Super natural

Stone and tile expert Adrian Zipevski's home in Sydney's Rozelle is a converted warehouse which was magically transformed for contemporary Australian life with a New York edge.

- JACK MILENKOVIC/ATELIER LAB

WHAT WERE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR HOME, AND WHAT INITIALLY APPEALED ABOUT THE SITE?

The requirements were high ceilings and lots of stone. Through my business, Surface Gallery, I had already acquired and was storing a bundle of light and dark Zafiro Blue marble; for over a year before even purchasing the property. I had never before seen this stone utilised in a project in Australia so my new home had to be the first place for it. However, for me the initial drawcard for this property was the high-vaulted ceiling in the living room which provided maximum impact and delivers New York loft-style living, but with an Australian twist.

Steel doors were always a huge part of the brief and an easy way to ensure there would be abundant light in every room. I opted to design and make my own steel and fluted glass doors through my other business, Aldini, for all the internal bedrooms, bathrooms and courtyard. These doors guaranteed that each space felt lighter and brighter. As such a key element much of the framework was actually built around the full-height doors to ensure a flush finish with minimal clearance. While this choice slowed the build process down a little I feel it has really had a beneficial influence on the final result.

WHAT DID THE ALTERATIONS ENTAIL?

The project was a complete remodel. The roof came off and the interior layout was completely stripped out and repurposed from a one bedroom, one bathroom home to accommodate three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms.