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Collin's Vary Residence
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Step through the doorway of Leonard Vary and Matt Collins's St Kilda apartment, and it feels very familiar.
Is it the cool, limestone tiles on the floor? The grey marble bathroom? The designer finishings, from Egyptian cotton bedsheets to the kitchen's state-of-the-art, built-in, Miele coffee machine?
There's something about their dwelling that's reminiscent of a luxury hotel - minus the
sterility or cookie-cutter fixtures - and that's exactly what the pair wanted.
"It's like a glamorous retreat," says Matt. "When we saw this place, it was a fairly confined space, so the idea was, let's turn it into something like a six-star hotel suite. That way, you have the sense that you're always on holidays.
And ifyou go and sit outside, you actually feel like you're in another part of town."
Two years ago, when the opportunity to buy into Melbourne's then brand-new Metropol complex came up, the couple pounced.
Previously, they had lived in a Victorian home, but were Attracted to St Kilda's "cosmopolitan" appeal with the immediacy of a vibrant nightlife and eclectic eateries at their doorstep.
"We bought it as a shell only, and it wasn't fitted out at all," says Leonard.
The two hired Andrew Parr from SJB Interiors, who was given the brief to create a luxurious home with modern overtones, that didn't compete with their collection of contemporary art.
Storage area was also a priority, because the residence wasn't large enough to accommodate clutter. That's apparent even from the entrance hallway, where walls double as cupboards and drawers mysteriously open up from below.
As Leonard says, "Things are so hidden here that after we've moved out, someone will open up a door and probably find half our lives in it."
At the end of the entrance hallway are the bedroom and adjoining study, in tones of charcoal, grey, chocolate and toffee. The bedroom boasts a large plasma-screen TV, as well as remote-controlled blinds that block any light out.
Says Leonard: "In the morning, I don't want to know what time it is." His other demand for a good night's sleep? Cool temperature, hence the air-conditioning unit. "I like to go to sleep as if I'm on the bottom shelf of the fridge."
The ensuite is Matt's favourite room because of "the marble, and the beautiful wood of the wardrobes in the dressing room." No space goes unused: the Hafele wardrobes pull out to make the selection of clothes easier, and the shower's ceiling is slanted on one side, since it sits underneath a staircase above.
While the lower level has a tucked-away feel, the top floor living area is so light, bright and fluid you barely notice where the lounge room stops and the expansive deck area starts. It is the apartment's most jawdropping feature. As Leonard says, "to go out there on a beautiful night is an incredible thing.
It's upstairs where the interior designer's painstaking work is most evident.. The tiled kitchen and lounge room floor, for instance, is limestone, with fossilsed mollusc forming the spalsh of patterns.
Adding to the details are treasures from Leonard and Matt's own collections. Art is a passion for both men. According to Leonard, "the choice of art is a very personal thing, but it's also a powerful way of injecting taste and preferences into a space."
And then there are those unique touches, such as the decadently soft cushions, made of old mink coats courtesy of Leonard's grandmother, The caramel zebrastripe chairs don't just look retro - they're authentic '70s pieces that originally decorated Leonard's parents' home. "I really like the idea of bringing objects along with you to a home - things you like and you can relate to," says Leonard. "It's a sense of, how do I know this space is mine rather than somebody else's ?
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