A downsizing couple transform a pied-à-terre with their artistic vision

Poised on a hill overlooking Sydney Harbour and with liner-like views, this apartment celebrates an enduring collaboration between one of the owners and interior designer Thomas Hamel. In 25 years, he has designed 20 properties for her across the world, including homes in the UK and US. From rugs to lights, this project is peppered with the products of that partnership, layers of memories that have found a new home and are revealed in a fresh light.

“It’s an amalgamation of different projects,” says Thomas. “With their scale and exoticism, the pre-loved treasures fitted in perfectly.”

The empty-nester owners bought the four-bedroom apartment in 2016 when they were keen to downsize – relatively at least – from their family home in Sydney’s east. An ideal pied-à-terre for their frequent overseas travels, it had “generous proportions”, says Thomas. “With lots of bedrooms, great ceiling heights and expansive harbour and park views, it was a jewel of an apartment.”

However, the jewel was slightly flawed because, when Thomas and his senior interior designer, Peter Zaknic, first set eyes on it, the apartment had no sense of entry and the decor didn’t create any waves. Visitors stepped out of a private lift straight into the living room.

“It had no definition. You felt exposed,” says Thomas. Similarly, the living room lacked a focal point, so the eye, by default, landed at the view.

Meanwhile, the kitchen was undercooked and set at an oblique angle to the dining area, so neither space was optimised. There were a lot of ‘crazy’ angles and shapes. As well as addressing those issues, the owners wanted their home to reflect them and their new inner-city lifestyle.

“They wanted a really luxe design with warm tones, giving a new context to their existing art and antiques,” Peter explains.

A rug was the starting point for the palette. “The owner’s not afraid of colour,” he says. “She goes with deep, muddy colours and warm golden tones like those in a Fortuny fabric sample book. She’s in heaven when leafing through something like that.”

The solution for the entry was to install glass doors – amazingly, with sconces attached to the metal frames, inspired by a London gallery. Meanwhile, the designers set the kitchen at right angles to the dining area, freeing up space in both. A crafted fireplace (it’s actually electric) in the living room provides the much-needed focal point. Created by US furniture maker Caleb Woodard, the sinuous swirls mimic whitecaps.

As the apartment sits so close to the water, Thomas and Peter have imbued it with a sense of flow and fluidity, created with curved walls and that striking fireplace, which, in turn, echoes the artwork above it, a stylised take on Sydney Harbour. All the walls are finished in a sandy plaster, except the semi-gloss Venetian plaster framing the fireplace. Oak joinery and floors laid in herringbone, together with the marbles, are light “like a gallery backdrop”, says Thomas.

As the owner, an artist, has always favoured a moody, autumnal palette, it’s not surprising her existing pieces have found a new life here. She and the team were in perfect harmony regarding the design direction.

“The client is so special. We know what she thinks and likes,” points out Thomas. “She really loves ethnic and African pieces, and woven textiles, lovingly crafted and handmade.”

For the dining area, the owner made reference to Yves Saint Laurent’s one-time Tangier home, with its rich hues and delicate detailing, and Thomas and Peter took her cue with this layered space. The starting point was an Afghan rug, which formerly graced her Florida home. The Georgian dining table, once surrounded by Victorian chairs, has been rebirthed with banquettes for a more relaxed yet still tailored look. Meanwhile, the ornate pendant light over the table was brought from the owners’ London apartment. It also has a history: “We vied with Elton John to buy it,” says Thomas.

Generous this apartment may be, it’s still much smaller than the owners’ previous homes. “While their scale stays the same, it’s fascinating to see the same pieces juxtaposed in a different location and closer together. They have taken on a different life,” says Thomas. Favourite space? He loves the powder room.

“Thomas and I have developed a language of our own when approaching a project,” says the artist owner. “We began with the challenge of reusing many of the beautiful antiques and art we already possessed. Piecing these meaningful treasures together, combined with the energy of the acquired (for example, that exquisite fireplace) resulted in a new home that immediately felt right. I was inspired by beautiful things we already owned and then [by] watching Thomas putting it all together.”

It’s repurposing and recycling on a grand and elegant scale, resulting in a home that resonates equally with the owners and designers.

Thomas Hamel: thomashamel.com; @thomashamel

The Design Team

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