As someone who grew up in the burgeoning Gold Coast, trust me when I say the design landscape is dramatically alchemising and, dare I say, it evokes a sense of hometown pride. Take the addition of Cloud Surfer by Decus, positioned 36 floors atop Broadbeach; the residence foregrounds sky and ocean outlooks with an eclectic coastal interior.
Purchased off-the-plan, the apartment was listless and yearned for a gallant remodel that harkened to the couple’s identities and interests. “The homeowners were among the most trusting and easy-going clients we’ve ever worked with,” says Alexandra Donohoe Church, Founder and Managing Director of Decus. Residing in Singapore, the couple approached Decus to conceive a Queensland base to maximise time with their family and liberate themselves from metropolitan life. Their impending relocation accentuated the significance of the project, amplifying the need to curate a residence that would resonate deeply as a future home. This meant that “clients could ‘set and forget’ while travelling in the next phase of their lives.”
As it would appear, the clients’ were art aficionados with a particular, existing artwork of sentimental value becoming a catalyst for the redesign, informing “a series of dramatic moments that pull in texture, softness and warmth,” as Church explains. Works by Australian artists Regina Wilson, John R Walker, Mark Maurangi Carrol, Tamara Dean, Narelle Autio, punctuate the earthy palette of olive, blue, tobacco and ochre tones.
“The Clemens Krauss impasto work is a true hero of the space,” reflects Church. Recalling the textural piece that layers an impressive 65 kilograms of paint on its surface, its rugged appearance sits in playful dialogue with the metallic-veined stone plinth and curved, polished-plaster fireplace.
Church suggests that “the calming water views and occasional whale spotting almost make it feel like you are on a boat out at sea.” The vast vistas, open layout, wall-to-wall glazing and wrap-around balconies, overlay a feeling of openness. And so it was that Decus had to imbue the residence with a connotation of intimacy: “It was essential for the home to be comfortably scaled for two occupants, with the flexibility to host larger gatherings of family and friends on occasion,” says Church.
Employing a legion of materials, deep, ocean-blue walls frame gloss white cabinetry and ochre upholsteries, velvet sofas sit against pale carpets, while timber pieces find balance in sheer drapery. Organic forms soften the linearity of the floor plate – namely, custom pebble and pond-shaped silk floor rugs ground the two lounge areas. The amalgam of vibrant natural stone, timbers and textured wall finishes, respectively reference the oceanic elements of Brazil and Southeast Asian design – a nod to the clients’ most beloved travel destinations.
These contrasts are accentuated by a curated collection of design pieces by Australian makers including Volker Haug, Tim Noone, Jonathan West, Daniel Barbera, Henry Wilson and Mast Furniture, overlaying the interior with considered embellishment.
Next up: Wharf Apartment by Lawless & Meyerson is a nod to its maritime history