Flos Spot 120 track lights across the dining and living spaces, complemented by a custom dining table designed by Lawless & Meyerson and Wishbone CH24 chairs by Hans J. Wegner. ALPI Xilo Planked White timber veneer defines the joinery, paired with an integrated Cipollino Verde bar.
Veiled by a 100-year-old façade, this tranquil penthouse is a sanctuary for the senses in the heart of Bondi.
Perched on Gadigal and Birrabirragal land in Bondi, New South Wales, this penthouse was designed by Lawless & Meyerson, with architecture by MHN Design Union. As Lawless & Meyerson co-founder and creative director Jo Lawless highlights, the brief necessitated a contemporary design to emerge from behind the original century-old façade.
The lift entry opens onto a curved foyer meandering across the living, kitchen and dining open plan, extending towards the terrace. Quiet zones of the narrow floorplan accomodate the bedrooms, bathrooms and study. The challenge lay in welcoming in the 180-degree vistas of Bondi Beach—framed by deep, portal-like windows—while simultaneously creating a sanctuary away from the lively precinct below.
Achieving this, the semi-enclosed terrace provides highly tailorable indoor-outdoor connection. Glazed doors, windows and curtains allow residents to mediate the level of salty zephyrs, city murmurs or sunlight they invite in. “It’s an unexpected, almost loggia-like space,” Lawless describes. “It’s private and shaded, yet open to sea breezes and panoramic views over Bondi,” she adds. “It’s not a typical balcony, but a tranquil outdoor room that embodies the project’s balance of heritage and contemporary living.”
The kitchen features Vola tapware, as well as appliances from Sub-Zero, Wolf, Pitt, and Miele—all from Winnings. Also pictured: Mattiazzi Osso stools.
Artistic accents see the kitchen’s Savannah marble island bench by Surface Gallery elevated beside Mobile N0.2 Series 3 by artist Odette Ireland from Curatorial+Co.
Inside, a tactile, breathable palette of natural linens, wools and sisal evokes an immediate sense of stillness. Complementing the original façade rather than mirroring it, Lawless discusses that the interiors approach weaves history into the details. “We reinterpreted the façade’s character through form and proportion, subtly nodding to the past in the trim of cabinetry or the selection of a handle.”
Texturally, wicker chairs and woven wool rugs are offset by harder timbers in shelving, and marble accents that reference the ocean throughout the kitchen, living and bathing spaces. Bedrooms are cosily furnished, with soft armchairs, fabric headboards and weightier drapery conducive to rest, while a mobile-style work by Sydney-based artist Odette Ireland rests in its own curved nook. “Every surface was considered to feel inviting underfoot or to touch—nothing glossy or showy, just honest, layered texture,” Lawless says.
This penthouse design provides a deeply calm retreat, floating above the fray and vibrance of Bondi. Aptly, Lawless reflects that the design “reinforces the power of restraint, exemplifying that true luxury often lies in what’s concealed rather than on show; never over-designed, just deeply considered.”
The living space features a rattan DePadova Silvia chair designed by Paolo Tilche, the Yuuki stainless steel side table by Rachel Donath, a DePadova Raffles sofa, Fritz Hansen PK22 lounge chair, Vitra Akari 10A floorl lamp, Lumina Daphine floor lamp, and ‘The Matter of Ageing’ (2022) by Morgan Stokes from Curatorial & Co.
Curved study walls complement rounded furnishings including the Thonet S533 chair and Louis Poulsen Panthella table lamp. Also pictured: USM Haller bar cart and Cadrys rug.
Tactile furnishings in the bedrooms include the &Tradition Little Petra armchair designed by Viggo Boesen alongside a custom Lawless & Meyerson bedhead and custom bedside tables crafted from ALPI Xilo Planked white timber veneer. The space also features Poliform Sara mirrors, Cultiver bedlinen, Natural Floor Coverings Winter Woven wool rug, and Roy Tavolo table lamps.
Cipollino Verde marble by Granite Marble Works, Artedomus Artegres Beton walls, and Bisanna Crema Lyra marble tiles are paired with Vola tapware and the sculptural Serax Billy vase.
A bathroom of sculptural, organic forms including a clay side table from DePadova and Time&Style, alongside an Apaiser Allegra bath.
The terrace features the modern lines of vintage Zanetti armchairs from 506070.
