A Dream Home for Downsizers

In smart Sydney suburb Kirribilli, Mathieson Architects designed this apartment to feel more like a house, its views of Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge adding to the wow factor

Contemporary new-build residential blocks are rare in Kirribilli, an upscale harbourside neighbourhood on Sydney’s Lower North Shore. Adding a pop to the area’s slopes is new boutique development Kirribilli Avenue, designed by Sydney practice Mathieson Architects. The studio’s founder and design director Phillip Mathieson knew the apartments would be sought after by downsizers, so he and his team ‘tried to imbue the quality of a house into an apartment space.’

Set over two levels, the expansive Kirribilli Apartment is one of four in the sleek building. As Mathieson explains, it’s designed so that ‘essentially a couple could just live on one floor’. The hotel-chic master bedroom sits beside the living room, kitchen, bathroom, dressing room and study on the main upper level, while two ensuite bedrooms, a media room, sitting room and ground-floor garden beckon below. The home was snapped up by a downsizing couple who now live on the main floor; their adult son and visitors stay on the lower level. The kitchen is set back off the living area, so it feels more like the layout of a traditional house. ‘We didn’t want it to feel like a standard apartment, but more a private home. If you’re in the living space, you’re not fully aware of the kitchen,’ Mathieson says. 

It was also important to Mathieson that the design emphasised the amazing views of Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. ‘We tried to get a great inside-out connection and lots of light. The spacious balcony was key,’ he says. Just off the main living space, it acts as an extension of the living area, with a limestone floor flowing seamlessly from inside to outside. A serene palette of neutral tones and natural materials ensures the interiors don’t distract from the city’s icons outdoors. ‘We left them as the heroes,’ Mathieson says of the views.

‘Quiet luxury’ is the practice’s signature style — subtle, minimal and understated. ‘We always strive for very simple, clean spaces with an element of calmness,’ says Mathieson. ‘There are details everywhere, but nothing screams at you.’ Furniture, timbers, leathers and fabrics add an extra tactile layer, including woven abaca and hand-knotted silk rugs. Italian Henry Timi designed the sculptural round wooden table (‘an artwork in its own right,’ says Mathieson) and elongated coffee table in the living room, which figures alongside crafted timber pieces by the late Christian Liaigre. Sydney designer Jonathan West contributed bespoke joinery and individualised bedheads and cabinets. Pivot doors throughout offer eye-catching thresholds that enhance spatial flow.

The courtyard is a standout feature, a light well that illuminates the darker rear of the apartment. Sliding glass doors open up to it from the master bathroom, which has a freestanding, custom-made timber bath. ‘It’s a meditative little space,’ says Mathieson. ‘It’s something unexpected.’

Text / Sophie Davies
Images / Romello Pereira