City Homes
Inside An Art Deco-Style Home With Just The Right Hit Of Gilt & Glam
Updated on January 31, 2024
Smooth as a jazz standard, polished as a string of pearls — inspired, quite clearly, by an owner’s passion for Art Deco style — this newly built contemporary house is a shimmering reflection of creativity and talent. The multiyear project symbolizes a fresh start for a professional couple with two teenage boys and a flair for entertaining.
Seeking larger and more clearly defined spaces, and wanting to stay in the suburb where they both grew up, they retained David Small to design their new 7,755-square-foot house. After linking up with David, the couple brought on Avenue Design principal Eva Healy to design and decorate the interiors.
Eva and her clients first met when the house was still in the design stage. She was given carte blanche to finalize every element. “I loved the idea of adding warm tones and flashes of metallics that delve into the Art Deco era; my client loves the sparkle and glamour of that time,” says Eva.
Scroll down to see the results!
“Sometimes, black and white can feel casual,” says Eva. “Off-white with off-black feels richer.” She used upholstered furniture to anchor the rooms, establishing depth, texture and soft curves. A glass-walled wine cellar sits just beyond the foyer.
Curator Tara Gavin, founder of On the Wall Framing, sourced all of the home’s framed art and, with Eva, commissioned a series of pieces by plaster artist Anthony Valin. The double-height installation of discs fills the space and creates a striking focal point. “They’re a unique and organic alternative to a framed piece, and they draw the eye to the ceiling,” says Eva.
Bespoke palm-leaf wallpaper in the dining room is a nod to the clients’ love of beach destinations. “The goal was to add layers of richness, softness and luxury to the space” says Eva.
But it’s the kitchen, a microcosm of the house itself, where Eva built her centerpiece. The hard, minimalist framework needed a textural element, and the island had the potential to deliver that. Architectural designer David Small lined up the doorways to bring light into every space.
Bevelled wood panels carved by a CNC machine were set into the island facing and became an effective treatment. Above the island, ethereal lighting looks like it simply floats. Eva commissioned seven separate pendants and then combined them like puzzle pieces into a glimmering cloud. The supplier spent months creating them. But on the day of the installation, disaster struck. “The electricians were standing on the island to adjust the lighting up and down,” says Eva. “I suggested they shift it over one inch, and when they did, nearly every bulb shattered.”
Eva immediately commissioned a second round of bulbs while her clients kept their cool. Having patience, perseverance and learning from setbacks is all part of the design process. And often, you end up with more than you could have ever imagined.
An upstairs hallways overlooks the double-height great room.
The hallway wows with glass orbs on aged brass and bespoke living art.
Soft, neutral shades in the principal bedroom strike a balance between masculine and feminine.
A custom cabinet at the foot of the bed conceals a retractable TV.
Working around the couple’s aversion for high-contrast palettes that have become so trendy, Eva gathered blond woods, neutral fabrics and heavily veined porcelain for the key built-ins, trimming them with gold hardware and grounding them with un-blacks: navy, charcoal and taupe.
A veined marble walk-in shower shines with gold hardware accents.
The freestanding tub lets you take in the view while you unwind.
A cosy guest bedroom is furnished with ready-made pieces that look as if they were designed for the space.
In the lower-level family room, Eva brought in a charcoal rug and texture in the alcoves flanking the porcelain fireplace to create depth. The owners wanted to avoid black and white contrasts in the furniture but embraced monochrome art.
A spa-like space off the family room has a bleached-wood infrared sauna and a Quartex vanity.
Eva made sure that this bright laundry room had plenty of storage.
Alex Lukey
Eva Healy