JOIE DE VIVRE

A REFINED PALETTE AND A FLOWING NEW LAYOUT TRANSFORMED THIS SNUG SYDNEY APARTMENT INTO THE IDEAL FAMILY HOME

- JESSICA BELLEF

Charmed by the waterside location and 1920s building, Philippa and Simon bought this compact three-bedroom apartment north of Sydney knowing it needed reinventing to accommodate family life with their teenagers, Maya and Finn. For help, the couple approached designer Amanda Monnet-Demarbre of Antipodes Design. “Our clients wanted to create an open, light-filled home that felt more like a house than an apartment,” says Amanda. To achieve this, the living, kitchen and dining spaces have been reworked with a flowing layout that makes the most of the ground-floor apartment’s outdoor area.

With the new layout locked in, Philippa approached Interior designer Alexandra Gourlay-Craig of Vellum Interiors for guidance on the finishing details. “It’s a seamless blend of Art Deco and contemporary styles combined with Philippa’s personal style, which is influenced by a Parisian aesthetic,” Alexandra notes. Striking custom cabinetry also captures all the storage opportunities and enhances daily life. “We had initial concerns about moving a family of four, plus our labrador Jackson, into an apartment,” reflects Philippa (pictured above with Jackson). “But once I saw how the finished rooms were so functional and lovely, it felt like home as soon as we moved in.”

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