When a fun, design-loving client asked Smac Studio to build his house in Bondi, the team were instantly inspired by his brief. “I wanted it to feel like Los Angeles took a holiday in the Mediterranean,” he says. “Like you could be in Italy, but you could also be visiting a cool friend in Santa Monica.” 

That hit a sweet spot for Shona McElroy, Principal of Smac Studio. “I love LA’s modern architecture and design, so teaming it with a bit of Italian drama and classicism was right up my alley. Luxe with a punch.”Shona worked with the client to furnish his home and presented him with her new line of rugs, the Icons collection. “They’re unbelievable,” he says. “I was very happy for her rugs to be through the whole house.”

A semi-dome arch creates a sense of arrival in the open plan kitchen, living and dining area. “Full arches are very trendy at the moment, so I wanted to do a semi-dome to keep that cool European vibe — without being something you’ve seen too many times before.”

When he first saw images of the pink and burgundy Billy rug, the owner wasn’t sure about it. However, he changed his mind as soon as he saw the piece in his reading room. “I never thought I’d buy a pink and red rug, but the way the curves of the wall meet the curves of the rug is brilliant — the colours just bring it all to life,” he says.