Photography: Anson Smart | Styling: Flack Studio
Maximalism and minimalism make alluring, if unlikely, partners in this handsome Sydney penthouse. Its elevation from the smart to the spectacular reflects an attraction of opposites. Acclaimed architect Adam Haddow of SJB shaped the pared-back concrete shell for him and his partner in 2017, over which designer David Flack of Flack Studio has liberally layered bold brushstrokes of colour, texture and pattern, all tinged with his well-known whimsy.
Completing the creative quartet are the new owners, Peter and Coco, keen to push the boundaries and embrace what they call “the full Flack experience.” Peter and Coco were living a world away, in an 1860s French provincial-style home in suburban Balmain, when they spied the award-winning CBD apartment in the press. Smitten, the couple approached Adam, asking, “Can you design something like this for us?”
After a year-long search for the perfect project, he did one better and offered them his own three-bedroom penthouse in 2022. With its city panoramas and crisp concrete bones (the result of Adam’s adaptation of a 1937 Art Deco factory producing farm machinery), they didn’t hesitate. “It ticked all the boxes – a house on a rooftop right in the city, with a magnificent garden that’s part of the home, and that amazing view. We’re in our late 60s and the energy of this place took us back to our youth,” says Peter.
That expansive garden, by Dangar Barin Smith, pervaded the indoor spaces, thanks to walls of glass and well-placed windows. The apartment possessed an intriguing interplay of a closed-in hallway opening up to reveal flowing living areas and a sweeping aspect. Such contrasts, combined with a sense of surprise, summed up what the couple desired. Embracing a fresh phase in their lives, they “shed the past and sold everything,” says Peter. Their French provincial furniture and early 20th-century art yielded to mid-century furniture and contemporary art.
The layout, with two bedrooms flanking a hallway leading to an open plan and a bedroom beyond, together with a study on a second level, suited them well. “However, the Modernist interiors were mostly white and rather plain,” says Peter. “We wanted an emphasis on comfort and liveability, but it also had to be provocative and challenging, with beautiful colours and tactile materials. We wanted David to stimulate our imaginations.”
“We were tasked with adding in layers of Peter and Coco’s personalities through the art and furniture,” says David. “The existing aesthetic was strong and intentional. We wanted to overlay new elements that complemented and enhanced it. Peter and Coco wanted natural and calming spaces, but also depth in colour, texture and contrast.” Add to that a little playfulness.
Practical considerations included adding more bench and pantry space to the kitchen (the couple are passionate cooks), a new powder room and walk-ins to the bedrooms, as well as converting the upstairs study to a reading and TV room. One of the bedrooms downstairs became a study, and David also renovated one of the bathrooms.
“We retained as many existing materials – such as the off-form concrete and timber floors – as possible,” he says. “We wanted to tap into their airy and effortless tactility.” To these, he added rich tones, texture and sheen for energy and movement, which are trademarks of his celebrated style.
In remodelling the kitchen, David included a dramatic new island in Rosso Levanto and Arabescato marbles, creating “a monolithic sculpture in two tones with graphic punch,” complemented by an aged-brass and stainless-steel rangehood and cabinetry. Stark plasterboard walls yielded to tactile hand-trowelled Venetian plaster or high-gloss finishes, all in rich colours.
Light plays across the surfaces shift the mood according to the time of day. The palette, with its earthy ochres and burgundies, overlaid with pops of saturated colour, is “moody, natural and not over-the-top showy,” says David.
Most of the pops come from Peter and Coco’s art collection. David had earmarked spaces on the walls as “artwork opportunities,” later filled with boldly coloured pieces jointly curated by designer and clients.
Furnishings, mostly with a mid-century bent, include a vintage B&B Italia ‘Le Bambole’ armchair in the living room, reupholstered in cosseting Mongolian sheepskin and sitting near a Cassina ‘Capitol Complex’ armchair. For drama and ambience, lighting is hard to beat; David has included two sculptural classics – Arredoluce ‘Televisione’ and Flos ‘Fantasma’ floor lamps in the living area, with a cocoon-like ‘Viscontea’ pendant hovering over an ‘Ordinal’ dining table by Michael Anastassiades. One of David’s favourite items is the custom bronze handrail by artist Nell in the hallway. “With its forged eucalyptus leaves and smiley faces, it takes a functional piece and turns it into a moment of beauty.”
A large-scale Tom Polo neon installation spans the length of the wall above, heralding the sense of discovery that lies in the spaces beyond. “I will often sit in different rooms, looking out the windows, and simply contemplate,” says Peter. “The gorgeous colours and rich materials give me a feeling of comfort and peace, but also challenge and excitement. The entire apartment gives me enormous joy.”
The Design Team
Flack Studio: flackstudio.com
SJB: sjb.com
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