Heidi Fenton-Smith, owner of Look Styling Co, shares how her and her team created a warm and layered home in a three-bedroom apartment for a downsizing couple leaving a beautiful Queenslander in the Brisbane suburbs.
“The entire project was installed in a single coordinated day, with our team managing deliveries, placement and styling so our clients could walk straight into a home that felt fully resolved. That level of detail and coordination is a big part of our approach, particularly in luxury apartment projects where logistics, cohesion and a seamless result, matter enormously.
This home was created for a couple entering a new chapter of life. Our clients made the move to Monarch Residences in Toowong – trading a traditional family home for a contemporary apartment overlooking the Brisbane River. As downsizers, it was important that the apartment still felt rich in personality, warmth and meaning, while also embracing the ease and sophistication of apartment living.
The project involved furnishing the entire apartment, including the living and dining areas, media room, balcony and bedrooms. From the beginning, the vision was to create a home that felt complete, layered and deeply personal from day one.
Our clients are creatives with a strong love of colour, art and interesting pieces with character. They were drawn to a home that felt expressive and eclectic, but still refined, comfortable and highly liveable. Rather than pursuing a look that felt overly polished or predictable, we wanted the interiors to tell a story — one shaped by original artwork, collected objects and furnishings that brought individuality into the space.
One of the most personal aspects of the project was the artwork collection, with many of the pieces painted by the wife herself. Art became a defining thread throughout the home, helping to anchor the palette and bring soul into each room. To ensure the collection sat beautifully within the apartment’s more elevated setting, the works were thoughtfully re-framed to complement the refined architectural backdrop.
Although the apartment has a contemporary shell, we wanted it to feel warm, layered and inviting rather than stark. Each room was considered as part of a wider whole, ensuring a strong sense of cohesion throughout the home while still allowing moments of personality and surprise to emerge from space to space.
A particularly distinctive element of the project was the full kitchenware curation. Rather than bringing across existing pieces, the kitchen was completely reimagined with all new items selected from scratch. This meant the kitchen felt just as intentional and resolved as the larger living spaces, contributing to the sense that every part of the home had been carefully considered.
There were also some clear design challenges along the way. The apartment had been purchased off the plan, so many decisions were made before the clients experienced the finished space in person. Several angled rooms added further complexity, requiring careful spatial planning and a thoughtful approach to scale, proportion and functionality. It was important that the home not only looked beautiful, but also worked intuitively for everyday life.
The end result is a home that feels deeply personal, creative and highly liveable – layered with original art, meaningful detail and eclectic furnishings, yet grounded by a sense of ease and sophistication. It reflects both the clients’ personalities and the significance of this new life stage, offering them a home that feels special, welcoming and completely their own.”
Project details
Project scope: Three-bedroom apartment furnishing
Location: Monarch Residences, Toowong, QLD
Style: Eclectic, layered, personal.
Suppliers
Furniture: Casa Blanco, GlobeWest, Coco Republic, Warranbrooke
Rug: Designer Rugs (custom size)
Lighting: GlobeWest, Nook Collections
Artwork framing: Fantastic Framing
Kitchenware: Our Place, In The Roundhouse, Marimekko, The Modern, Kip & Co, Kave Home
Styling and accessories: GlobeWest, Freedom
Soft furnishings: Baya Living, Eadie Lifestyle, Aura Home, I Love Linen.
