Pied-à-Terre by Smac Studio

There is a particular kind of home that feels entirely and unmistakably like its owner. Pied-à-Terre in Woollahra, Sydney, is one of those. Designed by Smac Studio for a well-travelled, retired lawyer with a love of deep greens, aubergine tones, and a lifetime of beautiful collected objects, the result is a home that is serene and considered, yet full of personality and warmth.

The house itself has a meaningful history. Designed in 2000 by the late architect Ercole Palazzetti – a close friend of the owner's – it carries clear Italian influences that feel present throughout. "It feels quite meaningful living in something that connects back to that friendship," says Gina, the owner. "I really wish I could show him what I've done with the space now."

Originally a dark, inward-facing 1990s build, the home presented both challenge and opportunity. Smac Studio principal Shona McElroy made a series of small but considered interventions to the layout that make a big difference to daily living and entertaining. Most significantly, this involved relocating the kitchen from a tucked-away U-shaped corner to a central island position that now faces the garden. The fireplace was repositioned too, better defining the dining and living zones.

"This house feels Parisian in a way I've always been drawn to," says McElroy. "It uses space cleverly and is a perfect reflection of the client. It really belongs to her."

The colour palette, defined by olive green and aubergine, was drawn directly from Gina's love of her garden and her travels. Olive green appears in the kitchen stone, living room cabinetry, ensuite, and the custom media room couch, while aubergine runs through the checkerboard entry floor, the guest bathroom, and powder room. The wall colour, a green-toned shade that Gina initially hesitated over when she saw the word "grey" in its name, turned out to reflect the tones of the stone beautifully.

At the heart of the home, the kitchen is anchored by a deep green leathered granite – a slab Gina spotted the moment she walked into the stone warehouse. "I took one look and said, 'That's it.'" The same stone appears on the splashback and fireplace mantle, giving the ground floor a warm and textural cohesion. A mirrored finish on the splashback bounces the garden's greenery back into the room, keeping Gina connected to the outside even while cooking.

Always strong on creating distinct landing areas that welcome and set the mood, Smac Studio created an entrance that sets the tone from the moment you arrive. Generously sized and layered with character, it features an aubergine and white checkerboard marble floor, a curvy wave rattan console, and a sunburst mirror – a pairing Gina admits she wouldn't have landed on alone. "That's one of the perks of working with an interior designer," she says. "They can see combinations you wouldn't try yourself."

The powder room, small but full of presence, became one of the project's most joyful moments. Just before painting was due to begin, Gina emailed McElroy to suggest wallpaper instead. William Morris was chosen, its aubergine tones tying back to the broader palette, paired with a checkerboard marble floor and a curvy white stone vanity. "It's definitely a luxury moment," says Gina. "Little but full of personality."

As a self-confessed maximalist with collections of bottles, teapots, shells, and photographs gathered from years of travel, Gina needed the design to help her declutter. Smac Studio responded by simplifying the joinery and purposely reducing shelving, ensuring only the most special pieces earn their place on display. "I find it really difficult, it's not in my nature," Gina admits. "But it's made a real difference."

Throughout the home, a number of pieces were sourced at auction, adding individuality to each room. A Christophe Delcourt coffee table and a mid-century bar cart from Melbourne – 1950s, with delicate feet, curved lines, and crystal glasses inherited from Gina's mother and uncle – elevate the living room with a sense of history. Three mirrors were won in a single night of online bidding, including the sunburst at the entrance, after Gina placed bids and went to bed assuming she'd be lucky to win one.

"The house feels like a little haven," says Gina. "It's calm but still full of personality. At first I worried that bringing in a designer might make it feel impersonal – but instead it feels entirely like me."

Credits

Interior Design: Smac Studio

Principal of Smac Studio: Shona McElroy

Styling: Jack Milenkovic

Photography: Dave Wheeler

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PAREIL Revives a Traditional Bastide in the South of France

In the foothills of the hilltop village of Tourtour in France’s Var region, a traditional Provençal bastide has been carefully reimagined by the architecture studio PAREIL. The project marks the practice’s latest work focused on historic buildings, following its noted renovation of Mas Baudran.

Commissioned by London-based owners seeking a relaxed family retreat in the south of France, the project involved a complete renovation of the existing buildings alongside a comprehensive redesign of the surrounding landscape. PAREIL — established in 2023 between Paris and Marseille — oversaw both the design and the site supervision, with a transformation that remains anchored in the region’s architectural traditions.

The property sits within a layered hillside landscape typical of rural Provence. At its centre is a stone bastide serving as the main house, accompanied by an outbuilding connected by a porch that now functions as a studio, and a small dovecote that incorporates a garage. Like many vernacular structures of the region, the house was originally designed with climate in mind. Thick stone walls provide thermal inertia with volumes and orientation adapted to the Mediterranean climate, while the northern façade is partially embedded into the rock, shielding the building from prevailing winds.

While much of the exterior had been altered in the late twentieth century, including the addition of terraces and a swimming pool, the project involved reshaping the terrain and terraces to adapt to the steep site. Inside, the architects reorganised the layout to restore a coherent functional flow, introducing a balance between generous communal areas and more intimate rooms suited to everyday living. The aim was to enhance the home’s original character, creating a timeless, elegant holiday atmosphere.

