Tuesday December 23 2008

In a world where neutral colours reign, it takes confidence to decorate with shades of gold, red and rich chocolate brown. The owners of this two-bedroom apartment have done just that, and pulled it off with flair.

An empty nest and the desire for a more relaxed lifestyle prompted the couple to downsize from a four-bedroom home on the outskirts of Brisbane to a low-maintenance apartment in the inner city, so they could just “lock up and go” when it came time to depart on one of their frequent overseas trips.

As part of a new development, the apartment was almost a blank canvas when it came to decor. So the owners enlisted interior designers Ruth Levine and Elizabeth Agostinho of RLD to transform the grey-and-white box into an elegant yet comfortable home.

Ruth says the decor is designed around an opulent east-meets-west theme, incorporating key designer pieces to keep the look contemporary. “We chose a palette of gold, chocolate and red to create a regal, ultra-luxurious feel,” she explains. Fabrics and wallpapers that feature stylised botanical patterns and wave-like swirls have been used to bring a hint of the outside in.

To the right of the entrance are the bedrooms, bathrooms and office, while the kitchen/informal living and formal dining/living areas are located to the left – along the waterfront side of the home – to make the most of the river views. This arrangement also creates a distinction between the public and private zones.

Ruth used a combination of sumptuous textures and gold highlights to enliven the open-plan formal living/dining area. A stucco-finished wall and large sofas in neutral tones complement a magnificent wool-art silk rug and cushions in velvet, silk and vintage linen (which, in turn, play up the watermark effect of the rug, says Ruth).

In the dining area, a timber and glass dining table is paired with upholstered chairs, while restrained-looking twin pendants hang over the table. The artwork over the table was commissioned to continue the gold theme from the living area and to balance the effect of the dark timber. For added interest, ruby-coloured ornaments are displayed in the kitchen and on the coffee table in the living area, reinforcing the connection between the zones.

Wenge-framed stools at the kitchen benchtop, as well as dining chairs and chocolate woven furniture out on the tiled terrace, tie the inside and outside spaces together – and provide a dramatic counterpoint to the grey and white granite. “It was very important to link the different zones throughout the home, to ensure that everything flowed,” says Ruth. “Brisbane is all about inside-outside living, and we designed this apartment to take full advantage of that.”

Likewise, every corridor is characterised by interesting views. “Everywhere you look there is a visual gift, a surprise,” says Ruth. “My favourite aspect is from the kitchen looking back into the main bedroom. The doorway frames the armchair and artwork – it just works so beautifully.”

One word describes her aesthetic aim for the main bedroom, says Ruth: “Glamour.” Chandeliers make unusual bedside lights and, for a further touch of luxe, an earth-toned fabric with a slight metallic sheen was used to cover the wall behind the bed. “I designed this bedroom a bit like an evening dress,” she says, with a laugh.

Down the hall is a second bedroom, which was decorated for the couple’s daughter, who lives in Europe. “In this room, we created a sophisticated and feminine ambience. A feature wall of Florence Broadhurst Egrets wallpaper also carries the red through from the living areas,” says Ruth.

Completing the floorplan is an office with a feature wall that has become a real talking point among the couple’s family and friends. “To mix things up, we made red the dominant hue in this room,” says Ruth.

The stucco finish adds a tactile element that the owners love. “It’s the combination of colour and texture that makes the decor in this room – and the entire home – a success.”