Ric’s Cottesloe—A Charming Seaside Escape
Ric’s Cottesloe is a seaside stay with the sensibility of a coastal pied-à-terre, a design-led apartment where layered materiality, soft light and considered details set the tone for slow days by the water.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos LULU CAVANAGH & CLAIRE MCFERRAN
“This wasn’t about creating something over-styled or ostentatious, it was about designing a place that feels settled, chic, and unforced—something guests can truly relax into.”
Just a short walk from Perth’s western shoreline, Ric’s Cottesloe offers a considered interpretation of coastal luxury, leaning into mood, proportion and lived-in ease.
Designed as a refined coastal pied-à-terre by White Studio & Co, the apartment reflects founder Brooke Shakibaei’s signature sensibility: elegant yet grounded, composed yet relaxed, and effortlessly attuned to experience.
‘This wasn’t about creating something overstyled or ostentatious,’ Brooke explains. ‘It was about designing a place that feels settled, chic, and unforced, something guests can truly relax into.’ That intention guided every decision. Rather than capturing the coast in literal motifs, the palette echoes its surroundings through feeling: soft blues drawn from distant ocean haze, earthy browns that reference dune grass and Australian terrain. The result is an atmosphere of calm; restorative, subdued, and quietly indulgent.
Materiality does the storytelling: walls and floors finished in micro-cement bring depth and warmth, forming a seamless envelope that feels both intimate and expansive. Handmade zellige tiles introduce patina and movement across bench tops and splashbacks, their irregular edges catching light throughout the day. Custom-forged bronze hardware adds a subtle weight and tactility, while sculptural lighting by European houses such as Barovier & Toso and Audoux Minet introduces notes of refinement without dominating the space.
Furniture choices mirror this balance of restraint and richness. Antiques and classic European silhouettes are layered with pieces by Australian designers, creating a dialogue between heritage and contemporary clarity. Nothing shouts for attention; instead, the interiors reward slow looking—a carved timber sideboard, the slip of sheer curtains shifting with the breeze, the warm touch of aged metal.
‘It’s a play between old and new, but always quiet,’ Brooke notes. ‘We worked with texture and tone to create a space that feels both familiar and elevated—a kind of soft elegance that lingers.’ The effect is a retreat that doesn’t attempt to impress, but does so anyway through ease, proportion and thoughtful restraint.
Ric’s Cottesloe is a charming home to ease into, a serene coastal escape defined by clarity, material beauty and the simple pleasure of slowing down by the sea.
