“My client commissioned me to do the interior decoration of his new Abian apartment after seeing some other work I had done for a previous client,” Nyria explains of how she came to the project. “He wanted to experience a real ‘wow’ factor when he walked into his new home. We needed to create a furniture layout in the living room that could allow a full appreciation for the magnificent views of the Botanical Gardens, city and Kangaroo Point cliffs beyond, rather than just focusing a TV with the view behind you.”
The striking finishes of Abian include a combination of black granite, travertine, mirrored bronze and lacquered surfaces – a sleek, contemporary palette, thoroughly modern. “The interior came together with inspiration from both these materials and finishes,” says Nyria, adding that the client’s existing furniture had to be carefully considered in the mix. “It was about finding the balance between the two styles to make it cohesive. I broke it all down room by room and started with the pieces I had to work with, then added in the new pieces until I felt like I had a good balance of colour, scale, shape, and form across the rooms, achieved with interesting occasional pieces, wallpaper, rugs and window treatments. The client was a dream to deal with and allowed me to take full control of the design.”
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The master bedroom is one of the designer’s favourite spaces in the finished design. “My client is a cattle farmer, so I wanted his master bedroom to give the nod to that part of his life while also giving him a masculine, tailored look in his inner-city apartment,” she explains. “ I love the suede/leather look wallpaper and the fabulous leather bedhead with bronze studding detail, as well as the cowhide artworks above the bed. And the plaid – so masculine and smart.”
Such a landmark building demands attention – but it wasn’t without its challenges for the interior designer from Palm Interiors. “Abian is a stunning building with a lot of curves, so that involved a lot of sensitivity regarding furniture layout and also with the window treatments and curtain tracks. I was very relieved when it was all successfully installed!”
