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If the styling of this 1930s art deco apartment doesn’t give away the design inspiration, then the name might.
Affectionately referred to as ‘Tender is the Stay’, homeowners Leisha and Greg Bond — co-owner and architectural director of AtelierBond, respectively — drew on their love of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘Tender is the Night’ to instill a sense of romance in the renovation of their temporary family home in Adelaide, taking dazzling cues from the Jazz Age.
‘As an art deco enthusiast, I wanted the interiors to capture the essence of 1930s design, without it being a kitsch homage to the era,’ explains Leisha.
Luckily, they had a solid base to work from. The apartment, which is one of eight homes within the 1936 Bristol Court complex, had well-proportioned rooms, high ceilings and exceptional light — plus, it’s only one block from the beach. It also had retained some of its original 1930s art deco charm in the terrazzo entry staircase and curved fireplace.
Where its shortcomings lay were in the dated ‘90s kitchen (which also housed the laundry), ‘80s bathroom, lack of storage and a large, un-used, entry hall.
The ensuing renovation left the floorplan largely unchanged, with the exception of moving the laundry into the entry hall (cleverly concealed by a green lacquer cabinet), and included a completely new kitchen and bathroom.
Leisha and Greg, with the help of AtelierBond’s interior designer Airlie Lang, also re-decorated every room, updated the lighting throughout the house, restored the original floorboards and installed additional plaster moldings.
The home now dazzles with details, colours and textures that reference its Gatsby-like roots, whilst bringing it to a contemporary stage.
Pastels in the bedrooms infuse the home with a touch of whimsical romanticism, while accents of powder-coated metal are a nod to the art deco design Leisha loves so much, and throughout it all greens in all shades, from seafoam to emerald, envelop the spaces.
‘We think of the apartment as an elegant jewel,’ says Leisha.
‘It’s hard to describe how living in something so beautiful changes you, but it does. Our family takes more care in the details from what we cook, to how we set the table or even listening to more music on a record player, it’s brought a magical elegance to our life.’