Though the renovation involved significant structural work, the interventions remain discrete. Traditional materials — including stone, terracotta, lime plaster and local woods — are used throughout, reinforcing a sense of continuity between the architecture, the surrounding landscape and contemporary use. Passive ventilation systems, underfloor heating and biosourced insulation were also integrated to improve environmental performance without disrupting the character of the house.

The landscape design forms an equally important part of the project. Working with Studio Nolet and Sigmap Jardin, the architects reworked the property’s stepped agricultural terraces — known locally as restanques — reorganising the terrain to respond to the steep site. Upper and lower terraces were redesigned and extended, establishing a more cohesive relationship between the house, the garden and the wider landscape.

Founded in 2023 by Caroline Weill and Laetitia Paradis, PAREIL’s approach sees them anchor themselves in both an environment and human context. This has led to them developing a unique and sensitive architectural signature. Their aesthetic combines the simple and appropriate use of materials, elegant details, and the celebration of regional and artisanal expertise.

That approach is evident here. Rather than imposing a new identity on the house, the architects have worked with its inherent qualities — its orientation, materiality and relationship to the land— allowing the bastide to evolve while remaining firmly rooted in its Provençal setting. The result is a home that feels both inviting and deeply connected to place: a timeless retreat shaped as much by landscape as by architecture.

Credits

Achitecture: PAREIL (in collaboration with Studio Nolet)

Landscape designer: Sigmap Jardin

Landscaping: Auffray Paysage

Photography: Jean-Baptiste Thiriet

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de l'Épée Residence by Michael Godmer Studio

Some projects begin with a brief. This one began with a conversation. When Michael Godmer Studio was first contacted, the clients had already lived in the house for several years. The call was exploratory — an open exchange of ideas rather than a defined request. The couple — an art therapist who works intuitively with the body, gesture, and emotion, and a social programmes manager focused on building sustainable human structures — had lived internationally, gathering cultural and spatial experiences that would contribute to the narrative of their home in Montreal.

Their return to Canada was a way to reconnect with family, to offer stability for their two children, while preserving the openness shaped through travel. What began as a conversation soon evolved into a full renovation, developed patiently over time, with Michael Godmer Studio guiding the process and assembling a network of local artisans and collaborators around a shared vision.

Even before construction began, the house became a kind of laboratory. Drawings appeared on walls and family-made artworks acted as spontaneous gestures that inscribed the family’s identity into the space. From the beginning, the intention was clear: to create a home that felt singular and expressive, far removed from standardised imagery, and deeply attuned to colour, theatricality, and a vibrant family life.

The house already carried a rich history. A character-filled residence in Outremont, it was defined by warm woodwork and material depth, generous proportions, and a central staircase that anchored the plan. Rather than erase these elements, the design sought dialogue. The staircase was preserved exactly as it was, acting as a point of balance between past and present. Elsewhere, interventions extend the architecture rather than replace it — rounded door frames, reconfigured openings, and redesigned windows soften transitions and introduce a sense of flow.

Function and family life shaped every architectural decision. This includes working from home, with a dedicated art therapy space integrated seamlessly into the domestic flow, and an upstairs office offering focus and retreat. Cabinetry takes the place of traditional partitions, defining zones and creating versatile spaces. Custom doors, in particular became a central design element: glazed wood-framed, solid bespoke designs and louvered wardrobes were developed in close collaboration with local artisans. Each one is functional, tactile, and quietly expressive — part of a broader commitment to craftsmanship and personalisation.

Throughout the house, the atmosphere shifts gently from one zone to the next: a theatrical powder room in soft pinks nodding to the world of Wes Anderson, vibrant and playful spaces for the children, and, in contrast, the parents’ wing — calmer and more sensual, where bedroom and bathroom engage in a quiet, intimate dialogue. Each variation feels deliberate, responding to mood, function, and the rhythms of daily life.

Materiality is layered with restraint. A warm, mayonnaise-toned base colour envelops the home, allowing preserved woodwork to sit comfortably alongside brushed lacquered woods, uniform lacquer finishes, Botticino Fiorito marble, and travertine flooring. Limewash paint introduces sandy textures that interact with sculptural and decorative elements, referencing the clients’ travels and eclectic sensibilities.

Curves are a recurring element throughout the house, softening the lines of the kitchen island, door frames and bathrooms and creating a fluid language that resists being fixed in time. The kitchen itself is restrained and abstract, avoiding overt references — particularly to the French bistro — through a subtle repetition of tile lines between floor and island. One of the project’s signature details — which immediately caught my eye — is the narrow-plank white oak floor, recalling the home’s origins, framed by a tiled border that echoes the kitchen. A single small tile marks the transition between wood and ceramic, a detail repeated throughout the house, forming a discreet narrative thread.

Lighting is intentionally understated, designed to reveal textures and materials rather than competing with them. Sourced largely through local collaborations, it contributes to the home’s sensitive, coherent and deeply personal composition.

More than anything, this is a project shaped by relationships — between a family and their home, between past and present, between architecture and craftsmanship. It has been designed to evolve, welcome, and grow richer over time, without ever losing its soul.

Photography by Maxime Brouillet

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