Pied-à-terre By Smac Studio
Pied-à-terre by Smac Studio brings a feminine, elegant and Parisian sensibility to a Woollahra townhouse, pairing soft colour with pieces collected over a lifetime.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Interiors SMAC STUDIO Styling JACK MILENKOVIC Photos DAVE WHEELER
In the living space: vintage clam chair from owner's collection, Zippy Ceramic Side Table from Criteria and Christophe Delcourt coffee table.
In the entry Fame by Amanda Marburgfrom Olsen Gallery. Snoopy Lamp by Flos Euroluce.
Artwork: One Red Plum Warms The Misty Air 2 by Louise Olsen from Olsen Gallery.
Artwork: Melancholia (Five Greens) by Gemma Smith from Sullivan+Strumpf, Dining chairs from MCM House and Bamboo Table Lamp from The Vault. Astrid Salomon Resilience Series on table from Studio Gardner.
Artwork: One Red Plum Warms The Misty Air 2 by Louise Olsen from Olsen Gallery.
“The home needed to feel peaceful and soothing, but it also had to showcase the client’s personality through her collections and cherished items – originality and a sense of individuality were key.”
Artwork from far left: Cumulus by Ria Green, Even Though The Carpet Was Sticky They Danced Like They Were 20 by Daimon Downey and Soft Touch I by Leannexiu Williams from Saint Cloche. Girl Sitting by Kaspar Kägi from Reid Gallery. Round timber table from Bo Concept.
Sunburst mirror from an auction, Snoopy Lamp by Flos Euroluce. Checkerboard floor in Rosso Carrara and Carrara marble from Inigo Jones.
Bistro French Style 50s Stool and Kazuhide Takahama Nefer 1 Table Lamp for Sirrah Italy from 506070.
Vintage ceramic vase from 506070 and glass bowl from Conni And Vi. Vintage Swedish pendant light from owner's collection.
Artwork: Untitled by Bengt Orup and glass vase from Connie and Vi.
Bistro French Style 50s Stools from 506070.
Deliverance Painting by Morgan Stokes from Curatorial+Co.
The whimsical, jewel-box powder room features William Morris wallpaper, Sconces from Coco Republic and vintage mirror from the owner's collection.
In the shower Bisque tiles in Pine from Skheme.
Wall lights from Bloomingdales and existing cabinets repainted in Dulux Jeep.
Pied-à-terre by Smac Studio brings a softer, layered sensibility to a Woollahra townhouse, pairing sculptural stone, aubergine and olive tones with pieces collected over a lifetime.
Designed for a retired lawyer, the three-bedroom home balances elegance with personality, creating spaces that feel calm and considered without losing the individuality of its homeowner.
‘The client wanted a home that felt like a personal retreat. A place where she could truly relax. She’s drawn to a style that’s classic, soft, and elegant, but with a bit of personality,’ says Shona McElroy, Smac Studio principal.
Originally designed in 2000 by architect Ercole Palazzetti, a late friend of the homeowner, the townhouse already carried a strong personal connection. Smac Studio retained that history while making measured changes to improve the way the home functions, particularly across the kitchen, living and dining spaces.
The former kitchen occupied a corner of the ground floor, turning its focus away from the garden. Moving it into the centre of the plan created space for an island and opened the room towards the greenery outside. The fireplace was also repositioned, helping define the living and dining zones.
Central to the kitchen is a patterned green granite, selected early in the process and carried across the island, splashback and fireplace.
‘When we found this green granite, we both felt it was perfect, and it became the anchor around which the rest of the kitchen design developed,’ says Shona.
Colour continues throughout the home, with olive green joined by aubergine and plum tones. The guest bathroom takes a bolder turn through Viola marble, while the powder room combines William Morris wallpaper, checkerboard flooring and a curved stone vanity. In the entrance, aubergine-and-white flooring is paired with a rattan console and sunburst mirror, introducing the mix of refinement and playfulness found throughout.
Auction finds add individuality, including a Christophe Delcourt coffee table and a 1950s bar cart displaying crystal glasses once owned by the homeowner’s mother and uncle. Smac Studio also pared back shelving and joinery so selected objects collected over years of travel could be given greater presence.
This edited approach is balanced by richer moments elsewhere, from custom olive-green seating in the media room to the stone and pattern used in the bathrooms. Together, the spaces feel polished without becoming overly formal, allowing the homeowner’s memories, collections and connection to the house to remain central to the design.
‘I feel incredibly lucky. The house feels like a little haven. It’s calm but still full of personality. Working with Shona was such a joy; she really understood me.’
Location: Edgecliff, Sydney
Interiors: Smac Studio
Photography: Dave Wheeler
