Project Type: Penthouse Apartment Renovation | Holiday home
An ultimate explosion of colour, & with expansive views of the shoreline, this non-traditional beach apartment was designed with holiday escapism in mind.
Services: Interior Design & Decoration, Concept Design, Design & Decoration Development & Detailing, Finishes Selection, Custom Furnishings, Soft Furnishings, Window Treatments, Feature Lighting, Art Consultation, Documentation, & Styling.
Photography | Toby Scott
Yes! My goal in every project is to bring to life and form a space that is reflective of my clients and how they live. This family is full of happiness and being surrounded by colourful expression is what we aimed to achieve. The brief for the redesign started with a Palm Springs aesthetic, referencing mid-century modern open plan living, lots of sunshine and colour.
The transformation of this traditional ’90s gold coast apartment with heavy finishes to the colourful oasis it is today is truly something to see. Check out the below before photos of the living and kitchen.
The wallpaper was actually the first design decision made. The catwalk-like hallway needed a dramatic presence and the iconic Beverly Hills Martinique wallpaper came to mind straight away. Pairing it with the statement yellow door added another punch that solidified the Palm Springs vibe. To ensure that these two elements were the focal points, we paired them with crisp white walls and a neutral herringbone floor that acted as visual relief, while still providing interest to the dynamic space.
The kitchen had the biggest transformation in terms of structural changes. We partially removed some wall and squared up the kitchen to make room for a secondary breakfast bar. Opening up these spaces created a better flow between the kitchen, dining and living and ensured the amazing view was captured from all spaces. These adjoining rooms are both visually busy and the chef of the house requested a neutral, functional space for the kitchen. This meant the focus was switched from colour and pattern to texture and pattern.
The textural element played a huge role in continuing the visual interest in the kitchen. The tile on the island bench, oven panel and the range were an ode to a shell shape, with a neutral base to simultaneously provide relief and cohesion again.
The panelling on the far wall has a stunning gloss finish which begins a reflective motif that is carried through the entire apartment. The three panels double as a pantry, storage and door to the laundry as you can see below.
When looking at the furniture floor plan this space opened itself up to become a designated bar area that would sit cohesively next to the living room. Working within the constraints of the existing walls it was important that the bar made its own statement, which was achieved with the material choice. The lime green inspiration was taken from the adjacent living room rug and upholstery, and functionally the colour worked in both the Perspex and Corian applications. By backlighting the Perspex and running strip lighting under the Corian shelves, the bar glows like a beacon in the night.
The Perspex high bar in the foreground was a custom piece to match in with the bar. The transparent furniture was chosen for its materiality, but it also allows the focus to remain on the bar wall, allowing it to be the feature of the space.
Balancing colour has a lot to do with matching colours that are complimentary to each other. In the living room, the same colours are repeated in the rug and sofa which creates the cohesion. It’s important to decide on and stick to those colours so even though its visually busy, it’s not jarring.
The challenge of apartment renovations is working within the constraints of the building. In this particular case, there was a tv cabinet that housed the TV and separated the two spaces. After determining initial space planning, we were able to make some changes that allowed us to wall mount the TV. This freed up the space between the living and dining. To ensure these rooms stayed connected and further played on the open plan living, we decided the bench seat was the best use of space for both rooms. The bench can be used from both sides and then as a stand-alone day bed when desired.
This room was an odd shape with lots of different angles. To disguise this, we papered the walls to create an aviary effect. The paper is full of interesting points and tells a story from the floor to ceiling. The mirror, custom stainless vanity and gold fixtures further add to the interest using their reflective properties to further enhance the immersive experience.
Each bedroom takes on a life of its own, with vibrant colours defining each space. The ensuite designs came first and set the tone for the bedrooms. Structurally we were unable to change the shape of the spaces so we used the finishes to create the drama. The daughter’s space had a pink and green palette with many personalised touches. The wallpaper in the bathroom is an ode to the her partner, who is English, as you can see various British iconic places depicted. The wallpaper does have a cheeky spin on it (look for the guy peeing on a park bench!) which always garners a chuckle when spotted!
The mosaic tile in the master bathroom has an ombre effect which plays beautifully with everchanging ocean blues, as well as the palm tree wallpaper in the bedroom reflecting the palm trees right outside the door.
We lovingly call this apartment “colour me happy” because that’s exactly what it does. Each room is so very different and elicits a different feeling, however, the overarching feeling of happiness exudes and that’s what we love most!
