5 reasons why this Sydney home defines Australian style
Interior designers Arent & Pyke have a knack for decorating homes that are the embodiment of Australian modern living. Take their Pavilion House, for example, in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
This is a beautiful case study in modern Australian style done extremely well, and it encapsulates the five central themes and trends we're seeing right now in Australian homes - across architecture, interiors, furnishing and landscape design.
So what are the five reasons why this Sydney home defines Australian style? Read on...
1. Mixed materials for a modern look
In the stunning kitchen of the Pavilion House, Arent & Pyke have created a carefully considered and cohesive space that combines a number of mixed materials. The drop-dead gorgeous marble, which is used as a sophisticated splashback and benchtop, is used alongside a timber bench, combined with three knock-out hammered copper pendant lights. The overall look is light and modern, and while there is a lot of expensive marble used in this kitchen, it's balanced by the warmth in both the timber benchtop, hard wood floors and the copper pendants. It's a beautifully modern yet completely timeless look, achieved by the careful balance of materials, without going overboard on any one 'trend'.
2. Open living spaces
Australian living is perhaps embodied best of all by our relaxed living style, where big open spaces combine various purposes and zones. It's where family and friends of different ages can gather in the same room; with kids sprawled around the sofas, people congregating around the food prep in the kitchen, while others chat and linger over a drink at the dining table.
3. Light and air flow is maximised
Because of our sub-tropical climate here in Sydney, we're finding more ways to maximise light and the flow of natural air. In the Pavilion house, you can see clever use of louvred windows to create a cross-flow of air, combined with white painted walls and natural timber finishes. It's this light and bright look that has been best defined by Scandinavian style, and despite our vastly different climates, it's a look that also works very well in modern Australian homes.
4. Inside/Outside
Australians are now perfectly accustomised to the idea of the 'outdoors room', and many homes revolve around establishing an easy flow between the indoor living space and the outdoors. (Mozzies and flies be gone.) In the Pavilion House, the use of fold-back doors creates one big inside-outside room. The positioning of the pool and light-coloured tiles portrays a mini 'beach' area, and Arent & Pyke have played with our emblematic colours of beach, sand and sun.
5. Luxe Comfort
The overall impression of the Pavilion House is of relaxed, casual comfort. However, there is a distinct sense of luxury, in terms of luxury of space, and luxe finishes such as marble. Yet, comfort and practical solutions reign in this home, with cosy seating nooks, functional and accessible storage cupboards and family-friendly open spaces.
All five concepts demonstrated in the Pavilion House have been stunningly conceptualised and executed by Arent & Pyke.
Little wonder, then, that the house has been recognised for its outstanding design. It's been shortlisted for Residential Decoration in the 2014 Australian Interior Design Awards; it won Room of the Year in House and Garden's Top 50 Rooms; and it was shortlisted for Best Residential Interior Design in the 2014 IDEA Interior Design Excellence Awards.
See more of the Pavilion House at Arent & Pyke.
Photography by Anson Smart
Love Arent & Pyke's style? Check out their Figtree House, a beachside Victorian terrace in Sydney.
