The client, a bachelor with a love of harbour living, approached us after purchasing a penthouse apartment in one of Sydney’s most desirable eastern suburbs. Occupying the entire top floor of a 1940s building, the apartment enjoyed sweeping views over Sydney Harbour—but its internal organisation fell short. The living area was small, the layout disjointed, and the connection to the generous terrace was awkward and underwhelming.
Our proposal combined substantial intervention in the living zones with more delicate adjustments in the bedroom wing. The former wall to the terrace was removed entirely and replaced with a glazed extension that expanded the critical living area and opened the apartment to a panoramic outlook. This new volume not only captures the harbour but also frames the mature trees that give the site its unique character.
At the heart of the interior sits a full‑height, gently curving spine wall in dark African Wenge veneer. This element guides movement from the entry into the living spaces, resolving the previously confusing layout and giving the apartment a clear architectural centre. Several internal walls were removed to create a generous, continuous Kitchen–Living space. An existing widening in the corridor was absorbed into the plan and transformed into a bar area—an elegant nod to the client’s love of wine. The resulting sequence of spaces, shaped by the soft sweep of the spine wall, feels far more expansive than the apartment’s modest footprint would suggest.
Opposite the spine, a continuous “ribbon” of custom joinery threads through the apartment, unifying the spaces and reinforcing their connection. Its form subtly echoes the geometry of the existing walls, while its materiality—Pacific Walnut, lighter and more animated than the Wenge—gives it a distinct presence and a sense of playful refinement.
The kitchen is partially concealed behind the spine wall, allowing the more utilitarian elements—fridge, ovens, storage—to recede from view. The working benches and preparation areas remain closely connected to the living and dining zones, maintaining openness while preserving visual calm. The sculpted forms of the joinery soften transitions between spaces and establish a family of new insertions that sit comfortably within the existing shell.
The bedroom wing required only minor adjustments, but all new joinery draws on the material language and detailing of the living areas, ensuring continuity throughout the apartment.
Outside, the terrace was renewed with new decking and a steel balustrade extension required by contemporary standards. Its deliberately “ocean‑liner” aesthetic pays homage to both the era of the building and the sweeping harbour views that define the apartment.
Photos by Sharrin Rees