Darling Point House

Senior interior designer Emma and No Chintz owner Chrissie worked closely with our Darling Point clients to bring their brief to fruition.

For travel savvy clients who come and go, with a swag of foreign postings between them, this apartment was going to be far from ordinary. Arriving back in Sydney and being somewhat startled by the beige ‘Sydney beach’ look which she saw in many interiors, a friend whispered in the client’s ear about an interior design practice which celebrated colour, and certainly wasn’t shy about bold statements.

It is quite clear to see how much joy and fun was had in decorating the Darling Point apartment by the clients and No Chintz. Starting with a blank slate, a high level apartment with stunning views that were to remain unobstructed at any cost was the main directive.

Cleverly, the lay-out of the apartment means the master bedroom and ensuite is separated from the study/guest room by the central living spaces. Every room in the apartment has stunning vistas.
 

While the trend for bedrooms in general is to go for restful colours and relaxing themes, the space in this apartment is soft and all about comfort, but bright, leaning towards the eastern light that streams into the room from the floor to ceiling glass. Celebrating the morning light, the walls are papered in a sunny geometric pattern.

Encircling the top of the bed is a curvaceous bedhead, repurposed from a smaller apartment accommodating a smaller bed. Given the No Chintz make-over, the bed head has been enlarged to embrace the king bed, upholstered in bright blue, green and yellow patterns, resplendent and relaxed against the golden tones of the bedroom walls. Hints of pink and peach in art works on the walls, scatter cushions on the bed and pleated shades for bedside lamps add rich layers of colour and texture to the space.
 

Behind a slim pelmet are tucked roller blinds for the hottest rays, but also hung behind the pelmet are floaty, shadowy curtains, lightly lined and adding a dreamy element from which to pass to the balcony of stunning views beyond. A pretty scallop-edged rug on the floor, a framed series of delicate antique batik fabrics in crisp white frames and the master suite is no cookie cutter space you could swap out with another so easily. For herein lies the client’s personality in every detail.
 

Kitchen to the right, bar console to the left and into the dining area. In this series of spaces, a bright aqua green has been chosen for the custom cabinetry. A bold custom sideboard with rounded ends sits alongside the dining table, topped in a smart grey terrazzo.
 

The aqua cabinetry and grey topped terrazzo is reflected in the bar console across from the kitchen entrance. Overhead, a statement pendant light sourced by No Chintz completes the eclectic picture.
 

A floral stripe roman blind hung directly from the ceiling against a window resplendent with Sydney views softens the framing of this space; the perfect balance is struck between bold and inviting.
 

Turning into the living spaces, the clients decided to take down the wall of a small third bedroom, making the living room an expansive area, loosely divided by the placement of furniture into a formal lounge, and then a space which acts more as a sunroom/reading room. It is more cosy, more intimate. The flexibility of bringing both spaces together for a large gathering is perfect for this couple who love to entertain.
 

The divided areas in the one large space are marked subtly: the cabinetry in the sunroom has more of the aqua colour, cleverly linking the space with the dining cabinets, while the main wall of shelves in the formal lounge are a serene white, backed by a pale, textured wallpaper, a perfect backdrop for specially collected treasures.
 

A pair of whimsical armchairs sourced by No Chintz, their arms and legs made from a candy cane turned wood stained dark, are upholstered in a duck egg blue boucle. They sing out cheerily to a bold pink sofa, deep and inviting. All anchored on a garden-of-paradise-like wool rug bursting with swirls of flowers and tendrils, blues, reds and orange. There is no lack of joyous colour here. Scatter cushions are pale yellow, more aqua, mixing in happily with special fabric pieces from far away posts turned into cushions. Along a side wall sits an ottoman, covered in a favourite Suzani throw from travels past.
 

A small passageway leads into the guest suite also cleverly acting as the client’s home office. The bedroom was certainly generous in size but to provide a large desk area as well? The No Chintz solution was to tuck a luxury Queen size murphy bed behind a beautifully panelled wall. Viola! Space to build in a streamlined desk/shelving unit, but easily cleared and the bed pulled down from the wall when friends come to stay. The study/guest room is a pleasure: the client was sure she didn’t want a stuffy, ‘Serious’ space. Instead, the brief was to infuse it with colour and patterns.
 

Choosing a bold, rounded palm leaf print in blues, reds and white, the roman blinds in here set the tone. The nautical blue is picked up in the cabinetry, and an abstract print wallpaper in red and white is the perfect backdrop. A red and white stripe upholstered armchair, an ikat shade on the standing lamp and cushions in tones of indigo and reds add the signature overlay that No Chintz do so well in collaboration with clients: nothing too prescribed, always highlighting precious pieces that hold meaning to the client.
 

The guest bathroom is a collection of small spaces: shower, toilet and bathroom, but the No Chintz team have cleverly given it a Turkish baths type feel, adding pretty white archways, while a blue and white herbaceous wallpaper adds to the special feel. A clever sliding pocket door in this corridor means the whole area between guest bedroom and bathroom can be discreetly closed off, offering any staying friend complete privacy. Careful, or they’ll never want to leave!

A visit to this apartment is a journey to another world, one that’s captured the owners’ best memories and favourite moments in all the details that either sit proudly on bookshelves and walls or tucked into a couch.

What’s clear is that the No Chintz team are masters at coaxing out the best of a clients favourite possessions and weaving them into the master plan to be enjoyed and appreciated by everyone who passes through this door.

 

 

If you would like further information on any of the fabrics, colours or finishes used in this project please contact your nearest No Chintz store.

For home makeovers, or to transform your favourite room, look no further than our Interior Decorating Services. From wall colours to curtains and floor coverings, Chrissie and the team of No Chintz decorators are available for onsite consultations to make your home dreams a reality. 

For more inspiration check out our completed projects or hear what our happy clients have to say.

Tina Gomes Brand is a freelance writer who searches out all things creative from food and architecture to travel, fashion and interiors. Brand writes from a broad experience of interacting with various cultures and collaborating with creative people everywhere.