There is a fine line between nautical inspiration and maritime pastiche. Concerning harbour-side residential design, too many have gone overboard and fallen to the temptation of drowning a space in navy cushions, brass instruments and bright white paint. However, under the direction of Miriam Fanning, principal and founder of Melbourne-based Mim Design, the brief for this two-level apartment in Sydney’s Darling Point required far more sophisticated navigation.
The client, an avid yachtsman with an engineering mind, possesses a deep resonance with the water. Yet, the resulting residence steers well clear of the typical beachside tropes. Instead of a literal interpretation, the design relies on the subtle, tactile language of a high-end vessel—where luxury is defined by the intricacies of the joinery, materials applied and the concealment of the utility.
The site itself offered a dramatic starting point. Overlooking Rose Bay and the Sydney Harbour, the view is described by Fanning as “cinematic” and “almost like theatre,” thanks to the constant movement of the yacht club below. The apartment, previously a victim of a “poorly done” 1970s renovation, originally suffered from large windows marred by small, obstructive panes. The first order of business was to knock these out, opening the home to the panoramic visual drama occurring outside.
The interior palette is a masterclass in restraint. “We didn’t want it to be a competition,” Fanning notes regarding the interplay between the interior and the harbour view. The stone selection, a quartzite with pale green hues and chalky whites, was chosen not for its veins, but for its resemblance to the “soft edge of the ocean” and the waves reflected from the water. It’s as though this delicate ‘Selva Nera’ marble from CDK is the embodiment of the traditional marbling art techniques of suminagashi or ebru, rather than a metamorphic limestone rock.
It is in the joinery that the yachting concept truly takes the helm. The kitchen is sculptural, utilising shiplap details and refined boat building techniques where equipment is hidden, and space is optimised with the efficiency and intricacy of a hull. A transition in the timber grain—from horizontal to vertical—cleverly demarcates the shift from workable drawers to larger utility storage, a detail that feels less like carpentry and more like naval engineering.
Perhaps the most poetic gesture is found in the master bedroom. Here, the ceiling architecture was redesigned to mimic a “large billowing spinnaker” taking a breeze from the harbour. Comprising of two planes—one curved and one straight—the ceiling creates a sense of volume that juxtaposes the framework of the glass doors. It’s an outcome that “works beautifully,” Mim explains.
Related: Refined refuge
Even the bathrooms offer a distinct narrative. Influenced by the client’s travels to Istanbul, the shower methodology mimics a hammam, aTurkish bathhouse, allowing the user to sit and scoop water while looking through the bathroom to the view beyond. Returning to the clients eye for detail, a delightful feature is found in the powder room tap ware: a specific spout chosen because it doesn’t flow, but rather, Mim shares, “[It] dribbles…and creates a really soft, almost meditative state” when running—a plumbing challenge that the client insisted upon to achieve a specific sensory luxury.
Through the Darling Point residence, Mim Design proves that one can honour the ocean without resorting to clichés, creating a home that is both deftly detailed and emotionally serene.
