Floor-to-ceiling mirrors have been masterfully deployed to conceal joinery and reflect the northern light through the kitchen.
When Smac Studio founder and principal Shona McElroy was approached to transform the two-storey duplex home in Dover Heights, the brief stated the design needed to be fit or an entertainer, and the clients specified they wanted it “to look as if it came out of a magazine.”
The clients also stated the home needed to feel light and bright – a quality that many duplexes lose out on because of a windowless dividing wall.
McElroy’s makeover followed a “modern design with an old-world European edge.” Classical European accents – discernible in the venetian plaster walls, the shaker kitchen profile, the herringbone floors and the curved walls – are perforated by a surprising and liberal use of colour and texture, from rose quartz sconces to burnished bronze fixtures.
McElroy created a formal entrance intended to create a definitive sense of arrival. An Elba marble staircase winds up to the first floor, encasing a Christopher Boots drop pendant light and a bronze statue by Tom Corbin.
The staircase is intended to look as if it were built for the Tom Corbin sculpture and the Christopher Boots light.
“It was a big priority to get the formality of that entrance and allow people to come in and have their wow factor moment, where then they had a choice to go to the public spaces, the private spaces or the kids’ spaces,” McElroy explained.
In the kitchen, Esmeralda quartzite has been used to fashion a dramatic cantilevered benchtop with ample space for gathering. “I was very keen on having one half of the island solid with a big counter towards the dining area, because I wanted people to be able to come together and sit,” McElroy said.
The marble is a dreamy sage green with fine bronze veining, which complements the solid burnished brass range hood above the stovetop. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors have been masterfully deployed to conceal joinery and reflect the northern light through the kitchen and creating the illusion of a larger space. The mirrors are also broken up with a playful shaker profile, disguising a hidden functional butler’s pantry.
The kitchen was fitted with a grand custom timber showcase unit in a pinecone veneer, encasing artworks and ornamental pieces. Throughout, the floor has a chevron parquetry detail boarded by straight panels, contrasting the cool marble countertops.
Timber veneer showcase unit designed in “pinecone” with shadow lines add depth and interest.
“We left bare walls so we could bring art into it because I think a home without art doesn’t showcase the client enough,” said McElroy.
In the dining room, a Gervasoni pendant light hangs above a matte-black table made from thin, beaten brass. It is designed to be dynamic and gently undulates when the air around it is disrupted. On the bordering wall, McElroy mounted a calming Rick Carlino piece that she said, “makes you feel as though you’re underwater.”
The living room is encased in sheer willow linen curtains that create soft, diffuse natural light throughout the lounge. A two-metre-long, rose-gold sculptural artwork by Anya Pesce is the focal-point of the space, echoing the reflective play of light throughout the house. A burnished brass TV cabinet is bordered by a plush ruby velvet bench seat, providing a warm, soft contrast to the hard Elba marble.
Mirror Image is an experiment in contrasting and occasionally opposing materials, delving in an unconventional but arresting play of surfaces from venetian plaster to burnished bronze, and – of course – mirrors. McElroy manipulates light to her advantage through the many reflective surfaces, satisfying the client’s brief for a light and bright home and creating a greater sense of space in the duplex.
“It’s one of those projects that people don’t expect to like, but do,” said McElroy. “It might come across as ‘loud’, but when you’re in, it has so much personality and warmth. The mishmash of materials feels rich but still quite homely.”
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Floor-to-ceiling mirrors have been masterfully deployed to conceal joinery and reflect the northern light through the kitchen.
The Esmeralda quartzite counter is designed with a dramatic cantilever for people to sit around.
The sage green marble with fine bronze veining complements the solid burnished brass range hood.
The dining room features a huge Gervasoni pendant light that gently undulates in the breeze.
Timber veneer showcase unit designed in “pinecone” with shadow lines add depth and interest.
Timber veneer showcase unit designed in “pinecone” with shadow lines add depth and interest.
A Rick Carlino artwork in the dining room from M Contemporary.
The focal-point of the lounge is the two-metre rose-gold sculptural piece by Anya Pesce.
Fit for an entertainer: Mirror Image by Smac Studio
A plush burgundy velvet bench seat provides a warm, soft contrast to the hard marble.
The bathroom features reeded glass in black aluminium, with Elba marble flooring and verde Antigua marble detailing.
The staircase is intended to look as if it were built for the Tom Corbin sculpture and the Christopher Boots light.
The powder room under the stairs features a vanity in Verde Antigua marble with a rose-quartz sconce by Christopher Boots.
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