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interior exterior design |
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suzie beirne m.d.i.a
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Project Axis |
Suzie Beirne
PROJECT: GARDEN APARTMENT AXIS -
As a designer, working with my clients day in and day out on forming the basis for their new and renovated homes, I have always urged them to start with a neutral palette and add the interest and colour from there. This apartment appealed to me in that way. I could start from scratch, buying off the plan.
The architect and developer, Gary Willemsen, was more than happy to accommodate changes that allowed me to personalise the apartment. This was a major consideration when deciding to purchase - having always designed my own homes - but the architectural elements were superb, the spacial allocation was just right.
Initially the interior scheme of white upon white upon white was too much for someone known for her love of colour but with Gary happily incorporating finishes that softened the concept including some important lifestyle design changes and with the assistance of my own design team I was able to meld the things I loved about the place with my own decor style and colour influences.
The whole building has striking architectural elements - bold use of stone and glass, and large areas of soaring space.
Within my own apartment, large white gloss floor tiles have been offset by flamed bethel granite slabs inside and out - floating from one level to the next and using metals like unfinished galvanised steel that give a raw and unusual teaming of elements.
The concept of teaming opposing elements repeats itself with a combination of matt khaki 2-pack, gloss marble calacutta splashbacks
The most important element is the sheer volume of space , the soaring voids, glass walls looking down into the living room, the entry, the garden - always one space leading and linking to another more inviting than the last. It is the absolute philosophy of my own design.
With decor always being a work in progress in my own homes, my art and objects form the starting points for furnishings and for the rich earthy colours I personally like to live with. This means that the garden is an important backdrop and until I have the two working in tandem I cant settle.
To that end I believe there should always be one strong influence used to create your environment - even if it is just an urge for beautiful timber floors or a particular colour that you are passionate about. In this apartment the bold architectural lines work back perfectly with my overly large art and strong colour elements.
Strong architecture, overscale but minimal furnishings and careful use of texture and balance have worked well in this small but open space. It is modern but it is warm and welcoming.
Even though this is my own home it epitomises the relationship that I would always prefer to develop with my client - a sincere understanding of their lifestyle and how they really want to live, as opposed to what they have been used to in the past.
Times change and so does the way we live - I always considered a large dining area important but now I eat out more than in and my priorities have changed. The demands of modern life are changing so quickly we have to keep abreast of that in the way we decorate and build our own homes.
These changes are reflected in the inclusion of state of the art media and theatre - in this apartment a large screen slides down from a hidden chanel over one wall, with a ceiling recessed projector and strategically placed speakers transforming an open plan living area by day into a full-on theatre by night.
Lots of planning when it came to lighting and pre-wiring ensured that everything was in place for the final fitout - working with your designer at those early stages is most important. As my own client I never argued with the process - planning ahead, thinking ahead and step by step pulling all the elements together.
I get a great deal of pleasure when a project is complete and my clients can stand back and admire the results, knowing that their personal input has played such an important part.
As consultant designers we specialise in exclusive individual design - especially important when it comes to residential
work. Our expertise extends to both interior and exterior design - for new construction or renovation we specialise in
pulling together all the design elements of the project from the initial concept with architect or design draftsman through
With the design overview and our clients goals firmly in mind we have been able to inject that something special into all the projects we have undertaken. That special something doesn't happen by chance - we plan it, nurture it and guide it every step of the way.
SUZIE BEIRNE M.D.LA. Studio, 20 George Street, By Appointment only Mob: 0418 758 389 |
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