Michell & Kuhl
This three bedroom, water-front apartment feels like a gallery looking over boats that cruise past Queensland’s South Stradbroke Island. The billowing breezes and sounds of lapping water create a feeling of movement and simultaneous calm. Matthew redesigned an apartment for a semi-retired couple looking to make a new home on Ephraim Island on the northern Gold Coast. It has the feel of a resort with a background of Stradbroke Island, it’s sepia tones and bare nature contrasted against parklands and pool.
The brief was to design a complete renovation of a dated apartment, to personalise it in a way that reflected the clients’ personalities and lifestyle. The couple, who have spent many years traveling and working in diplomatic roles abroad, decided to consolidate a vast collection of furniture, art and artefacts. They asked Matthew to assist with its curation. In consultation with the clients, Matthew shortlisted a collection of objects to be kept. He then formulated a new floor plan that would maximise their potential in a space that would flow and function.
The clients required an artful interior that wouldn’t date and which reflected their values. Matthew’s role encompassed sourcing and designing new furniture pieces including custom cabinet handles, a media console and a three-legged American Oak dining table in the shape of a guitar pick. In addition, Matthew’s brief was to create a palette for all the materials in the space. He designed new wet areas, custom-built cabinetry and a new lighting scheme. Custom storage was a vital consideration for the clients. Decoration was almost non-existent, the choice to let forms and materials speak for themselves, a conscious one. The result? A restrained yet complex composition that showcases nature and art.