DESIGN | Plateau Project - An Idyllic Family Home

DESIGN

We were delighted to partner with renowned fashion photographer Georges Antoni and his gorgeous model wife, Phoebe, on their spectacular newly renovated home, Plateau Project - one which promises comfort and joy for years to come, reflecting Georges' love of light, family, and harmonious spaces.

Photographer: @julieadamsphotographer

You won’t find a more warm, welcoming and gregarious family than the Antoni’s. We were delighted to partner with them on their spectacular newly renovated home, Plateau Project, idyllically set on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Renowned fashion photographer Georges Antoni and his gorgeous model wife, Phoebe, were captivated by the light and views of a 1960s postmodernist bungalow when searching for a family home for their three young children. “The aspect that captured that view to the north gave us the sense of freedom we were looking for,” Antoni says. The textured finishes capitalize on the unique Australian light, providing a serene backdrop for family life.

Interior stylist Lara Hutton, a close friend, who guided the home’s palette and interiors, speaks of Antoni’s obsession with light. “It’s essential to him—light in space and its changing nature throughout the day.” Antoni’s Lebanese heritage heavily influenced their minimalist yet comfortable design, employing stone and microcrete for a cohesive, nostalgic look.

Also collaborating with Rama Architects on the structural forms, the creative duo were determined to maintain the home’s original charm - the design process focused on enhancing existing elements, creating a seamless flow throughout. The home’s predominantly creamy tones were carefully chosen, resulting in a timeless, gallery-esque atmosphere. From grand sweeping hallways to the tiniest nook and cranny - all corners of the home are fitting backdrops for the most picture perfect photo. What more could a photographer want?

The thoughtfully designed home, with its stunning views and harmonious spaces, promises to offer comfort and joy for years to come. We spoke to Georges about his inspiration, rituals and deep love of family.

Georges: That’s a very big question. In principle, creativity means the ability to explore your mind in the most free and unusual ways and somehow transfer that into something that impacts you or people around you, and hopefully in a very positive way. That’s the way my brain processes creativity - I don’t think that’s a universal definition of it but it really is something that resonates with me.

My inspiration comes from the wackiest weirdest places, I can be walking down the street and see an old lady's hat and that can link me to a thousand different thoughts that I want to get down in photos, on paper, or in ideas because it’s inspired me in a way that I’m not too sure how. However I get inspired, whether it’s from watching a film or seeing someone walk down the street or the color combinations of three plants in a park or when my kids are putting their own outfits together - whatever it is - that inspiration is somehow informed by my youth, and the experiences that I have accumulated over the course of my life. I really believe that it’s the combination of what I’m seeing now through the monocle of how I’ve seen the world previously that gives me the inspiration for my creative pursuits.

Photography: @seanfennessy

Georges: Honestly it’s going to sound very cliched by the difference between a house and home are the people that are in it. For me, the whole purpose of this house, as beautiful and wonderful it is architecturally, as gorgeous as it is from a furniture and design standpoint (the practicalities of it are fantastic), but the whole thing about this house that makes it amazing is my wife and three children and all our friends and family when they come to visit. That’s the whole purpose of this home, is to be an incubator of relationships for our family and our friends.

Georges: Well, I wish there were daily rituals in my life, but my life tends to be very haphazard and all over the place. I never really get the opportunity to get up at the same time or go to bed at the same time or do the same things in my day. And I know that’s a blessing but it’s also a curse because it is very difficult to try and formulate simple rituals in your life that are beneficial.

But on days that I can, I would wake up, go to the gym, come back, jump into the pool for literally 30 seconds, get out. By then the kids have heard me and come running down. I try to make breakfast with them because they’re really good at cooking and I want to try and encourage that. Then they would dressed and we would take them to school and I’m typically doing a bit of work while little Zaki, our youngest, and his Mum chew the fat, are getting stuff done. Then I try and rejoin the family at 3 o'clock to go pick up the kids then I come back and do a little bit more work. It’s really a bit of a haphazard thing.

Family rituals that we’ve begun to develop are Friday night pizza, where we go and get pizza and watch a movie, because the kids aren't allowed to watch tv during the week. It's a really good circuit breaker after the end of a busy week for the kids, they really love it.

On Sunday nights before we start the busy week again, we do dumpling night for them. We set up on our kitchen bench and I dress up and make them dumplings and serve them like we’re in a restaurant and they play ‘mums and dads’ with us so they order from me, the ‘restaurenter’ and they have their little ‘kids’ with them and it’s a beautiful little ritual. We really love it.

@georgesantoni | @modelappetite
@plateau_project