APARTMENT AMOUR

Thoughts of Paris were top of mind when Shona McElroy first saw these alluringly high ceilings and architectural features.

- Words STEPHANIE HOPE

With its arched doorways, chevron timber floors, glass wall lights and carefully curated character, this Sydney apartment would feel right at home overlooking the tree-lined streets of Paris. Which is exactly what the owner, Shona McElroy, principal at Smac Studio, had in mind. “One of my early design inspirations was Parisian interior architect Joseph Dirand - namely his Avenue Montaigne project,” says Shona, who lives here with her partner, Hamish Cooke. The home’s high ceilings and views across the rooftops of buildings in Sydney’s east certainly supported her Haussmannian vision, but there was a lot of work to do before the transformation could be completed, starting with reworking the illogical floor plan. At just 93 square metres, it’s certainly smaller than most of our projects, where we're often looking to divide up larger spaces with intimate moments,” admits Shona.