A Return to Light – Glebe Point by JCA Architects and Décor JMH

After having lived in the penthouse since 2007 – and a flood causing damage to the home during that time – a refreshed approach was inevitable and warmly received. Ideally elevated above many other pavilion homes below, Glebe Point and its encasement of floor-to-ceiling glass called for an open and connected change. Reflecting its owners, a love of colour and richness of texture, the home is given a fresh start. Embellished with aptly fitting adornment, a new interior approach reflects a heightened level of animation and personality. As both a residence to retreat to and as a perfectly positioned place to entertain, the resulting home needed to balance both a sense of enclosure and one that openly embraces its guests. Together with JCA Architects, Décor JMH draws on a modernist approach to creating a linear and iconic restraint home.

Built by CJ Duncan, the home features three bedrooms, all with their own bathroom and 180-degree views of the nearby Anzac Bridge. The Sydney Harbour Bridge sits in the distance, with the prominent view of the brutalist beauty in the foreground. Every home within the building had its own unique brief, detailed by how each resident used each space; for Glebe Point, the residence is part home, part place for entertaining and part place of work. Bringing each of these contrasting characteristics took a patient and considered approach, while also requiring an embedded flexibility as well.

Each space becomes a showcase of sorts, bringing together modernist shapes, materials and silhouettes, which are highlighted by the abundance of natural light flooding in through the glass. Referencing these pieces is a similar toned palette, seeing brass, stone and varying stains of timber create a home of warmth and curiosity. Whilst the use of colour provides a series of internal focal points, the true centre is the kitchen. As a place to gather, entertain, nurture and even work from, it caters for the changing brief of the home while also being a space that pulls all occupants and visitors together. Its careful crafting of metal detailing and warm timber further emphasises a welcoming nature, as extensive joinery ensures storage can conceal the sometimes-unsightly everyday elements.