When it comes to apartment living there is no market more discerning than empty-nesters and their message is clear: down-sizing doesn’t mean down-grading. Through superior lifestyle design, The Grace, in Sydney responds with clarity and style.
March 4th, 2021
Designed with sophisticated buyers in mind, The Grace in Northbridge is the latest in an impressive line of projects from the team at Fiducia, which excels at carefully curated developments that are approachable, modern, private and luxurious. It’s completely on-message with the target owners, who are seeking living spaces that not only look great but which also reflect a sense of refinement through understated details and clever functionality.
“The Grace is a lifestyle of comfort and inspiration,” explains Marie Doyle, co-founder and development director of Fiducia. “One where every convenience is available at your door and yet your senses are subtly directed to creating a beautiful story for your own life.”
This vision was translated into the design by DKO with a concept for the interiors that focused on tactility and detail, and which is evident throughout, from the grain of the marble to the exceptional appliances. It’s a subtle balance that was realised through design-led selections and for which the precision and innovation of V-ZUG’s kitchen appliances were the ideal choice.
“All the interior elements were considered from how they felt, how they appeared, and how they worked together with each other,” says DKO director, Michael Drescher. “The leather handles on the joinery, complements to the beautiful lines of the V-ZUG appliances. It’s these touch points which create that sense of luxury.”
In addition to showcasing Fiducia’s and DKO’s shared passion for creating timeless spaces with beautiful materials, the project also prompted new thinking around the increasing need for flexibility in apartment layouts.
“Versatility of spaces is where I believe the future of multi-residential design lies,” continues Drescher. “We need to create spaces that are multi-functional as well as promote wellness, all within a small footprint.”
Open living spaces are “planned to the periphery”, says Drescher, to capture leafy views and light. This, says Doyle, works to elevate the kitchen to become “the heart of conversation, a centrepiece for any gathering”. Here, Fiducia’s aspiration was for the residents “to savour the simple pleasure of shared meals in a kitchen,” says Doyle, but with “thoughtfully designed and technically advanced appliances [that] pushed the boundaries of what they would normally consider a traditional oven-cooked item”.
V-ZUG’s ‘simplex’ approach, in which complex technology is rendered seamless and simple to use through intelligent, intuitive design, aligns perfectly with this ethos. It also contributes to a welcoming living environment with a kitchen at the forefront of possibility.
Drescher, too, is effusive about the V-ZUG range of steam ovens, stainless steel fridges and dishwashers, and their ability to deliver on multiple levels. “They aren’t there to be the hero; they are there to balance […] They are just a beautiful appliance to use, and with the trusted history and quality of a Swiss brand. It’s Swiss perfection.”
It’s a flawlessness that has helped create the superior living spaces the client hoped to achieve on the project, and has set a benchmark for considerate design, planning and excellence in the area.
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