Richly Layered – Kent Street Project by Paredes Design Office and CB Interiors
As a careful redesign of an existing and prominently located apartment, Kent Street Project draws from the layered past of the building in proposing the new iteration. Paredes Design Office and CB Interiors propose a warm and inviting pied-à-terre for its owners, focusing on natural elements and a resounding timelessness.
Set within an established location and building, Kent Street Project sees the renovation of an existing apartment into a contemporary iteration of its previous self. Located in Millers Point, with views towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, the reimagining of the home takes advantage of the site’s location. In collaboration with CB Interiors, Paredes Design Office opens the formally separated interior within the structural limitations of the building, ensuring a more deliberate connection outward; the design of the newly sculpted home aims to better speak to both its location and the expression of its owners.
Due to its size, Kent Street Project was a natural setting as a pied-à-terre offering. Centrally located, the residence offers a connection to inner Sydney whilst also being of a compact scale to ensure easy maintenance. Sited within the Observatory Tower, the new insertions and alterations aim to balance some of the more richly layered nods from the building’s past with elements that reflect the owner. Like many buildings of its time, a formal separation through planning resulted in a lack of direct internal sunlight and, in this case, meant a disconnect from the surrounding views; correcting this attribute became a focal point of the apartment’s redesign.
In modernising the interior, Kent Street Project gains an embedded warmth through use of natural materiality. After a complete demolition of the existing, the new spaces were formed from a position of openness and to enable a capture of the surrounding views. The combination of bronze detailing with American oak, timber flooring and travertine stone all add a depth to the resulting spaces, which will gracefully patina and age over time. The overall warmth of the home becomes increased as a result of the comprising palette whilst also keeping a sense of balance through the insertion of lighter elements.
