Home Tour: Vibrant And Joyful Apartment Living

Designed by: Claudia Lambert

Location: Manly, Sydney 

Decor style: Eclectic, contemporary and functional.

Favourite room: The bedroom, with its custom rattan bedframe from Reddie Design. We added the wallpaper, a super brave and chic choice and used neutral bedding and bedsides to ground the space. The pleated Hay lamps are a fun addition.

Favourite pieces: The rouge marble coffee table, indestructible and gorgeous!

Set within a boutique apartment block in the beachside suburb of Manly, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, interior designer and stylist Claudia Lambert worked her magic to transform a blank canvas into a space that pops with colour and personality.

Her client was downsizing from her family home on the North Shore into a place that required little maintenance. An easy stroll to Manly Beach and the incredible lifestyle, this seaside neighbourhood is renowned for; cafes, restaurants, shops, coastal walks and hidden bays. The contemporary new build was everything she’d been looking for.

THE BRIEF

“My client wanted to create a space that was purely for her tastes and desires,” explains Claudia. “Coming from a huge home on the North Shore that catered to her sons, this was an opportunity to really develop her sense of style and make decisions based on beauty. Not necessarily practicality.”

Being a new apartment, Claudia wasn’t able to bring the two-bedroom home to life with fixtures and finishes. Instead, she injected life into the space with paint, wallpaper, and a curated collection of furniture, art, and furnishings that bring moments of intrigue at every turn.

“My client has a fabulous eclectic style, making it the perfect fit. She wasn’t afraid of colour, texture and mixing styles – which was a dream,” says Claudia. “My vision for the home was to cater to and encourage my client to make bold, selfish decisions. I wanted her to feel joy when she walked in, joy when she looked at the Italian lamps and joy when she looked at the Wearstler wallpaper. Yet, still, keep things functional for her with custom pieces that were exactly to her specifications.”

OPEN PLAN LIVING

The combined open plan living area was brought together through texture and earthy tones – using deep aubergines and warm wood to define the spaces. The dining room, intentionally darker to add depth and balance to the lighter floors, was brought to life with the oversized artwork from Curatorial & Co. Then there’s the rouge marble coffee table in the living area. A beautiful addition to the space while being indestructible for when the grandchildren visit.

“We used the tones in the art to carry through to the lounge area, the pinks, purples brought through with the Bludot media console and the sofa grounded by the gold rug and rattan occasional chair, which then ties in with the rattan in the bedroom,” explains Claudia. “We used statement lighting like the Shogun striped lamp and the travertine floor lamp to add some talking points and show our client’s unique taste.”

THE BEDROOM

The main bedroom features a custom rattan bedframe from Reddie Design. The salmon cream Kelly Wearstler wallpaper gives the room that wow factor, while the pleated Hay lamps on the side table add another layer of fun to the room. 

“The rattan bedframe works by bringing the space to life with its materiality and the low maintenance factor of being a non-fabric bed. We added the wallpaper, a super brave and chic choice and used neutral bedding and bedsides to ground the space,” Claudia says. 

Although functional and practical, the apartment is a beautiful and inspired space, unique to the owner and her eclectic style. And now that the home’s complete, Claudia loves “that my client feels happy and is creating a home of her own that she feels proud of and has her stamp firmly placed on it.”

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD 

Tucked away on a small peninsula surrounded by popular surfing beaches and the spectacular bushlands of North Head, Manly is laid back yet bustling. Manly-siders embrace day-trippers and tourists, sharing with them the natural wonders and world-class shopping and dining that define this beachside suburb. Manly is a dream for outdoor enthusiasts, with surfing beaches, coves, and inlets providing a water wonderland for surfers, kayakers, parasailers, swimmers, divers, and snorkelers. Plus, an extensive pathway hugs the foreshore, guiding walkers and joggers along the bay, through North Head Sanctuary and up into Sydney Harbour National Park and pass the beaches.

SITCHU’S FAVOURITE MANLY HANGOUTS

For coffee: Ruby Lane is as much a go-to for coffee as it is for breakfast and to stock up on some organic groceries.

For brunch: Fill the sand between your toes at The Boathouse, Shelley Beach.

For lunch: Queen Chow at Manly Wharf is a must for Cantonese food with a view.

For dinner: Daniel San is a neon-drenched Japanese-inspired Rock n’ Roll restaurant and bar.

For drinks: Three levels with a rooftop bar and retractable roof, Greenhouse has fast become a Manly favourite. Great cocktails and tapas are on offer as well.

GET THE LOOK

Space FurnitureGlobe WestCuratorial & Co (artwork)Reddie Furniture

PROJECT CREDITS

Interiors decoration: Claudia Lambert @claudialambertinteriorsPhotography: Chloe Lambert @chloelambert_photographyWords: Margaret Quilter @inky.content

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