Trends New Zealand Volume 35 No 2 | Page 70

Previous pages: While the furniture pieces are low – both to optimise a sense of room height and to provide unobstructed views from the rear of the apartment – the artworks take prime visibility, second only to the views. Architect and interior designer Richard Archer chose all the artworks for the home. The most prominent is the ‘Elephant Ear in Autumn’ photograph by Tamara Dean – beautiful in its own right, it also contributes a garden-like aesthetic to the serene interior. The design for the contemporary and arresting area rug was also driven by Archer, picking up on the water and movement that the unit overlooks. search | save | share at views – ensuring almost all rooms enjoy a connection with the harbour.” In addition, Archer used several ways to make the sizeable apartment seem even bigger than it already was and to reflect the locality in the decor. “We clad the fixed columns and front- of-kitchen cabinetry piece in a sustainable wood veneer. These dark-toned elements provide a solid core for the fit-out. “And while they’re substantial on one level, being darker, they also recede to the eye adding to the feeling of spaciousness.” Many of the new interior walls are in a smokey bronzed mirror finish, adding softness and also space through reflection. The smokey tones give the reflections an ambiguous quality, too, so it’s hard to read the depth of the walls, again to roomy effect. The mirror surfaces make the most of the views as well, wherever you’re standing or whichever way you’re facing. Then there are the other key factors that make the interiors sing and connect with the harbour waters – the restrained, highly effective palette, the international