Conscious Restraint – Darling Point by Studio ZAWA

Expressing the ebb and flow of time and marking an inflection point in the life of its inhabitant, Darling Point sees an original 1960s-era apartment given a new chapter. Presented with the opportunity to craft a uniquely personal home that engages both the surrounds and its owner, Studio ZAWA focused on celebrating connections holistically throughout – between the old and new, between the people who come and go, and between past, present, and future.

“Designed for a downsizer, this apartment explores ideas of distillation,” describes Studio ZAWA Director Colebee Wright. In comprising the most aligned response to the existing apartment, the motions of transition between differing stages in life were considered through a sensitive lens. “How do you curate a lifetime of ideas, experiences and possessions into a coherent space that both celebrates and enhances a life well lived?” asks Colebee. The key lay in the weaving of personal significance throughout the design.

In comprising the most aligned response to the existing apartment, the motions of transition between differing stages in life were considered through a sensitive lens.

With the original building – designed by Peddle, Thorp and Walker – inspired by and named after the Roman goddess of salt water, Salacia, each room intentionally directs views out toward the water. Maintaining and celebrating this connection was crucial to the continued narrative of the building and its architectural presence. “Working with the existing layout, we focused on framing and reflecting views of the harbour in playful ways through the use of mirrors, joinery and sheer curtains,” explains Colebee. “Our ambition was to help the owner enjoy the view at scale but also appreciate some of the smaller moments set within in the larger view.”

Having felt a connection to the Claude Monet room in the Chichu Art Museum in Japan, the client wanted to balance a sense of minimalist calm with a material tactility. The heightening of craft and a focus on detailing is an important directive that acts as a counterpoint to the base architectural shell, which was designed to be recessive enough to allow the select possessions brought forward to remain the focus. “The material palette is deliberately muted, relying heavily on the handcrafted micro cement floors, walls and Tadelakt bathrooms to provide a sense of movement and tactility,” Colebee describes. “The spaces we have created are carefully detailed compositions, but they are purposefully calm.”

The overlaying of a sense of order among the extensive northern views to the harbour and Clarke Island ensures a certain natural hierarchy was created internally, accentuating the elements that were not able to be altered.

Needing to accommodate a consistent roster of visitors, considering the sizeable shift in scale from the client’s previous residence, the new house needed to still allow a sense of coming together. “The home is a space that can expand and contract to accommodate family but also allows time for individual reflection and retreat,” says Colebee, “a space, not unlike a gallery, that elevates the owner’s possessions through their carefully curated display.” The overlaying of a sense of order among the extensive northern views to the harbour and Clarke Island ensures a certain natural hierarchy was created internally, accentuating the elements that were not able to be altered.

Whilst a northern aspect is ideal for living areas and daytime use, orienting other more passive spaces away from that natural light was not an option. “There are no windows on the west and south of the apartment, which puts the space at risk of being overly bright in the morning and in shadow in the afternoon,” describes Colebee. “We felt it was important to soften the strongly directional morning light and promote a soft, day round glow to the apartment.” By composing a palette of matte finish materials, light is instead absorbed and not amplified internally, reducing glare. Further softening and buffering the building edge is the integration of white sheer window coverings, which work together with the warm Tasmanian oak joinery to ensure that the home feels warm and inviting.

Through close collaboration, the architecture and interior design are conceived in tandem. “You can see how the restraint within the spaces enhances the strong and distinctive pieces chosen, [creating] a space without edges in which the possessions and furniture of the owner take centrestage,” Colebee reflects. The catharsis of downsizing from a full and expansive home into a much smaller, dramatically different environment brings a release of sorts, and the home needed to capture that sense of peace. “The client wanted a space that removed clutter, played with light and spoke to the experiences she most cherished in her life,” says Colebee. This, combined with a “desire to maximise space, ceiling heights and conceal existing services” has informed the curved and refined architectural language present in the design, “making the spatial experience richer and more interesting.”

Through drawing on lived experience and moments that continue to deliver joy for the owner, Darling Point integrates a curated collection among moments of nostalgia. As a continuance of connection to time, Studio ZAWA overlays a connection to a new place that celebrates light, views and an overarching sense of stillness, enhancing the everyday.

Further softening and buffering the building edge is the integration of white sheer window coverings, which work together with the warm Tasmanian oak joinery to ensure that the home feels warm and inviting.