. The marble slabs in the kitchen create something that’s intimate but incredibly dramatic. As with most apartment settings bulkheads are a fact of life. In spaces where the ceiling height is lower, we have highlighted this by applying a warm but darker paint finish. The stone choice was something we spent a lot of time on, visiting more than six stoneyards before settling on the right slabs. Drawing inspiration from these dynamic slabs we built the colour palette for the communal spaces within the apartment. They are thrilled with the results and so are we! The spaces are intimate but not claustrophobic, and glamorous without being ostentatious. The marble is really the hero of the kitchen; the slabs are incredible. They are like pieces of art as your work surface. In the living space, it is hard to choose a favourite but I love the hand-tufted wool rug we designed. By mixing loop-and-cut piles of varying heights we created something unique and sophisticated but also cosy.
