Mirror Image

Located in Sydney, Mirror Image is a duplex owned by a young family who gave Smac Studio enormous creative freedom. Shona McElroy, Principal of Smac Studio, naturally gravitates towards modern design with a touch of old-world Europe — as seen in this home's Venetian plaster finishes, marble bathrooms and herringbone floors. Despite having an internal width of only 4.8 meters and a shared wall with no windows, the home still has ample natural light and lots of elegant personality. Outstanding features include a curvaceous powder room, a cantilevered kitchen island that allows four people to sit face-to-face, a curved marble staircase at the entrance, as well as bold art and lighting throughout.



The emerald powder room is the star of this build. Moody and encapsulating, the space is intended to evoke a cave of wonders, particularly when the Petra sconce by Christopher Boots shines its rose-quartz glow. To avoid making it feel wedged under the stairs, McElroy used flexible plywood to embrace every possible curve in the space — even the ceiling is a perfect arch with no wall lines. Unable to fit in the floor-to-ceiling mirror originally planned, McElroy pivoted, adding two semicircular corner mirrors reflecting each other.



During the design phase, the Elba marble staircase at the entrance took priority over all else. To make it work McElroy performed some spatial acrobatics, shrinking the powder room and entrance vestibule, as well as reconfiguring the upstairs — not that you’d ever know there was a compromise looking at it now. “We thought the staircase was going to be the hero, but now everyone keeps going on about the powder room,” says the owner.



While all the chatter about the powder room is understandable, it would be unfair to ignore the cantilevered Esmeralda quartzite kitchen island. Suspended by a steel internal support, McElroy designed the bench to comfortably accommodate four people sitting face-to-face. The stone on the island is carried through to the stove area, where it frames the solid burnished brass rangehood. “The quartz has bronze veining that echoes the rangehood,” says McElroy.