Stickybeak: How an Interior Designer Gave an Apartment 'Soul'
Matt black and crisp white surfaces are layered with texture and greenery to give this apartment heart and soul
This apartment in Queenscliff, Sydney, is the perfect example of a home that needed an interior designer’s touch. Jillian Dinkel Designs transformed a two-bedroom apartment devoid of detail and personality in a nondescript 1970s block into a luxe and comfortable home for her client, Steve Reid, to relax and entertain in.
“Steve is a busy creative professional who had lots of ideas and a vision of what he wanted, but not a lot of time to transform this into reality. I worked with Steve to take his ideas to a project-wide concept that carried through the custom joinery, furniture selection and styling,” says Dinkel. “But first and foremost, the home needed soul.”
“Steve is a busy creative professional who had lots of ideas and a vision of what he wanted, but not a lot of time to transform this into reality. I worked with Steve to take his ideas to a project-wide concept that carried through the custom joinery, furniture selection and styling,” says Dinkel. “But first and foremost, the home needed soul.”
Dinkel wanted to create a home that captured the light, bright airiness of the beachside location, while invoking the drama of dark, moody spaces. She balanced the white and black with texture: handmade pieces, vintage furnishings, rustic timber and washed linens.
The entry sets the tone for the house and is one of Dinkel’s favourite spaces to design. “Whether large or small, everyone needs serious organisation at the front door,” she says.
The entry sets the tone for the house and is one of Dinkel’s favourite spaces to design. “Whether large or small, everyone needs serious organisation at the front door,” she says.
A timber bench in the long entry is a place to drop bags and sit to put shoes on and off, and leather wall hooks are for coats and jackets. “I also included a large round mirror so Steve could give himself a final look over on his way out the door,” says Dinkel.
A custom-designed console has drawers for mail, keys and coins.
Dinkel kept the upper cabinetry in the kitchen and paired it with modern lower cabinets painted with matt-black Dulux ‘Klavier’. “Klavier has blue undertones that created the perfect balance with the warmth of the whitewashed timber floors,” says Dinkel.
Black appliances are integrated with the cabinetry, and gold and black hardware add contemporary metallic detail to the white cabinets.
Sharp black joinery is a signature of Dinkel’s designs, as are vintage pieces: “Vintage gives a room soul”, she says.
The dining area is packed with second-hand pieces, including an army-green metal dining table, which was Dinkel’s starting point. She added black leather and chrome chairs draped with soft, tan sheepskins and dug through Reid’s extensive collection of concert and rock posters to select the oversize Jimi Hendrix print, framed for the end wall.
The dining area is packed with second-hand pieces, including an army-green metal dining table, which was Dinkel’s starting point. She added black leather and chrome chairs draped with soft, tan sheepskins and dug through Reid’s extensive collection of concert and rock posters to select the oversize Jimi Hendrix print, framed for the end wall.
The wall shelves behind the dining table are made out of recycled railway sleepers and have been styled with a selection of Reid’s personal items, vintage art and greenery. “Shelf styling is an art form that brings a project to life,” says Dinkel.
So how to style a bookshelf? Dinkel gives her tips: “Firstly, start with a clean slate. Remove everything from your existing bookshelves and stack them in piles of items that relate to each other. For example, books, vases, collectables, artworks.
“Then I start with the largest items, which are usually coffee table books or stacks of magazines, and I randomly place these items on the bookshelves. I take a step back to see how it balances, then I progressively add the smaller pieces. It’s all about balancing colour (or lack thereof), size and shape. A good mix of textures and sizes work best with grouped items, and the rule of three is a good starting point.”
So how to style a bookshelf? Dinkel gives her tips: “Firstly, start with a clean slate. Remove everything from your existing bookshelves and stack them in piles of items that relate to each other. For example, books, vases, collectables, artworks.
“Then I start with the largest items, which are usually coffee table books or stacks of magazines, and I randomly place these items on the bookshelves. I take a step back to see how it balances, then I progressively add the smaller pieces. It’s all about balancing colour (or lack thereof), size and shape. A good mix of textures and sizes work best with grouped items, and the rule of three is a good starting point.”
The ‘rule of three’ means objects look better in a group of three. The easiest way to follow this rule is to display a similar set of objects together that may differ in size, shape or colour. Or take the opposite approach and mix and match objects that may be united by size, shape or colour.
