Mosman Harbour-View House

If it’s not the panoramic harbour views that dazzle you at Mosman Harbour View House, it’s the elegant, harmonious interiors. Meticulously designed by Warren Au of Studio Gestalt alongside Studio Aem, the interior renovation of this magnificent home in Sydney’s Mosman answered the owners’ call for a sophisticated and fresh identity that would flawlessly marry new additions with the house’s existing features.

The Susan Rothwell Architects-designed, five-storey house on a double block ticked all of the architectural boxes when Warren’s clients bought it from the house’s original owners, but it was missing something – their personal style.

“The [clients] had a very detailed brief,” says Warren. “They wanted something high-end and classical, but also timeless, and they had these brands in their heads that they wanted in regards to furniture, so one part of the brief was of course sourcing all these big brands.” In fact, the project scope was initially just for these furniture brands – luxury Italian names like Poltrona Frau, Baxter, Cappellini and Giorgetti, now harmoniously peppered throughout the refreshed home – and a comprehensive joinery package.

However, the brief quickly grew to include space planning work throughout the home, to ensure the homeowners felt that each room was truly their own. That involved carving one bedroom into two, installing French oak herringbone flooring, redesigning the kitchen and bar area – including adding a butler’s kitchen and installing luxurious dolomite surfaces, adding a dance studio, rejigging the master bedroom and even squeezing in an art consultation.

The master suite was reconfigured, with a new walk-in-robe implemented and its ensuite was updated with new fixtures and fittings, with curved silhouettes and thoughtful details such as brass-inlay cabinetry and handcrafted tiles integrated throughout. Many of the spaces within this immense home were so expansive they required Warren to create zones within them – distinct and defined spaces within the room itself – to increase the feeling of warmth and comfort. “I really defined areas within an area, zoning them out because they were just so big.”

12 months after the refurbishment began, the owners were left with a luxurious, layered and warm interior that today continues to deliver everything they wanted and more. A neutral palette sets the tone, with decadent yet tasteful textures of velvet and leather punctuated by subtle patterns in silk-wool rugs and upholstery, and striking shapes cascading from the ceiling in the form of pendant lights. All the while, the house’s original, traditional fireplaces and decorative French windows blend seamlessly into the new design. “We stuck to one type of timber veneer, one type of metal, and we let the furniture speak for itself – nothing competed, it all works harmoniously,” says Warren.

This amounts to a house that feels calm, warm and inviting despite its size, with each space serving a singular purpose without ever compromising on aesthetic. It’s a house that’s “homely but high end,” as Warren puts it – not an easy feat, and one often best left up to the experts.

“It pays to invest in a proper designer/architect – it really does,” Warren says. “To achieve something like this, trust the designers, trust the architects. If anything, we are helping the client minimise variations and get properly designed from the word go.

“If the client is over the moon at the end, at handover, I've done my job, and with this project we had super happy clients.”

It’s not hard to see why.

Words by Madelin Tomelty

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Architect's description:

Sited on a double block in Sydney’s Mosman with panoramic harbour views, Studio Gestalt worked alongside Studio Aem on the renovation and refurbishment of this five-level home. While the architectural envelope was contemporary and needed little work, the generous interior called for a sophisticated new identity.

The scope, initially moderate furniture specifications and a comprehensive joinery package, grew to a full-scale project that involved carving one bedroom into two, installing French Oak herringbone flooring and art consultation. Key to the concept was seamlessly blending any new additions with existing features such as the traditional fireplaces and decorative French windows.

While the rustic travertine kitchen floors were retained, the space was reorganised and modernised, tempered by the installation of luxurious dolomite surfaces and cleverly integrated timber joinery. A light touch was applied to all seven bathrooms, but special treatment was given to the master ensuite, gutted and updated with new fixtures, fittings and curved silhouettes. On a micro level, thoughtful design details extend from brass-inlay cabinetry to handcrafted tiles.

In response to the client brief, the interiors are appointed in high-end Italian pieces from Baxter, Poltrona Frau and Cappellini. Set against a tonally neutral backdrop, rich leathers and velvets play out in a palette of oatmeal, almond and charcoal, offset by the subtle patterns in silk-wool rugs and upholstery. Striking pendant lights were selected for the vast living and dining areas, adding an element of drama to the elegant scheme.

Photography: Anson Smart