Babak Aryaie from Arya Interiors describes the two original units as, “Part of a residential complex, built approximately 30 years ago. Thus, the features, details, materials and size of the units were considered outdated and deemed unfashionable in contemporary lifestyle. However, the position and structural aspects of the building had great potential in creating a unique project.
“Having two adjacent units, both facing the harbour, allowed for the opportunity of combining them, strengthening the harbour view, while increasing living space. The clients were fairly explicit regarding their request — they required a modern renovation with a consistent theme suitable for their lifestyle and possessions. Thus, the idea behind this job was to achieve a modern design, while ensuring that practicality and comfort were not compromised.
“The client required a plenitude of sunlight, along with a broad view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and surrounding city. To fulfil this request, the aim was to reduce the number of walls to only areas of structural and privacy necessity. If a partition or divider was necessary, glass was utilised, resulting in 270-degree city views from any position within the central, circular living room. All rooms were allocated along the outside circumference of this room in order to prevent any obstructions to the potential views from the apartment. The special design consideration of the project was to create a modern, yet elegant result.
“The two bathrooms were my personal favourite aspects of the renovation, consuming a large proportion of our time. The stone panels on the floors and walls are Persian Travertine and were imported from Iran. I provided a working shop drawing for each wall, ensuring that the veins, colours and grain were consistent for all panels. It was this passion and commitment of time that provided the most satisfaction on completion of the project.
“In hindsight, I don’t believe we would have done anything differently to the construction — the clients and I spent numerous hours discussing their needs and opinions in relation to fixtures, fittings, colours, materials, and particularly, the sizes of each room. This ensured we had a clear direction and understanding of what was expected, and thus achieved the client’s request.
“As the renovation took place in a strata unit building, we were unable to remove or alter ducts, pipes, windows, columns or any other common structural elements. Thus, the challenge in merging the two units was changing the function of certain rooms, while remaining restricted in some aspects of the plan. This was particularly difficult in the redesigning of the bathrooms and kitchens, due to the ducting/ piping. It was a great challenge, not only designing the renovation, but also gaining approval from the Owners Corporation, the local council and the neighbours.
“The time and effort put into achieving the client’s request and developing concise specifications resulted in an outstanding renovation, satisfying the clients and wowing friends and other trades.”
PROJECT PARTICULARS
The project was designed by:
COMPANY NAME: Arya Interiors
ADDRESS: 12 The Rampart, Hornsby, NSW
PHONE:(02) 9987 4444 / 0418 418 415
EMAIL: aryainteriors@bigpond.com
INTERIOR DESIGNER: Babak Aryaie
PHOTOGRAPHY: Rhiannon Slatter/www.rhiannonslatter.com.au
FLOORING and WALLS:
Persian Travertine used in internal/external flooring and walls to bathrooms. The Travertine was imported and manufactured through Arya Interiors.
KITCHEN: Benchtop: 30mm thick Super Bordeaux Lightly Brushed.
Office/Laundry:
Benchtop: 20mm thick Noce filled and semi-polished Travertine.
Main bathroom:
Vanity top and seats to shower: 30mm thick Cosmic Black polished granite.
Guest bathroom:
Vanity top and bath surround: 20mm thick Nero Fossil polished limestone.
All cabinetry: Reino Joinery.
LIGHTING: Scott Fuller Special Lights.
Carpet: Whitecliffe Imports.
BATHROOMS FITTINGS: Streamline Product.