Woollahra Home by Tom Mark Henry

This Woollahra home revived by Tom Mark Henry has an exhale-inducing quality. It’s exactly what the studio sought to achieve with a brief that called for ‘quiet simplicity’ through balance and restraint. The home’s soft-hued interiors speak to its Art Deco origins, delicately paying homage to the era’s decorative craftsmanship through steadfast attention to detail. Reinterpreting each space with a milky and textural layering of materials and custom joinery, Tom Mark Henry have ascertained a sense of calm around every corner. 

Charming original features in this Art Deco apartment such as the curved archways and gridded colonial windows were the springboard for Tom Mark Henry’s approach to the refurbishment. Art Deco-inspired materials, joinery, fixtures and fittings all ensued, informed by the studio’s vision to introduce a newfound subdued refinement.

White-washed floorboards, super white stone benchtops, terrazzo and handmade tiles in both the kitchen and bathroom from Surface Gallery offer a sense of textural warmth. These timeless materials underpin the home’s restrained, nature-inspired tones, working in harmony with hints of sage green – as seen in the Moonstone living room rug by Armadillo.

Door hardware and wall lights with Art Deco accents enhance the home’s handle on its new sophisticated chapter. Gentle decadence reveals itself through the Duomo (Original) Wall Sconce in aged brass from Nightworks Studio in the entrance hall and in the Applique de Marseilles wall light, designed Le Corbusier for Nemo in the kitchen. 

Brass also finds its way into the living space via the bespoke joinery with brass handles, designed to display the owner’s treasures and keep any clutter behind closed cabinetry doors. This level of consideration is maintained in the contemporary, pared-back take on a shaker-style kitchen, designed to be ‘as beautiful as it is practical’. Moving into the private spaces of the home, the bedroom resembles the communal spaces with how it prioritises storage space, left deliberately spare to create a calming environment for repose.

Tom Mark Henry’s softly-does-it approach to an Art Deco apartment in Sydney upholds the notion that the art of subtlety can deliver exactly what we hope for in a quiet modern home.