Page 16 - Australian House & Garden (January 2020)

en Palmer and his partner Josh Penn bought their apartment, a BALCONY Proud dads Ben (left) and Josh with
three-bedroom Art Deco abode, in 2016. At 200m2, it was larger their son Brooklyn. Bougainvillea frames the view.
than their previous place and had sublime harbour views. The FOYER Antique chandelier. The inlay cabinet is
a family piece. Eichholtz table, James Said.
originalperiodfeatures,including3.2m-highceilings,alsoappealed. Flowers by Mr Cook (throughout). SHELVES This
B “It was flooded with light and felt wonderfully serene, but the bookcase, in the living room, houses special pieces
interiors were extremely tired,” says Ben. At the time, the couple were the couple have collected on their travels.
expecting a child – son Brooklyn, now two – so renovating was a priority.
Theirplanwastobringthe1930sapartmentintothe21stcenturywithout
losinganyofitsArtDecocharacter.“Theoveralllayoutwasn’ttoobad,but
afewspacesneededreconfiguring–thetwobathrooms,inparticular,were
awkwardlydesigned.Weweredesperateforanewkitchentoo,”saysBen.

“I love Hamptons/coastal style and am a huge admirer of Ralph Lauren,
so that influenced the overall look and feel of the apartment.”
ThecouplecalledoninteriordesignerDeanneRoozofRooz+RoozDesign
to help with tweaks to the floor plan, including straightening some
misalignedwallsandreinforcingthefloorinthelivingroomtoaccommodate
amarblefiresurround.Ben,whoco-0wnslocalfurnitureandhomewares
retailerPalmer&Penn,wasinapositiontodeckouttheapartment himself,
including plenty of his favourite pieces by Ralph Lauren.
Sophistication begins at the front door. The entry foyer features new

timberflooring,laidinachevronpattern,andanarrayofbeautifulantiques
– an heirloom inlay cabinet and sparkling chandelier to name just two.
“We planned to have the chevron flooring throughout, but the cost >