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Artistic Instinct: YSG Studio Revamp a Sophisticated Potts Point Apartment
Art Deco bones, artistic flourishes and a little old-world magic make this 1929 apartment a masterclass in atmosphere.
A 1929 Art Deco apartment provides an excellent starting point for a reimagining, but The Gentleman also came with its challenges— particularly the pastiche of styles and alterations left by previous owners over almost a century.
On top of crafting smoother transitions between rooms, Yasmine Ghoniem, director of YSG Studio, wanted to bring a sense of ‘scholarly sophistication’ to the home, reflecting the owners’ love of cosy nights in with vinyl spinning in the background. The brief also called for additional space, references to the couple’s love of Vermeer, and thoughtful nods to family heritage.
Creating Space
The team found several ways to create more space within the apartment’s existing 95-square-metre footprint. “The challenge was accommodating these requirements while addressing heritage protection restrictions,” Yasmine says. Yet luck was on their side when it came to the apartment’s vertical proportions. The presence of extra-high ceilings offered an opportunity to make the rooms feel more spacious. The team temporarily removed decorative internal door architraves to increase the door heights, while bulky hallway joinery and the false ceiling in the gutted bathroom were also removed.
“Another key innovation involved the partial demolition of a bathroom wall to create an angled bulge in the dining room that now conceals a washer/dryer, plus storage. This machinery originally resided in the
kitchen, occupying much-needed storage space,” explains Yasmine.
In the kitchen, reflective stainless-steel counters were chosen to conceal storage and appliances, while a Lauriana quartzite splashback was installed to add depth to the compact space.
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Vestiges of Vermeer
The YSG team unified the apartment’s walls in a lead white tone, creating a blank canvas for a palette inspired by the owners’ admiration for Vermeer’s mastery of light and shade. Custom timber detailing runs throughout the apartment, while sensual, tactile materials were prioritised across furnishings to add warmth.
Vermeer’s favoured shades of muted yellow appear in the ‘piano key’ rug, as well as the ikat upholstery of the piano chair. In another nod to unification, Yasmine adds, “Like musical chords resonating from the
lounge, glossy magnolia-white swirls snake across the ceilings of all the common areas, adding a gestural breeze across the spaces.”
All in the Details
Drawing on the owners’ family heritage, Yasmine incorporated motifs inspired by traditional ćilims into the textiles and custom timber detailing.
“Nodding to Art Deco geometries while acknowledging Croatian/Bosnian traditions, the apartment’s pattern scheme is introduced in macro detail upon the timber dining table we designed,” she shares. “On the corners of its glass surface gracing chamfered legs, curly maple, fiddleback blackwood and Huon pine were intricately carved into cross shapes inspired by woven motifs on traditional ćilims.” These ancient patterns can also be found on the butterfly pulls of the custom timber credenza, as well as “jacquard fabrics adorning the dining chairs and banquette base, plus the primary suite’s windows and bed bolster ends.”
Balancing detail with simplicity, calm with creativity and colour with restraint, YSG Studio has created a home that honours its Art Deco heritage while reflecting the personalities of its owners—proving once
again that the studio’s team are masters of their craft.
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Project Credits
Interior Design and Styling: YSG Studio
Build: Promena Projects
Photographer: Anson Smart
Loved this home tour? You might like to take a peek at our other recent home tours. If you’re keen on learning more about the area, take a peek at our Potts Point suburb profile.
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