“Remember that things can always be shifted and moved around. Keep playing with the placement of items until you’re totally happy,” says Dinkel.
Wall lights: Cedar & Moss
“Remember that things can always be shifted and moved around. Keep playing with the placement of items until you’re totally happy,” says Dinkel.
Wall lights: Cedar & Moss
Reid loves to entertain, so the living room furniture needed to be comfortable for relaxing alone and suitable for guests. Dinkel selected items with soft fabrics that spoke to the beachside location. Similarly, so does the black and white photograph of the ocean, with a white frame to keep the space light and airy.
The sofa from MCM House is upholstered in a washed navy linen and paired with tan leather chairs. A large rustic coffee table sits on a vintage rug sourced directly from a Moroccan market. And no room is complete without greenery. “A large Ficus exotica sits in prime position in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows,” says Dinkel.
Getting the right mix of materials and textures is no easy task. “The best way to accomplish a good mix is to bring in lots of different textures and materials in a restrained colour palette. Start with neutrals: creams, whites, greys and blacks. Then you can add punchier colours with pillows, throws and accessories,” says Dinkel.
The designer recommends working with samples whenever possible, before committing to big purchases: “They can help you see how materials look together, as well as how they will look against your existing floors and in the natural light of your room.”
The designer recommends working with samples whenever possible, before committing to big purchases: “They can help you see how materials look together, as well as how they will look against your existing floors and in the natural light of your room.”
A sliding glass door opens the living room to the outdoor area. This space was a key factor in Reid purchasing the apartment, so Dinkel needed to make the most of it.
The existing balcony was half the size it is now, with an overgrown garden that had very little visual appeal. Dinkel removed the garden and extended the deck space to allow for outdoor seating.
She custom designed the outdoor joinery with matt-black surface-mounted lighting and upholstery fabric by Sunbrella. The stepped joinery allows for plenty of seating for guests, and is regularly used for entertaining friends and family.
“Steve’s bedroom was small and dark and a lot of people’s first instinct might be to paint it the brightest possible white. However, it gave far more visual interest to paint a feature wall black and create a black, open wardrobe,” the designer says. “The resulting room has so much more depth and really draws you in.”
The linens are from In Bed and Pony Rider; and Dinkel and Reid collaborated on the art piece: “We found great inspiration photos of similar art pieces and made this ourselves”.
Bedside tables: Globe West
The linens are from In Bed and Pony Rider; and Dinkel and Reid collaborated on the art piece: “We found great inspiration photos of similar art pieces and made this ourselves”.
Bedside tables: Globe West
The feature wall and wardrobe are painted in Dulux ‘Klavier’, as used in the kitchen.
The existing wardrobe was the ubiquitous built-in with mirrored sliding door. “Steve really wanted to break the mould and do something dark and moody,” says Dinkel. He agreed to her open-wardrobe concept and it has become one of the favourite features of the design.
The existing wardrobe was the ubiquitous built-in with mirrored sliding door. “Steve really wanted to break the mould and do something dark and moody,” says Dinkel. He agreed to her open-wardrobe concept and it has become one of the favourite features of the design.
Dinkel custom designed the joinery based on Reid’s existing wardrobe and what needed to be displayed or concealed. It includes open shelves and rails, drawers, cupboards and even space for his washing basket, computer and stool. The leather pulls are by MadeMeasure.
The bathroom is the next stage of the project, and it too will feature matt black and crisp white surfaces layered with texture and greenery.
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Want more fresh and creative design? Take a look at last week’s Houzz Tour: The Brady Bunch Makes a Victorian Terrace Their Own
The bathroom is the next stage of the project, and it too will feature matt black and crisp white surfaces layered with texture and greenery.
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Want more fresh and creative design? Take a look at last week’s Houzz Tour: The Brady Bunch Makes a Victorian Terrace Their Own
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Steven Reid, a creative director. Bruce, the French bulldog, is an occasional visitor
Location: Queenscliff, NSW
Size: 70 square metres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Design: Jillian Dinkel Designs
The ground-floor apartment has a combined living/dining area, separate kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. It is also blessed with an outdoor space, which is unusual for the typical brick apartment blocks in the area.