Charlotte Ree was on the hunt for a property with a rooftop when she discovered this unique Potts Point for rent. The head of marketing at Pan Macmillan Australia, recipe developer, and author, loved the apartment building’s art deco architecture, contrasted with warehouse-style windows, and a generous private outdoor area.
‘I haven’t seen anything else like it,’ Charlotte says. ‘The apartment feels like a house in a lot of ways. The giant rooftop certainly lends itself to the feeling of being in a much bigger space.’
With dogged determination, Charlotte secured and moved into the one bedroom apartment within a week of its listing.
Three months on, Charlotte has found immediate solace in this bright and beautiful space, which, despite its small footprint, offers plenty of room to cook, host, and unfurl. ‘This is actually the fourth home I have lived in in the past two years, but for the first time, is the most at home I have ever felt,’ she says. ‘This is the fastest I have ever unpacked, hung artwork, and settled in, and so I didn’t find it a challenge to make this a home at all.’
Crucial to creating that ‘settled in’ feeling, was hanging art above the banquette seat, and hosting lots of post-lockdown dinner parties on the rooftop! Colour is also ‘everything’ to Charlotte, and is injected into this space via an eclectic collection of artworks, bedding, decorative pieces, and an artful book collection amassed over years in the publishing industry.
What Charlotte loves most about this home isn’t so much these material items, but the atmosphere it provides. ‘I feel as though I am anywhere but Sydney, and friends that come up here (after surviving all four flights of never ending stairs!) feel the same way too,’ she says. ‘It is placeless almost, and I love that we can all get swept up in the food and each other’s company.’
A view into the flat from the rooftop terrace. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
Charlotte looking heavenly! Above this nook is a gallery wall: Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
A sun-drenched corner. Terrazzo table from Fenton and Fenton. Pink vase by Angus & Celeste. Pink glass by Maison Balzac. Khaki pillowcase by Bed Threads. Dark green pillow from Kmart. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
The art nook from left to right: (top row) Frida Kahlo print; Assisi, purchased in Assisi; Pink Lake, Yorketown by Mitch Payne; Chrysenthemum print by Katie Marx; Portrait of Charlotte by Fiona O’Byrne. Venice watercolour, purchased in Venice. (Bottom row) Oil on canvas landscape artwork that belonged to Charlotte’s grandmother; Woman covering face photograph and swimming photograph from Etsy. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
Original vintage Ladderax shelving unit and 1960’s Johannes Anderson original dining table (perhaps Charlotte’s most prized possessions!). Bentwood dining chairs. Chasseur cast iron pots. Copper double boiler from Williams-Sonoma. KitchenAid in Almond Cream. collection of vintage coloured glassware sourced from second hand markets, estate sales and collected from Charlotte’s grandparents throughout the years. Maison Balzac pink jug. Rachel Castle original cake artwork. Razzia vintage pasta poster. Unknown portrait of woman, oil on canvas. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
A lifetime’s collection of cookbooks are displayed on these shelves. Rachel Castle original cake artwork. Portrait of unknown woman, oil on canvas. Dinosaur Designs bowl. Eye, by Liam Nunan. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
Rachel Castle original cake artwork. Portrait of unknown woman, oil on canvas. Dinosaur Designs bowl. Eye, by Liam Nunan. Green dress painting titled Nanette by Iona Nelson. Bentwood dining chairs. Chasseur cast iron pots. Copper double boiler from Williams-Sonoma. KitchenAid in Almond Cream. collection of vintage coloured glassware sourced from second hand markets, estate sales and collected from Charlotte’s grandparents throughout the years. Maison Balzac pink jug. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
Bentwood dining chairs. Napkin from IN BED Store. Copper olive oil pourer from Academy. Copper pepper mill from Oski and Lottie. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
Bentwood dining chairs. Napkin from IN BED Store. Copper olive oil pourer from Academy. Copper pepper mill from Oski and Lottie. Frida pencil drawing purchased at Frida Kahlo’s house in Mexico City (Charlotte has long admired Frida and her artwork and this is her most treasured piece!). Dinosaur Designs bowl. Knife from DEA Store. Vintage madeleine tray. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
Original vintage poster ‘Fairyfloss’ by Jean Jullien. ‘I bought this because it reminds me of my grandad, who I have never seen without a beard in my entire life,’ says Charlotte. Spindle bed frame from DOMAYNE. Bedding from Bed Threads. Handmade knitted blanket. Sub Rosa framed print by Rone. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
Spindle bed frame from DOMAYNE. Bedding from Bed Threads. Handmade knitted blanket. Sub Rosa framed print by Rone. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
An outdoor table setting for dinner with friends! Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
A view over the King’s Cross skyline. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
A perfect, Parisian-style rooftop vista! Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
The perfect pad. Photo – Alisha Gore. Styling – Tess Thyregod.
