Emotive Design with Arent&Pyke: Sydney-Based Interior Architect
people • designers
Arent&Pyke is a Sydney-based design studio, founded by Juliette Arent and Sarah-Jane Pyke, specializing in interior architecture and design with a distinct emphasis on the decorative arts.
Since its establishment in 2007, Arent&Pyke has refined its philosophy on what it means to make a space truly come to life. While they have built a multi-award-winning practice and gained the respect of industry peers, their true value lies in the emotional connections they foster, which ultimately shape both aesthetic and practical design choices.
WEBSITE: arentpyke.com INSTAGRAM: @arentpykestudio
Words: designeers
october 2024
designeers
Reflecting on the early days of Arent&Pyke, what initial experiences or challenges shaped your practice, and how have they influenced your design philosophy today?
arent&pyke
Sarah-Jane Pyke: Juliette and I worked together in our late twenties and instantly noticed our shared design philosophy. We both believed interiors should feel really warm, inviting and natural which was actually quite different to what was conceived ‘popular’ at the time given preferences for a clean, minimalist interior aesthetic. We now have a team of 15 and to share this philosophy with like-minded creatives and strategists is truly special. We’re beyond grateful to have a coterie of clients who embrace what we do.
As pioneers of emotive interior design within Australia for 17 years, we’ve spearheaded the embrace of vibrancy, reflection and comfortable expressions of luxury in design. Achieving a sense of atmospheric potency is paramount across all our projects. That and authenticity in the way we carry ourselves and the work that we produce. Our hope is that our beautifully crafted and layered spaces ultimately transform the lives of those who inhabit them.
designeers
You describe your design approach as "spirited." Can you elaborate on what this means to you and how it manifests in your projects?
arent&pyke
Juliette Arent: Spirit forms the heartbeat of a home; it makes it hum from the moment you enter. For us, it’s all about creating an energy and that can be staged to cater to different moods: quiet, introspective spaces, plus sociable spots to gather. Fundamentally, it’s about creating feelings that are utterly unique to the home to reflect the personalities of those who dwell within it. A dreamy wallpaper print, an unexpected artwork, a magical carpet motif that transports you to another world, plus a whimsical chair that beckons enquiry regarding its provenance are just some of the myriad things that can help create a spirited home.
designeers
Your work beautifully integrates colour, textiles, art, and light. How do you ensure that these dynamic elements come together cohesively in a space?
arent&pyke
Sarah-Jane Pyke: It’s important not to think about matching everything – from colours to periods of furniture in a room. Mixing it up creates pockets of intrigue. We’re especially partial to asymmetric, organic lines that take their cue from nature’s imperfections. While we’re fans of printed material (from wallpapers to fabrics), we also celebrate pattern in expressive timber woodgrains (Burl is a favourite species of ours given its caramelised swirls and pitted surface), plus stone with swirling veins and gradient tones. Rather than adding pops here and there upon feature walls, we’re interested in full immersion. Most of our kitchen and living spaces aren’t painted white. We tend to favour nougat and soft buttery shades as they can unleash instant notions of calm, sometimes upping the ante with stronger colours in bedrooms especially. The flow of sunlight is something we embrace, ensuring it filters into homes which can result in re-shuffling the orientation of rooms, adding windows or removing walls. In naturally bright spaces, we often increase the tonal intensities of the furnishings because they can absorb the light.
designeers
Projects like Legato House and Garden House showcase a mix of styles. What influences and inspirations do you draw from when conceptualizing a new project?
arent&pyke
Juliette Arent: It’s important to understand our clients’ personal histories (where they’re from, what lifestyle they live in terms of its pace, and what inspires them) plus the original architecture of the home and surrounding vernacular that it inhabits. So often we look to the immediate surrounds of a new project as we always ensure nature seeps within.
We never get caught up in the ‘latest’ colour palettes, or furniture ranges. What we’re really noticing is that people want to feel like they have something unique, so sourcing incredible vintage furniture and lighting pieces are on the uptick, and our homes are filled with custom elements – from joinery to furniture and window treatments.
“With an emphasis on quality and craftsmanship, we favour natural solutions that age gracefully, offering longevity and continued delight.”
arent&pyke
designeers
The use of timeless materials and varied textures is a hallmark of your designs. How do you select materials to create the desired atmosphere and functionality in a space?
arent&pyke
Sarah-Jane Pyke: With an emphasis on quality and craftsmanship, we favour natural solutions that age gracefully, offering longevity and continued delight. Texture creates depth and visual interest and stimulates the senses via touch. It’s why we often use stone on kitchen island benches where people tend to congregate, often choosing a leathered surface which is smooth, yet its subtle undulating surface is special to touch. We love to embrace notions of ageing to create a ‘lived in’ feeling. This may involve selecting a vintage timber cabinet or side table, plus brass and copper elements – from wardrobe pulls to door handles – that patina over time to enhance notions of human connection.
designeers
You emphasize that your spaces are not only beautiful but also relaxed and liveable. What strategies do you employ to balance aesthetics with comfort in your designs?
arent&pyke
Juliette Arent: Luxury for us is found in the generosity of space, a sense of serenity and a richness of colour and materials that enhance your living experience because they’re uplifting. Comfort is a key consideration as it’s all about providing notions of familiarity and connection in addition to its physical notion. Naturally, aesthetics determine our furnishing selections, but when it comes to sofas, armchairs and dining chairs, our process is always undermined by notions of comfort and practicality.
