![Lofty ambitions](https://cdn.magzter.com/1416373397/1680581770/articles/MJXH7u55s1681724090162/LOFTY-AMBITIONS.jpg)
This is one of the best views in Sydney,” says the owner of this four-bedroom penthouse poised above the harbour. While that might be hyperbole in a city blessed with vistas, anyone sitting in her living room would readily agree. It soaks up 360-degree paraglider-like panoramas from the bridge to the ocean. “I can look at this seascape for hours,” says the owner. “It’s ever-changing – never the same from one minute to the next. You feel so uplifted.” The only hints of routine are the ferries regularly plying the waters below.
But she felt less uplifted five years ago, when she inherited the apartment from an elderly relative who had lived there for more than 30 years. It seriously short-changed that multimillion-dollar spectacle. “Everything was heavy and brown, with dark-chocolate furnishings, English traditional with a hint of safari. Quite masculine, it did not reflect its location,” says the owner. Most notably, two clunky nubuck armchairs blocked sightlines to Sydney Heads.
So the Melbourne-based owner called in fellow southerner, architectural designer Shareen Joel of Shareen Joel Design, with whom she had worked in the past, to elevate the interiors to better reflect the spectacle beyond the walls of glass. Now the apartment is a prized pied-à-terre for the owner and her family.
In a V-shape, the apartment occupies nearly the entire 21st floor, with no neighbours to interrupt it, just gulls and the occasional, less-welcome, helicopter swooping past the windows. Open-plan living, including sitting and dining areas, a separate kitchen and two bedrooms occupy one wing, joined by a corridor to a second which accommodates the main bedroom suite, another bedroom and the laundry.
Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av Belle Magazine Australia.
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Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av Belle Magazine Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Highly prized](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/b9VcPCvYw1720510812134/HIGHLY-PRIZED.jpg)
Highly prized
A move into a light-dappled Victorian Italianate building with purposebuilt interiors allowed Criteria and sister company C.Gallery to showcase atelier-based furniture, lighting, objects and art in a unique design gallery.
![The gold and the beautiful](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/aRr-2cRql1720510456017/THE-GOLD-AND-THE-BEAUTIFUL.jpg)
The gold and the beautiful
An interior designer daringly pushes the boundaries in her own home in Sydney's eastern suburbs - with glittering results.
![Poetic aesthetic](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/hWZC7kTl-1720510035924/POETIC-AESTHETIC.jpg)
Poetic aesthetic
There's rhyme and reason in the artful assemblage of European antiques and decorative objets in this gently refreshed Sydney home.
![STATE OF MIND](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/JxpNyLzLX1720509566280/STATE-OF-MIND.jpg)
STATE OF MIND
ON NEW YORK’S UPPER EAST SIDE Melbourne-based designer Tali Roth has crafted an apartment that is both classy and comfortable, where modernist icons and contemporary finds sit side-by-side.
![PLUM JOB](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/-6I6a3vNy1720509213419/PLUM-JOB.jpg)
PLUM JOB
REWORKING THE COMPLEX BURROWS of an inner-city terrace has resulted in an expansive home for two, with rich hues and pared-back furnishings, all imbued with meaningful custom finishes.
![ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/hQXOMH17i1720508941661/ABSTRACT-IMPRESSIONS.jpg)
ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONS
SERVING AS A GALLERY for the owners' growing art collection, this opulent yet tricky-shaped apartment in Sydney's eastern suburbs emulates the eclecticism of New York's jewel box apartments.
![SMART SPACES](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/cdVPJDGH51720508801902/SMART-SPACES.jpg)
SMART SPACES
An alchemical mix of luxury furnishings fused with superior surfaces has transformed and elevated these properties.
![House PROUD](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/T-85bXzlF1720507607760/HOUSE-PROUD.jpg)
House PROUD
In a collaboration between Belle and Fanuli, three leading interior designers transform the most intimate rooms of a home into chic sanctuaries.
![MUSE WORTHY](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/zBQeHo59W1720507195971/MUSE-WORTHY.jpg)
MUSE WORTHY
The interiors of the Sydney home of arts advisor and advocate Kym Elphinstone are a fitting tribute to her passion for Australian artists and creators.
![ENJOY YOUR STAY](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8164/1745339/R9PliwRj-1720506952900/ENJOY-YOUR-STAY.jpg)
ENJOY YOUR STAY
Forget the journey, for the Lancemore Hotel Group, it's all about the destination and showcasing high-end Australian design.