Designed by Gaia Starace Design, Sabbia Residence is a compact beachfront apartment located in Freshwater, Sydney. What it lacks in square metres it makes up for in abundance with bespoke artistic touches that elevate everyday living.

Custom pieces create cohesion

Rome-born, Sydney-based Starace drew on her multidisciplinary background combining architecture, art and custom joinery design to craft a home that’s experiential as well as visually captivating. Her original paintings along with handmade ceramics, a custom rug developed with Designer Rugs and a sculptural marble coffee table were created as part of the wider design language of the residence from the outset, rather than tapped on as final touches.

Designed for a corporate finance professional and keen surfer who had spent two decades of renting in Bondi, the new interiors needed to complement the owner’s surfing lifestyle while providing a quiet, executive home workspace and private sanctuary.

Reworking the plan

Before the renovation, the two-bedroom apartment floorplan wasn’t making the most of the dramatic outlook. Starace’s first move was to relocate the kitchen to the centre of the open-plan living space, creating a fundamental shift in how the flat could be used. The new layout transforms the open-plan zone into a flexible and bright hub for hosting and entertaining. A new feature terracotta screen also reframes the relationship between the interior, natural light and the ocean beyond.

Further spatial shifts were made in the master suite, reorienting the bedroom so the bed could face the sunrise each day. Beneath the window, a custom-made Tasmanian oak workstation takes in the views and allows the resident to feel connected to the surf while working from home.

Sophisticated coastal touches

The material palette responds to the coastal setting, bringing together terracotta, Tasmanian oak, natural stone and mineral tones. Three marbles define functional zones across the apartment: Crisp London White covers the practical kitchen benches; a Callisto marble highlights the bespoke bar; and a textured Aquabella stone forms a structural bedhead in the master bedroom. In the bathroom, ‘Sabbia’ (sand) coloured travertine contrasts with black tapware by Brodware.

The strength of the marble is softened by timber details. Working closely with builders and joiners, HSM Projects, Starace wrapped the home in matte Tasmanian oak. Internal doors feature a clear contrast of sharp, straight lines and gentle curves, while minimalist open shelves create opportunities for the owner to display their favourite objects.

Starace’s scope of work takes the design beyond a comfortable home to a collector’s sanctuary, with a unique capsule collection specifically crafted for the space. Her monochromatic ink compositions, Luce Riflessa, mimic the ripples of ocean light, while Le Maree features rhythmic oil pastel works. These atmospheric studies flow effortlessly into Acqua & Sassi, a collection of handmade ceramic tableware. Pulling the space together is the custom rug collaboration with Designer Rugs Sydney, which translates the paintings into tactile, handcrafted wool-and-bamboo-silk landscapes.

Photos: Pablo Veiga

More information on the website.