Originally built in the late 1960s, the apartment has been expertly transformed from humble origins by Gabrielle Reinhardt of Berkeley Interiors. It was a project close to the designer’s heart, as the Teneriffe pad is home to her close family friend (and first-time home buyer) Lucas Wilson.
“Lucas is my eldest daughter Claudia’s school friend, so we’ve known each other for many years, and his appreciation of my design work goes back just as long,” says Gabrielle of the connection. “When Lucas first came to my house as a teenager, he said he loved my style and our home. Ten years later, as a young accountant, he engaged me as his interior designer to decorate his first home. Naturally, that made this a very special project for me.”
Engaged in furnishing the apartment, including the living, dining, and the main bedroom, Gabrielle has leaned heavily on original Australian-made furniture in oak and walnut timbers, natural textures, classic lighting and Indigenous artwork to usher in a sense of contemporary calm.
“It’s always a joy as an interior designer when your client understands and connects to the pieces you source, and lucky for me, Lucas has a passion for design,” says Gabrielle. “He wanted to invest in forever pieces that will take him into his future homes. With an Italian heritage, he also loves to cook and entertain family and friends, so he wanted Berkeley Interiors to create a home that incorporated an intimate dining space and a welcoming living area.”
The 1960s apartment is original, and the light-coloured bricks helped to influence the contemporary design. “Lucas is a young professional, and this is his first home, so I wanted to make it feel fresh and suitably hip for him and ensure we sourced pieces that would last the distance,” the designer adds. “We also share a passion for Australian-made and designed, so I was careful with the budget to specify quality locally designed pieces.”
As with most apartments of this era, the living and dining area is combined. Lucas wanted to entertain friends and have a dining table that was big enough for six people, but he didn’t like the dining area to take up too much space and encroach on the living zone. Gabrielle’s solution was to have a dining table custom-made by boutique Australian studio/workshop Pierre and Charlotte to fit the space.
Gabrielle has pushed the dining table against the wall with four classic Thonet chairs to make the most of the tight space, but it can be pulled out from the wall and two chairs added for guests whenever needed. Lucas simply keeps the extra two chairs in his store room, ready for entertaining.
“The Thonet chairs are a classic — comfortable, lightweight and timeless,” says Gabrielle. “They give the room a contemporary feel and work back beautifully with the oak and rattan Billie coffee table by Jardan. In a small apartment, I think it is important to have pieces that relate to one another and work together, so the space flows and works together.”
Berkeley Interiors chose several additional items from Pierre and Charlotte, which is based on the east coast of Tasmania and makes furniture by hand with an emphasis on sustainable, environmentally friendly design and local native timbers and veneers. “They work in harmony with their environment by using natural materials, clean processes and responsibly harvested timber,” adds Gabrielle. “Even the way they package and wrap their furniture and lighting is environmentally friendly by using paper, cardboard and fabric drawstring bags — no plastic.”
The designer notes that she loves how the dining table is simple and elegant but also functional. But her absolute favourite piece from the artisan workshop is the Atlas Standing Lamp, which makes an impact in the living room. “The shade and the stand are handcrafted timber, and the light can be raised up or down depending on your needs,” she says. “I have the table lamp of this design in my own home, and it is incredibly beautifully made.”
Gabrielle also specified other furniture and accessories from Australian brands including Jardan Furniture, Coco Flip, and Armadillo & Co, rounding out the project with a selection of custom cushions and designer decor pieces.
Artworks by Indigenous artists also feature throughout the apartment, including Allawa Country by Barney Ellaga, which hangs above the sofa, and Tingari/Men’s Dreaming by George Ward Tjungurrayi next to the blue velvet Jardan armchair in the living room (both works sourced by Berkeley Interiors from Brisbane’s Mitchell Fine Art Gallery).
Lucas is thrilled with the transformation of his first home, crediting the designer with bringing his vision of a comfortable, stylish, contemporary pad to life. “Having lived in my new home for a while now, I can honestly say that Gabrielle has created a space which I love coming home to each day,” he says.
Rarely does Gabrielle get to enjoy the fruits of her labour quite like she can with this project. “As Lucas is a family friend, he has invited us to his home for dinner and drinks. It has been a lovely experience actually enjoying the space I helped design and seeing Lucas living in, enjoying and entertaining in it. And it was a pleasure to work with Lucas as a young person who was willing to invest in his first home and valued timeless pieces he will hopefully have forever.”
Words: Natalie Bannister // Photography: Hannah Puechmarin
