Places and Spaces: This Penthouse Blends Spanish Architecture and Parisian Styling Perfectly

Attention all interior décor lovers: you don't want to scroll past this one. When you hear that interior design studio Arent & Pyke, stylist Claire Delmar and photographer Anson Smart have collaborated on a Spanish mission-style penthouse in Sydney's Bellevue Hill, you just know that the results are going to be out of this world. The local creative team have all played their part in resurrecting this 1920s gem to its most impressive form, and the end product is something we'd only imagined in our interior dreams. While we're not lucky enough to call this luxury harbourside apartment home, we're happy to browse through these divine images and take notes as we go.

With structural bones that even the most stylish Parisian would drool over, the design team at Arent & Pyke had a very strong foundation on which to add their signature magic to. The word 'romance' is used to describe the apartment, with fluted archways and original French-style garland frieze that provide the spaces with a sense of grandeur and elegance that is unmatched in today's new builds. A light, graceful touch has been employed here, with careful thought given to preserving the heritage beauty of the penthouse and its design integrity. Gorgeous chevron floors line the apartment and help to ground the lofty home, with Persian rugs layered for comfort. The mixture of warm tones in these handmade heirlooms have been lifted and applied to the furnishings throughout—with twin quilted armchairs wrapped in fuschia velvet (almost) stealing the show from the leafy harbourside view beyond the archways.

Expertly-curated collections of artwork and decorating items continue to complement the warm, Mediterranean-style palette, with glass vases in fiery yellows and cushions in sunburnt rust hues. You can't miss a huge canvas that hangs above the low line white sofa and whose circular motif is like a rising sun when raised to meet the glistening horizon visible through windows from every angle. A bold black cabinet and fireplace in the living room start to set the tone for what's to come in the rest of the apartment.

Both contemporary and classic at the same time, the bold move to paint the kitchen cabinetry in a deep olive colour is one of our favourite parts of the entire renovation. Brass pull handles and a matching pendant light solidify the elegant aesthetic. To keep things fresh, an exposed timber shelf sits atop a backsplash of white handmade tiles and displays a vignette of collected ceramic pieces worthy of showing off. Moving into cooler territory, a striking bathroom makes use of the tactile white tiles seen previously and puts a spin on the look with a blue-grey finish to the cabinetry that sets off the marble countertop just perfectly. A moody framed figure print truly transports you to the city of love, and the monochrome touches throughout add a sense of romance to this sanctuary.

Images courtesy of Arent & Pyke. Styling by Claire Delmar and Photography by Anson Smart.

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