Sydney’s esteemed Bellevue Hill neighbourhood is home to a number of mid-century homes that have undergone a modern intervention- including Tribute House and Bellevue Hill House. A recent addition to this exclusive postcode, Villa Amor by Arent&Pyke was designed with a simple yet challenging defining proposition: love at first sight.

 With an abundance of 1920’s heritage details and featuring sweeping views across Double Bay and the Sydney Harbour, Villa Amor occupies the entire top-floor of a Spanish Mission block of four apartments. Exhibiting grand proportions which defy the norm of apartment-living, Arent&Pyke were provided with the ideal canvas on which to design their three key modalities: designing and enhancing the built form, furniture specification and curating an envious object and art collection.

At a structural level, Villa Amor’s pre-existing vaulted ceilings and fluted archways evoke the classical elegance of a Parisian apartment. By rendering the walls in a soft, muted white, the ornate details become timeless and fluid; an ideal contrast to the timber chevron flooring which was introduced throughout. A large arched opening was introduced, with a bevelled edge and concealed sliding door between the kitchen and casual dining room which offers a clever, subtle option for privacy.

A centrally positioned fireplace has been redefined and finished with a Calacutta Viola marble hearth – a gravitational element in what is otherwise a flowing space, inundated with light. A master-suite, which would rival even the world’s most luxurious of hotels, comprises a grand bedroom, private bathroom, robe and Pilates studio.

Further enhancing the home’s Parisian sensibilities, Arent&Pyke took a nomadic approach to dressing the space. Chinoiserie influences blend with unusual market place finds and classic European design pieces. In the home’s main living space, an antique woven rug anchors a generous, contemporary white linen sofa and pod-like pink velvet armchairs. In the master suite, a cane armchair sits alongside an antique room divider painted in golden, autumnal tones. Artwork leans towards the contemporary, while in the master bathroom, a free-standing tub and glossy white subway tiles all point towards an art-deco influence.

Through a meeting of old and new, grandiose spaces and subtle gestures, Villa Amor by Arent&Pyke not only vies for the affections of its owners, it carefully layers a visual language that suggests that even the most compelling romance isn’t just reserved for the world’s best hotels.