Modern classic
Darling Point estate The Annery is well known to many in the eastern suburbs, especially to Paddington people who enjoy exploring the neighbourhood. Built between 1884 and 1886 for English lawyer and businessman George Montague Merivale in what is often described as a restrained Queen Anne style, the monolithic red-brick mansion on Marathon Rd was divided into apartments in the 1970s.
It wasn’t until recently that Woollahra interior designer Marylou Sobel was invited to cast her eye over one of the building’s three-bedroom, two-bathroom 'house-like' apartments, with a view to bringing it into the 21st century.
“The apartment required a complete renovation,” Sobel says. “Our clients requested we conceptualise, design and present their ideal home. The brief was to create a sophisticated, tranquil and luxurious home where they could entertain their family and friends.”
For Sobel’s clients, who had grown up in London and Singapore, redesigning the apartment to give it an international feel was an important part of the restoration process. The couple wanted the space to feel new and fresh, but with a sophisticated edge. The first thing Sobel did was to open up the kitchen and dining space to provide room for entertaining and easier living.
“No major walls were demolished. However, the home was completely stripped to the bones,” she says. “A lot of reconfigurations were done in what used to be the living-kitchen area, which has now transformed into a kitchen with a functional pantry, a bespoke eating nook and even a concealed laundry. As well, we did all-new flooring, internal doors, lighting, hardware, joinery, window treatments and more.
“Our clients also requested to have a dining table with a sculptural base, as well as a piece of furniture that could be used as a servery and to display items. They also wanted us to include more storage for teas and non-perishable ingredients, as they love to cook and entertain.”
Key to the renovation was introducing a lighter colour palette, including through beautifully textured walls, floors, lighting and furnishings.
“The newly introduced finishes are certainly transformative to the space,” Sobel says. “There’s the classically inspired chequerboard flooring and the dreamy wallpaper showing cloudscapes in the dining area visible from the entrance. Alongside that there’s the soft, tonal paint colours selected for the overall scheme. This was then contrasted with a contemporary selection of furniture.”
The styling to finish the home included soft furnishings in white, charcoal and soft greys.
“The ethereal wallpaper in the dining room is juxtaposed with the proportion and sculptural design of the Fanuli dining table. Iron wall sconces have been used throughout the living and dining spaces, adding a complementary medium, and creating an art-like feature to the walls.”
As well as creating a beautiful space, the apartment functions infinitely better. The kitchen, for example, now has a walk-in pantry and a laundry concealed by joinery cupboards, plus an island in the centre with bar stools, and a banquette with dining table and chairs, all suitable for mid-week meals and casual entertaining.
“There is a lot more joinery and storage in the new kitchen and throughout the home,” Sobel says. “There is now an emphasis on functional storage in the master bedroom, kitchen, entrance hall and living room.”
Sobel's clients have been thrilled with the results of the refresh. Their favourite thing about the design is that it is now “multifaceted in a way that it has both classical and contemporary elements, with a touch of whimsy”.
“It is a timeless interior that respects the original architecture of the building,” Sobel says.
Totally fitting for one of the east’s grandest and most enduring properties.
Photography: Prue Ruscoe