Shellharbour, NSW

A blend of sophisticated design and high-quality finishes enhanced by a touch of nature.

Ushering in a new era of independent living in Shellharbour, the Lakeview Apartments by Uniting Care bring a fresh, energetic way of living for the senior community in the Blackbutt and surrounding areas. Nestled into the natural contours of the newly landscaped site, and conveniently located near many amenities, this is a Retirement Village like no other in the area.

Renowned for creating sophisticated, thoughtful and modern designs for Retirement Living and Aged Care facilities, Gilmore Interior Design was engaged to create the interiors for the development. This included a Community Room, schemes to differentiate the three apartment blocks, and the independent living units.

The brief asked for the interiors to seamlessly connect with the architectural design of the building and the immaculate, leafy Blackbutt surrounding areas. Gilmore Interior Design responded to this by enhancing the light filled spaces created by the architect with the use of an elegant, nature-inspired colour palette and custom designed joinery.

At the heart of the village is the Community Room. This multifunction area combines a bar and kitchen with a tastefully appointed lounge area and fireplace, providing residents with a comfortable setting for congregating and socialising. The materiality of the space is such that it evokes a sense of relaxed luxury using a palette of warm oak timber, Calacatta Blanco stone, accents of glossy olive-green subway tiles, and contrasting modern matt black hardware throughout the custom designed joinery. Blending this with the addition of nature-inspired patterned carpeting and concrete-look floor tiles, we were able to expand the natural, relaxing atmosphere intended in the brief.

Designed as a space for large gatherings, acoustic comfort was optimised with the strategic placement of sleek circular ceiling panels throughout the community room.

The use of a sophisticated colour palette throughout the project was key in underlining the natural themed interiors. Additionally, to enable residents to easily navigate throughout the development and promptly identify their apartment blocks, unique colour schemes were created for each building based on carpets featuring nature-inspired patterns. Honouring the natural environment surrounding the village, sustainability was thoughtfully considered in this project. We specified a carpet range from Interface that offered 100% carbon neutrality by using recycled materials in their production. The dramatic combinations of pattern, colour and timber signage create an uplifting atmosphere and support navigation in the ample corridor spaces.

The spaciously designed apartments benefit from abundant natural light throughout, and open plan living that leads to the outdoor patio, contributing to the relaxing and inviting feel of the rooms. Two different colour schemes were created for the apartments, both warm and inviting which allowed for variety as we allocated their location across the site based on unit orientation and access to sunlight. The kitchens and bathrooms were designed with ample storage and accessibility in mind. The overall aesthetic being one in which a potential resident can personalise their new home, to their taste.

Residents of the Lakeview Apartments will enjoy a sophisticated, uplifting and socially engaging lifestyle throughout this unique property.

Completion Date

June 2019

Client

Uniting Care

Photography: Martin Siegner