We spend time with our clients in the early stages to determine what their routines are to understand their daily habits and resolve what’s missing in their home to support them better. We delve into and delight in all the intricacies, also spending time in the home to observe myriad nuances like where the morning light best pours inside to determine an ideal spot for a morning coffee. We always layer our concepts with experiences and learnings from past projects.
designeers
As co-founders, how do you balance your individual design perspectives while collaborating on projects? Can you share an example of a project where this collaboration was particularly fruitful?
arent&pyke
Sarah-Jane Pyke: Every project of ours is the result of team effort – it’s the only way we work as bouncing around ideas and drawing upon staff strengths always pushes our concepts and end results further. One favourite project Juliette and I worked upon with staff is Villa Amor, a Bellevue Hill apartment with harbour views built in the 192Os. Our usual approach is to help people live in the home they love, but in this case, we were helping a busy jet-setting clients fall in love with the home they were going to live in. I focused more upon reconfiguring the spaces of the Spanish Mission stye home to improve flow, while Juliette brought an elegance to the spaces with nostalgic touches. A significant step was turning one whole side of the U-shaped apartment into the master suite. We repurposed a spare bedroom into a dressing room to free up space in the bedroom. Next came the immersive drama. We painted the walls a deep marine navy, ushering an instant sense of quiet. Regal sentiment came via a beautifully curved burgundy and marigold linen headboard, while a vintage Spanish leather screen with embossed and painted vines we sourced overseas shelters a reclining rattan armchair that beckons relaxation under a window with a book.
designeers
Design hero:
arent&pyke
Sarah-Jane Pyke: Patricia Urquiola. Her boundless energy and passion for design is contagious. I had the pleasure of meeting her in 2012 and again this year. She’s a powerhouse given her prolific output which is all the more admirable in my eyes because it embraces pattern, signature colour contradictions and unusual forms. She’s a true non-conformist. From tiles and bathtubs to rugs and furniture, there’s no aspect of design she doesn’t excel in, including her interior projects and most notably her hotels that span the globe.
Juliette Arent: Eileen Gray. She was a true pioneer who carved out an indelible name for herself in the male-centric world of Modernism. Her inventive thinking conjured delightfully practical furniture and lighting designs with a whimsical quirk that sing less is more, especially her tubular steel chairs with cushioned padding. She once said, ‘to create one must first question everything,’ which is what evolved design is all about.
designeers
Favourite hotel in the world:
arent&pyke
Sarah-Jane Pyke: Ett Hem. It’s a stylish red brick townhouse in Stockholm’s upmarket Lärkstaden neighbourhood that’s an absolute salve when travelling as you feel right at home the moment you arrive. In most hotels you tend to segregate yourself within you suite unless you’re socialising in the bar or restaurant. Here, you have carte blanche to meander about quietly as you would at home to find a corner that suits your mood – curling up on a lounge with a book from the shelf or enjoying an aperitivo in the garden’s glasshouse as the sun starts to set. It’s the new benchmark for laid-back hospitality as it’s all about lived in luxury and informal elegance. With just 25 rooms, it’s superbly intimate. You really feel like an extension of owner Jeanette Mix’s family.
Juliette Arent: Villa D’Este, Lake Como. It’s perfected the sort of charmed, idle summer holiday experience I always dreamt of and have been truly fortunate to have experienced. The fairy-tale lakeside setting drips with old world charm – from the gorgeous stately gardens embellished with water features, grand terraces and trimmed topiary to the impeccable waiters providing silver service breakfasts on the waterfront and Murano chandeliers flickering beneath vaulted ceilings come nightfall. Settling in to routines back home after a stay here takes tremendous willpower!
designeers
One Instagram account you love:
arent&Pyke
Sarah-Jane Pyke: @jumbledonline
A quick dive into this delightful rabbit hole is the perfect way to end the day before lights out to capture its uplifting sense of playfulness. What draws me to it is the spirited way the team interacts with the products and each other, capturing the company’s camaraderie.
Juliette Arent: @alexandtrahanas
As someone who is enamoured with all things Mediterranean, I especially love this account during the depths of winter as its joyous colour, zesty stripes and delicious banquet spreads warm me from head to toe. Filled with images of sun- drenched terraces and tablescapes showcasing divine linen tablecloths and ceramics, it’s an eternal summer feast for the heart and soul.
