Unwind In This Artful Sydney Residence With Soul

“The clients wanted a home with soul—something layered, tactile, and effortlessly lived-in, nothing that felt too pristine,” explains Alexandra Donohoe Church, Decus founder and managing director. “It had to be as functional as it was beautiful, a place where their extended family could gather over long lunches but also a sanctuary for quiet moments.”

Inheriting a home that had been artfully renovated by KA Design Studio, Decus was charged with adding warmth and personality to the grand, multilevel (and multigenerational) home, blessed with sweeping views across Sydney’s premier beach suburbs of Vaucluse and Watson’s Bay. Buoyed by their mission to “rage against its simplicity”, the studio has woven together diverse design influences, grounding textures, materials and hues to create a captivating journey—a ‘patchwork’ of experiences—across the home.

Inside A Patchwork Sydney Home

The striking entryway cupola—a naturally illuminated double-height volume with a James Turrell like ocular opening at its centre—subtly sets the tone for the visual journey about to unfold, with a striking Viabizzuno chandelier, Marmorino-rendered walls and beautiful object de art forming a highly considered, yet welcoming entry experience. The space then effortlessly flows into the adjacent library and living spaces (past the sweeping staircase), leading to a sculpted, 20-seat dining table and to a kitchen that is as visually intoxicating as it is refined and sophisticated. A Decus custom-designed aged brass hood is contrasted against the granite kitchen island where the stone veining is so dynamic, it threatens to overwhelm the space, but is yet so perfectly in rhythm with every other element. Such is the skill of the curatorial skill of the studio.

The elegant lounge area, with a sinuous custom banquette seating taking centre stage, brings additional dynamism to the space. An arched, Flemish glass-lined double door opening connects to an intimate library, color washed in an appropriately named “cab sav” paint finish, harmoniously pared with other bespoke pieces in in bursts of burgundy, ink, terracotta, and mauve to exhilarating effect. The oak-lined study and master bedroom and master robe master bathroom, have the same moody impact, with the sumptuous oak joinery and extraordinary selection of veined stone granite echoing the other key areas of the home. A hidden stairwell leads to the home’s private lower level: a self-contained ‘apartment’ for recreation and visiting guests.

Bespoke Furnishings Enliven The Home

At the centre of the lower level, a horse-shoe shaped wine cellar is complemented by a pool table and ping-pong table, leading through to a kitchen and expansive outdoor terrace. This generous rumpus space is complemented by guest quarters, a gym, sauna and cinema room—“a place to party, party, party, while accommodating three generations of this incredibly close-knit, extended family under one roof,” says Alexandra.