and fantastic architectural features, this apartment was a passion purchase by our clients who fell in love with the space and all of its potential, explains Richard Misso, creative director of interior design studio The Stylesmiths. “It is contained within a 1902 heritage building that started life as a hospital administration ward and was later transformed into permanent residences. While originally the owners were unsure of the end use they knew While the property has always had huge potential it is also rather compact for an Australian home so the clients engaged interior designers Kirsten Dahl-Feathers and Carlie Ng of The Stylesmiths to ensure every square inch was utilised without compromising on finish and aesthetic. The compact layout and solid walls of the original building (some up to 60cm thick) meant the designers had very strict constraints to work within. In order to maximise living space use was made of the five-metre-high ceilings with a mezzanine acting as a separate library and sitting space. Adjusting the layouts even slightly required a collaborative effort of builders and project managers who assisted with creating structural solutions for the stairwell and mezzanine. Kirsten and Carlie always like to let the architecture lead them to ensure a cohesive design that sits gently and seamlessly into its surroundings. This was definitely the case here, although our clients were initially after a slightly more contemporary modern aesthetic. After visiting the space we felt strongly that the building was asking for a more classic approach which responded to the original built environment and our clients were happy to agree. Contemporary classic with a pared-back palette warmed by Australian earth tones. We used a custom Shaker profile with internal detailing to create a fresh and one-of-a-kind joinery design throughout that retained a classic feel, but kept our finishes palette restrained to allow the space a slightly lighter and more contemporary flow focusing instead on textures and natural finishes such as the Calacatta Vagli kitchen marble and walnut dining table. The custom-designed kitchen island with curved corners and reeded detailing is definitely a favourite, which is lucky as getting it right was a real labour of love for all involved! The island bridges the space between the kitchen nestled beneath the library above and the double-height living space beyond. The window banquette was born out of necessity and lack of space so we designed a bespoke banquette built for us by the very clever Matt Howe. We also designed the joinery to take advantage of the lofty ceilings and while they don’t quite reach the full five metres each bedroom has a custom library rail and ladder to make use of the vertical space too. We truly couldn’t have asked for better clients and they were so open to our suggestions for furnishings. We knew that the apartment was going to need to be painted some version of white as there are almost no straight edges. Even the walls curve gently into ceilings with no distinguishable break points in some areas, which meant we would need to bring warmth in through the finishes and furnishings selected. We chose natural stones with beautiful veining in the bathroom, kitchen and living room coffee table and used walnuts, tan nubuck leather, mohairs and velvets to achieve this, while deliberately keeping all window treatments light and fresh to allow the show-stopping bay window architecture to shine. We are delighted with the outcome but what brings us the most joy is being a part of making a home that our clients love.
