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Chris Taylor and Peter Fowler are both lovers of New York City’s iconic SoHo lofts, for their utilitarian aesthetic, and the ‘romantic youthfulness’ they represent to the couple.
’I’ve always been really attracted to that industrial aesthetic and a clear, rational utilitarian design,’ says Chris, who is the principal of design practice Studio Kick. ‘I think there is something really appealing and beautiful about a space or object that has a clear intention, [and] functions well, but also looks good.’
The couple rented their own converted warehouse apartment upon returning to Sydney, which cemented a desire to purchase their own. They spent about 12 months looking for a place with the right light and volume, and finally found it in this 1920s warehouse building.
Formerly a hosiery factory, the Daringhurst building was converted into apartments in around the year 2000, retaining exposed flared mushroom concrete columns, 3.6-metre ceilings, and large multi-paned industrial windows.
The apartment was perfectly liveable, but devoid of much personality in the finishes, and lacking some functional elements — ideal for a designer like Chris to make his mark. ‘We’d seen so many great apartments and houses with freshly renovated spaces that just weren’t us,’ Chris says. ‘[We didn’t want to be] constrained by someone else’s vision… I wanted something old and in need of repair, so this was perfect.’
Chris set about reconfiguring the apartment, making the controversial decision to remove the second bedroom in order to ‘give back’ to the living area and main bedroom. ‘So we technically downsized, but gained enough space to have our large dining setting — which came back with us from New York — and then flip the bed orientation and gain a full height wall of robe storage,’ he explains.
‘Removing the second bedroom allowed for an open-plan layout that amplified light, scale, and movement.
A floating wall flanked by full-height linen curtains works to zone the bedroom while maintaining visual lightness.
Upgrading the kitchen — previously characterised by a bulky island bench and dated glass splashback — was another significant element of the project. Chris removed the existing island, replacing it with a lower American walnut base fabricated by Hugh McCarthy that appears as a standalone piece of furniture. ‘It reads more as a utility bench from an old English kitchen, but a little sharper around the edges,’ he explains. ‘With open American walnut legs, concealed power, and elegant proportions, it blurs the boundary between utility and art.’
Chris also updated the flooring, replaced all the fixtures in the bathrooms, and upgraded the lighting and window furnishings throughout.
All this was achieved in under 16 weeks, allowing the couple to move in just before Christmas 2024.
Peter and Chris love to entertain, and they never tire of hearing guests remark how ‘lived in’ their technically new apartment interior feels. ‘A lot of our pieces are vintage and others we’ve had for years, so there is a fair amount of patina in the objects and furniture that sit within this newer (old) shell,’ says Chris. ‘I think the fact that the shell also has this clear older history creates a nice sense of warmth and familiarity that resonates with people. It makes you feel welcome.’
With no wasted space, they use every inch of the apartment to its fullest potential — starting the day in the sunny living room, and ending in the soothing bedroom, painted a cocooning shade of moody green.
