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High Flyer

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Bureaux House Pengilly 42

Inspired by the heady, futuristic aesthetic of 60s and 70s LA modernism, this Clifton home injects some of the era’s glamour and poolside party lifestyle into the present-day.

The off-shutter concrete pool pavilion, with its flying saucer-like concrete roof, opens onto grand views of the ocean where “water connects with water” as the edge of the rim-flow pool meets the blue of the sea. The covered sunken bar area features a curving marble counter that cantilevers out over the water and, as Silvio puts it, “presents itself as a kind of springboard into the pool”. The outdoor chairs are Barcelona Chairs from Sé-Collection. The Bride’s Veil Bar and Counter Stools were designed by Reza Feiz for Phase Design.

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In front of the fireplace – with copper and off-shutter concrete surround – is a classic Platner dining table and lounge chairs from Knoll by Warren Platner. The Tank jug and low-ball glasses are by Tom Dixon. In front of the prismatic white marble server designed by SRLC with black mirror detailing and Pallisandro Brazil panelling with copper trim is a row of copper Bride’s Veil Bar and Counter Stools by Reza Feiz for Phase Design. The curved brown leather sofa with copper detailing is by SRLC. The Beat Floor Lamp is by Tom Dixon and the vintage 70s Brass and Marble Side Table is by Nicos Zographos. 

 

The prismatic white marble server in the main entertainment areas was designed by SRLC with black mirror detailing and Pallisandro Brazil panelling with copper trim. “Specific panels have been chosen and butterflied to create the timber backdrop to the angular counter,” says Silvio. In front of the counter is a row of copper Bride’s Veil Bar and Counter Stools by Reza Feiz for Phase Design. The curved brown leather sofa with copper detailing is by SRLC. The Beat Floor Lamp is by Tom Dixon and the vintage 70s Brass and Marble Side Table is by Nicos Zographos. The hand-blown glass Bell Table is by Sebastian Herkner for ClassiCon. 

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On the top level, a sunken lounge looks out over the ocean through slanted windows reminiscent of jet-set-era airport viewing terminals. Silvio says that the lounge area was designed with a soft colour palette – pale grey carpets, brown and white leather – so that you “almost feel as if you’re on the beach”. The curved brown leather sofa with copper detailing is by SRLC. The Beat Floor Lamp is by Tom Dixon and the vintage 70s Brass and Marble Side Table is by Nicos Zographos. The hand-blown glass Bell Table by Sebastian Herkner for ClassiCon is a contemporary design, as is the Shrimp Lounge Chair and foot stool by Jehs+Laub. In the background, in front of the copper-clad fireplace, is a Platner dining table and lounge chairs.

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The headboard in the master bedroom is a bespoke design by SRLC in Pallesando India. “The angularity of the headboard matches the faceting of the main bar,” Silvio points out. The bed has been designed with a retractable television beneath it which “slides out and up in a secret Bond way”. The black mirror detailing creates an “evening glamour”. The Flag Halyard Chair is by Hans Wegner. 

 

On the same level, beyond the TV viewing room and bar is an indoor pool, steam room and sauna. The grey granite and marble of the swimming pool creates a subterranean atmosphere. “This whole area is designed to be like a James Bond villain’s lair,” says Silvio. The fin-like columns and articulated structure also takes some cues from laboratory designs. The Husk armchair and foot stool were designed by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia. 

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From the living area, a stairway leads upstairs to a study and the master bedroom. The stairwell, flooded with natural light from a skylight above, forms a planted atrium where vegetation pushes up through the volume between the two levels. The patterning on the white terrazzo floors was designed specifically for the house. On the lower floor, the dining table with copper loop legs is by SRLC. The cast terrazzo server with copper legs is also by SRLC. The modernist bent steel cantilever Cesca Chairs were designed by Marcel Breuer for Thonet in the late 1920s, now available from Knoll.