Hopewood by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects

Opening Hopewood to its breathtaking Sydney Harbour views, Madeleine Blanchfield Architects readies this home for its next chapter with a spirited atmosphere that feels innately Australian.

After inheriting the property from their late parents, the clients approached Madeleine Blanchfield Architects to maximise the potential of the apartment before selling. Spanning two wings of a 1970s building in Sydney’s Darling Point, the apartment held promise yet had not been touched for decades. “There were significant issues, including solid walls in the way of one of Sydney’s best views,” says director Madeleine Blanchfield. The expansive floor plan – once comprising two separate apartments merged by a previous owner – also lacked clarity, with a series of spatial arrangements and circulation paths impairing its atmosphere and sense of connection. The team were entrusted to reshape the home for an unknown future owner, inspiring them to explore new possibilities and prioritise the most fitting solution for the site.

“It wasn’t until the end of the project that the views were revealed as the final piece of the puzzle – an astonishing moment,” recalls Blanchfield.

The brief was simple yet ambitious: “make it as good as you possibly can,” recalls Blanchfield, yet the approach was not purely objective. “We wanted to honour the family’s memories of the property; particularly special moments spent on its small inbound balcony.” Investigations revealed the splayed-footprint building had a robust concrete exoskeleton, “a structural game-change” that allowed the property’s brick walls – internal and external – to be demolished. This bold move liberated the design to consider the north-facing living spaces as an expansive indoor-outdoor space to be enjoyed year-round, suspending the eleventh-floor apartment among 270-degree views of Sydney Harbour, which span from the city skyline, iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House to the heads towards Rose Bay. “Once the walls were down, the facade was quickly boarded up to protect from prevailing winds. It wasn’t until the end of the project that the views were revealed as the final piece of the puzzle – an astonishing moment,” recalls Blanchfield.

Unusually, the building’s concrete columns were set back from its corners, allowing for unobstructed corner views that enhance the space’s freeing dynamic. Fine, sliding window suites by Vitrocsa pull into the corners, enabling the space to be adjusted in response to weather conditions and the occupants’ needs. “Lifting these wide expanses of glazing up to the eleventh floor was challenging. They were craned up, blowing in the wind, but it was worth it,” says Blanchfield. The result is an open and inviting setting – at once immersed in the elements but well protected from them.

Movement between spaces is intuitively guided, and sightlines unfurl as one moves through the space – a through line in Madeleine Blanchfield Architects’ work.

Transitioning into the interior, “the mood becomes cosier and more permanent in nature,” says Blanchfield. Movement between spaces is intuitively guided, and sightlines unfurl as one moves through the space – a through line in Madeleine Blanchfield Architects’ work. Given the apartment’s entry point was fixed, the team enveloped a circular shroud in blush-toned Breccia Pernice marble to welcome and orientate occupants, “rather than barrelling into the middle of the apartment,” says Blanchfield.

While Hopewood’s new layout celebrates openness, Madeleine Blanchfield Architects sought definition between settings, with varied atmospheres and contemplative moments. A central column is widened with integrated storage, forming an anchor point for a spiritual, abstract painting by Central Australian artist Kathleen Petyarre from Michael Reid. The kitchen sits to the east and the dining space to the west, each anchored by monolithic travertine gestures. Stepped ceiling heights and subtle directional changes in the French oak floorboards strengthen this formal zoning, delivering three spaces in one. The apartment’s bedroom wing offers secluded spots. A curved wall conceals entry to the main bedroom suite, where a bespoke bedhead grounds the layout and directs sightlines back to Darling Point.

Madeleine Blanchfield Architects’ careful curation of materials offers a warm, textured and substantial quality that grounds Hopewood against its commanding views.

Madeleine Blanchfield Architects’ careful curation of materials offers a warm, textured and substantial quality that grounds Hopewood against its commanding views. “The materials are fresh yet nostalgic, with classic accents offering a nod to the established heritage character of Darling Point,” says Blanchfield. Venetian plaster walls and ceilings offer subtle movement and tactility, linen curtains soften natural light, and marble and travertine elements add a sense of distinction. Monastic gestures are paired with fine detail – frameless doors, mosaic tiles, delicate lighting and solid bronze cabinet pulls, tapware and trims. “The materials are almost Italianate, but the apartment feels very Australian given there is restraint in their application.”

In collaboration with stylist Jack Milenkovic, the team thoughtfully layered Hopewood with striking furniture, lighting and art that enriches its relaxed narrative. “It was unusual to compose the interior without the input of a client, but it allowed us to interrogate the best outcome for each space and explore our curiosities,” says Blanchfield. Contemporary pieces from the likes of Gervasoni and Henry Timi sit alongside iconic pieces designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Charlotte Perriand and Marcel Breuer, lending a design-focused feel to complement the location. The width and panoramic views of the indoor-outdoor space posed a unique challenge, which has been elegantly addressed with a centralised Le Mura sofa by Mario Bellini for Tacchini, inviting occupants to perch and lounge from all sides.

“The pared-back design celebrates the property’s sense of place. Our job is to carefully curate that and stand back.”

Reflecting on her practice’s broader design ethos, “we tend to approach houses as sites rather than interior fit-outs, and we always consider how to best harness the qualities and opportunities we’ve got to work with,” says Blanchfield. Hopewood expresses this sentiment boldly and with refinement, connecting the property’s future homeowners to the quintessential beauty of Sydney Harbour. “The pared-back design celebrates the property’s sense of place. Our job is to carefully curate that and stand back.”

Architecture and interior design by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects. Build by Venari Projects. Engineering by Steve Whelan & Associates. Joinery by Alice Lane. Timber flooring by Made by Storey. Windows by Vitrocsa. Artwork by Angela Hayes, Louise Olsen, Kathleen Petyarre and Astrid Salomon.