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Jill McCormick has a knack for scouting some of Sydney’s best rentals and incredible waterfront views.
Having previously lived in a glorious Art Deco building in Elizabeth Bay, Jill’s new home is from a different era, but it’s just as striking.
‘Anyone who’s searched for a rental in Sydney knows it’s brutal, especially in summer,’ says Jill, the national brand and wholesale sales manager for MOTHER and American Vintage.
‘My checklist was also ridiculously ambitious — harbourside eastern suburbs, plenty of natural light, ocean views, a pool, and ideally a building with character. My friends thought I was completely bonkers, and after two months of inspections, so did I.’
Her luck turned around in March, when she found a 70-square-metre home in Darling Point, located inside a mid-century building known as Easthaven.
Designed by renowned Sydney architects Ancher Mortlock & Murray sometime around the late 1950s, the apartment complex features expansive steel-framed windows and floor-to-ceiling glass that frame uninterrupted views across Sydney Harbour.
The building has direct access to the water with a slipway and boat ramp, and an entire level dedicated to kayak and boat storage, alongside gardens and a communal entertaining pavilion with barbecues and a kitchen overlooking Double Bay.
But of its most distinctive features is the entry, elevated within an enchanting glass-and-steel footbridge.
‘Suspended above a deep ravine filled with established trees, it takes you from the driveway straight into the building, and you can see the harbour as you walk in. Every time I walk through it, I can’t help but think of the Wonkavator from Willy Wonka,’ Jill says.
‘There is direct access to Sydney Harbour via a slipway and boat ramp, an entire level dedicated to kayak and boat storage, a waterfront pool, gardens and a communal entertaining pavilion with barbecues and a kitchen overlooking Double Bay. And judging by the number of kayaks downstairs, I’m one of the few people in the building who doesn’t own one!’
The apartment itself ticked all the practical boxes too, as an earlier renovation had introduced a modern kitchen, bathroom, and plenty of storage. Mirrored walls are another clever detail, reflecting light around the space at different times of the day.
The fresh and simple interiors have become a perfect backdrop for her layered styling, reflecting the ethos that the best homes should feel ‘collected’ rather than ‘perfectly matched’.
Facebook Marketplace gems like a vintage console with the Greek key carved into the base are paired with a seagrass rug and onyx coffee table from Fleur Studios in the living room. A series of hand-painted, sculptural lamps and artworks made by Jill herself also feature throughout — and she’s recently started selling these creations under the moniker Mewdy.
But the real hero of the entire home is undeniably the majestic outlook. Jill spends most of her time on the sun-soaked balcony that juts out from the building: ‘You almost feel like you’re floating above the water.’
‘I sit out there every morning in my robe and slippers to eat breakfast, watch the sunrise and listen to the boats bobbing in the harbour. No two mornings are ever the same; it’s like watching an ever-changing artwork.’
