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Ryan Residence
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Located in a 1970s building, running along the southern escarpment of Bondi, the apartment faces north with a boundless view of the bay and the ocean to the north-east.
BKH's Paul Brace's strategy was to demolish the interior walls that made for poky spaces.
He also removed a substantial portion of exterior wall that prevented the apartment from taking full advantage of the view and replaced it with sliding glass panels, so the entire northeastern corner now opens to a deck.
The view is the hero, and here everything is given over to it.
From the main living space, a central corridor runs back to the rest of the apartment.
Unusually for Sydney real estate, the owner kept three bedrooms and one small bathroom rather than reconfiguring the space into two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.
According to Brace, the owner travels a lot and is planning to rent two of the rooms to
friends while retaining a smaller study with a pull-down bed as a camping spot for himself.
To that end, two of the bedrooms, beside the newly enclosed entry walkway, had their windows replaced with sliding doors so they can be entered motel-like from this access way without disturbing the rest of the house.
The louvred-entry corridor had been an open tiled access way with yellow powder-coated railings. By enclosing this section with opaque glass louvres and a lockable front gate, what was once public space has been appropriated by the apartment interior so the two bedrooms and living room, which are entered from here, can also open into this uncovered corridor while retaining visual privacy from neighbours.
The kitchen occupies a compact space previously housing the laundry and a toilet. Just a few metres long, it runs parallel with the corridor and houses all appliances, including a fully integrated laundry.
The space opens at one end into the living area and has a mirror at the other to reflect the view and give the illusion of endless space.
Well-planned joinery is a feature of the interior. Wardrobes, for instance, are especially deep (800mm), allowing clothing to hang without squashing against cupboard linings. In the main living area, cupboard doors open and slide away into recesses to reveal an audio visual wall and home office, and data points for computers are dotted throughout the apartment.
The owner initially wanted pale stone floors throughout, but Brace moved him away from surface he felt would be too harsh and cold in the circumstances. Instead, timber floors provide a warmer, natural texture and have been limed to provide the desired pale finish.
Lines of ceiling lights are recessed into black strips set in the white surface to provide an extra graphic element.
Brace likens the apartment to five-star hotel living: low maintenance, well-appointed and with a spectacular view.
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