Brighton Residence by Golden

Golden have an eye for sculptural and textural detail, known for their highly-curated interiors. Their Brighton Residence, which was shortlisted under several major design awards in 2020 is no different, designed for a client ‘looking for the spectacular’. Drenched in grey and gold hues throughout, Brighton Residence exemplifies Golden’s hand at tactile and tonal layering, marrying large-scale form with an underlying sense of 1930s Hollywood glamour.

As part of the brief, the client asked the Golden team to avoid using plasterboard where possible, informing the thorough use of linear timber panelling, art-deco wallpaper and gold marble throughout the home.

To seamlessly unite the home’s bold facade with the interiors, Golden directors Kylie Buhagiar and Alicia McKimm explored the external finishes internally and found ways to soften them. “This is seen in the concrete and charred black timber boards that continue internally, creating unity and connectivity between the interior and exterior,” Kylie explains. “By incorporating them in this way we were able to unify the interior and exterior rather than them being two separate entities with stop and start junctions.”

The kitchen reflects and caters to the clients’ love for hosting guests. A monolithic island references the exterior of the home, while an adjacent bar is cleverly concealed within the joinery, taking the entertainer’s kitchen from day to night. Verpan Series 430 chairs upholstered in decadent grey velvet are a nod to the Hollywood regency style prevalent throughout the home, balanced with a contemporary timber dining table.

Ebonised timber cladding finds its way from the kitchen and dining to the formal lounge; a further emphasis to the materiality of the facade. The home is designed with a compartmentalised layout instead of an open-plan, so it was important the materials carried through the spaces could provide a link from one to the next. “We wanted to ensure there was continuity and flow created through the harmonious transition between spaces, materials and detailing, so instead of each room having a different detail, we ensured that a finish would connect each space in a subtle way,” Alicia says.

The basement bar is perhaps the most pertinent nod to Hollywood’s Golden era, complete with a dance floor and evoking a cinematic experience through the subterranean brass-framed pool window. It’s here where emerald velvet carpet, caramel leather banquette seating and ‘Palm jungle’ wallpaper by Cole & Son are beautifully layered and finished with ambient gold wall lights. Conceived as a hotel-like retreat, the master suite also enjoys similar luxurious features, with a discreet champagne-filled bar fridge behind marble drawers and sculptural freestanding spa.

Brighton Residence is a one-of-a-kind home meticulously realised by Golden and Luke Seidler, balancing rest with play and simplicity with grandeur.