Located on an ideal site opposite the Cronulla Sailing Club and on the farthest reach of Gunnamatta Bay in Sydney’s south, mid-century modernism guided the design of this expansive property. An overall feeling of calm was achieved by taking a pared-back approach, using soft tones and natural finishes befitting its serene beachside setting.
Interior Design by Mim Design. Architecture by Vitale Design. Photography by Nicholas Watt. Styling by STUDIO CD.
This cool and restful home is anchored by a simple yet flexible floorplan and robust materials. Honed limestone floors and polished plaster walls wrap the living spaces, and lining board on the ceilings play up the mid-century theme. The concave kitchen island and the gentle inverted curve of the fireplace softens the rigidity of the stone, while timber batten details interrupt expanses of marble in the bathrooms.
The living room has sightlines to the kitchen and the poolside entertaining zone. Timber batten joinery brings texture to the space, wrapping around to form a bookcase and reappearing as a sliding screen over the television. The Agra rug by Armadillo & Co. merges with the stone floor, while the blush of the sofa picks up the accent in the Sarah crowESTartwork on the wall. Ceramic and bronze sculptures are organic touches in the muted space, their curves and vertical lines echoing those in the furniture, such as the Cinetique floor lamp by Martin Hirth for Ligne Roset and classic Hans Wegner Circle chair.
Tucked behind the entry wall is a much-used lounging nook, illuminated by a Douglas and Bec Line pendant. An Innate side table by Jon Goulder for Spence & Lyda and rattan ottomans by Franco Alibini for Sika Design combine with art in the form of a Carol Crawford sculpture, one in a vast collection that Studio CD curated for the home, and an Antonia Mrljak painting.
"THE COOL, RESTFUL INTERIORS FEATURE AN UNDERSTATED BUT ROBUST MATERIALS PALETTE THAT INCLUDES HONED-LIMESTONE FLOORS, POLISHED PLASTER WALLS WITH OAK-BATTEN PANELING, AND A MARBLE KITCHEN ISLAND." – Peter Webster
Upstairs, the generous master suite enjoys bay views. Referencing a popular 1950's joinery detail, the Vitale team played with the grain structure, interrupting the vertical line by running the timber horizontally across the lower section of the door and bedhead. A walk-in robe is behind, and the self-contained nursery is within earshot. In front of the bed is a Reeno upholstered bench from Grazia & Co. The photographic work is by Isamu Sawa.
INGREDIENTS
Furniture, Art & Decor – Anibou, Domo Australia, Spence & Lyda, Great Dane Furniture, Thonet, Grazia and Co, Studio Hacienda, Kezu, Fred International, Robert Plumb, M Contemporary, Emily Ellis – The DEA Store, Katherine Watson –Utopia Art Sydney, James King – Becker Minty, Ondene, Curatorial & co, Marloe Marloe, Studio Cavit, Stephan Ormandy, Tania Rollond, Armadillo & co, Domo Australia, Robert Plumb, Carol Crawford – M Contemporary, Euroluce, Walter Auer, Graphis Art and Framing, Modern Times, Papaya, Societe Limonta, Hale Mercantile Co, Maison Et Jardin, Parterre Woollahra, Cultiver Linen, Camie Lyons– Australian Galleries, Oliver Thom Store, Damon Moon, Art2Muse, Studio Henry Wilson.