Understated Luxury – Bay View House by Fox Johnson and Alwill Interiors

Through a grounded approach, texture and natural elements add depth to Bay View House, anchoring it to its coastal locale. Fox Johnston and Alwill Interiors combine to instil an understated luxury, with an emphasis on detail, refinement and an open connection between the inside and out.

In its Mosman siting, the clients were familiar with the process of designing and building, having done so in the neighbouring property, and wanted their latest iteration to elevate both the experience and the outcome. As a shared collaboration, the architecture is conceived by Fox Johnston, with the interiors and styling by Alwill Interiors. Wanting to ensure the home felt considered in every element, the likely pairing allowed an in-depth appreciation of the site to be uncovered and expressed through the resulting proposal. Connecting to its place, the home is one weighted in the use of natural stone and heavier masonry elements, while also being open and light in its visual connectedness to the ocean and views outward. The balance between rough and polished and the sandstone of its base with the dynamism of the water becomes the inspiration for the home.

As a softening of the more sharply executed architectural elements, the interiors approach utilises textures and softness to layer richness, while still maintaining access to natural light and a shared openness. Through an embedded refinement, quality and tactility become the expression of luxury intended by the clients, with nuanced gestures heightening the experience of being within the home. The combination of natural sandstone with warming and muted timber injects the familiar and connects to the natural, while large format light coloured porcelain tiles underfloor extend from the interior out into the rear landscaped space, as a nod to the continuation of function.

The combination of natural sandstone with warming and muted timber injects the familiar and connects to the natural.

Throughout, the connection beyond the home becomes an important marker and connection to place, and ensuring sightlines were maintained was imperative. The selection of layered furniture and integration of joinery allows these principles to remain uninterrupted and the use of lighter elements allows an increased perception of volume. The clear diffusion of thresholds between the inside and outdoor spaces acts as an instigator of movement, encouraging a crossing over of both function and comfort between the zones, embracing a passively cooled environment. The careful integration low maintenance and robust landscape elements then completes the picture of the home as the ideal family enclave, elevated through considered detail.

Bay View House remains true to its namesake, connected to the bay through an anchored permanence and use of natural locally sourced stone. Fox Johnston and Alwill Interiors have further carved a protective outpost of comfort and luxury from which to watch the passing activity in the bay.

Through an embedded refinement, quality and tactility become the expression of luxury intended by the clients, with nuanced gestures heighten the experience of being within the home.