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When fashion blogger Carmen Hamilton, founder of Chronicles of Her, and her partner bought this 1940s Tamarama apartment, it had sadly been stripped of its original features. Keen to bring the space back to life, Carmen slid into the DMs of Decus Interiors, and asked them to work their magic!
‘For this young and informal couple, we were asked to create a space which was utterly unique, yet appropriate to its beachside location,’ says Alexandra Donohoe Church, founder and managing director of Decus Interiors. ‘The client specifically requested we avoid a typical white kitchen, asking that we create storage (which previously did not exist), and increase natural light throughout to full advantage – all confined within what is deemed appropriate, and within context of an original 1940s apartment.’
The resulting design encompasses key elements of both owner’s personalities, who Alexandra describes as fun, hardworking, practical and, (obviously) stylish! ‘The design purposefully spoke to the client’s youthful and fashion forward aesthetic sensibilities, while not stamping ‘fashionable’ all over it,’ she says. ‘We’d describe the intent for earthy elegance and fun as truly reflective of the clients themselves.’
Details that most capture this spirit include the home’s feminine, glossy, pink archway, alongside humble, hardworking materials such as whitewashed plywood and stainless steel. The kitchen is the clear showpiece, with its burgundy veined Calacatta marble and custom-made brushed brass lighting pendant by Paul Matter.
The apartment has also been updated to better take in its ocean views, by whitewashing the formerly walnut-stained Baltic pine floorboards, and introducing a mirrored kitchen backsplash that reflects a muted ocean vista.
Several features provide double-duty practicality, such as the large mirrored pivot door that conceals a walk-in pantry, and the cantilevered stone island bench that can also function as a six-seater dinner table.
Tying the home together is the couple’s pre-existing collection of vintage furniture and contemporary art work. Alexandra describes the overall aesthetic as a ‘deliberate marriage of opposites’ – a relaxed interior that can be elevated when occasion arises.
