Masculine on the Harbour

photography by Carla Atley

Fremantle has great things ahead of it as a future port of call for large cruise ships, with planning underway to connect the town centre to the water’s edge. And this building stands right in the dress circle.

It was a tired beauty though and renovations included updating the kitchen, painting and carpeting and landscaping the barren little courtyard. To soften the glazed semi circle of the front of the apartment, we hung sheer linen curtains by Zepel, extending them generously to the entrance.

We wrapped the kitchen cupboards in white and exchanged the orange glass splashback to coated mirror. Magically, this brings the views right in- it looks even better with cocktails by night. Soft beige tones were chosen for the walls and a gorgeous aubergine for the bedroom carpets, inspred by the plum veins in the nineties marble flooring. The bedside sconces of the main suite glimmer in brass, with tiny perforations that sparkle at night.

After the hard logistical work of renovating, it was wonderful to shop for the decorating stage of the project. My clients’ love for iconic furniture pieces meant we invested considerable time researching the history and visiting beautiful showrooms in Perth. It was inspiring to see the passion of the staff and hear stories of how pieces conceived 50 years ago are being brought back into production.

With such a large open space to funish, we choose a generous rug to delineate the lounge area, with the Tre Pezzi chairs by Cassina anchoring the setting without obscuring the view. The dining area was set next to the courtyard, giving a room 6 floors into the sky a garden outlook. Finally, a glorious ‘dropzone’ moment was made adjoining the kitchen, by combining the owners’ marble topped antique sideboard with Memphis style table lamps and a joyous riot of abstract art.