Home Tour: Diamond Standard Reigns Supreme in this Mosman Home

What makes a house a home? The people? The memories? The choice of furniture? For a family of four living in a Mosman property called Black Diamond, they wanted to bottle up all of these intangible things and express the notion of home through tactile elements and connection to the moment. 

Entrusting Yasmine Ghoniem, director of esteemed architecture and design studio YSG, with the ambitious revamp that, like so many in recent years, was heavily impacted by COVID delays. 

“The clients wanted the home to feel like a boutique hotel where super comfy settings invite you to pause and feel more present in the moment,” Yasmine explains of the client’s brief.

Textural Touches

The concept of touch played a significant role in selecting fabrics and finishes for the family home and, as Yasmine admits, was at the forefront of every decision she made. 

“Special attention was placed on beautiful, tactile fabric selections that feel divine when you sit on them, like the alpaca and wool lounge in the living room and the nubby woven wool on the neighbouring swivel chair,” she says.

“We added a bouclé base to the custom banquette in the master bedroom, where we designed a banquette within a curved window alcove that’s large enough for the clients to both stretch out on. It’s heaven against your skin.”

Indeed, no crevice within this property wasn’t given the tactile treatment. From the island bench in the kitchen, which has custom, grape-hued leather stools instead of solid timber ones so you can sit comfortably for longer, to the master suite’s wardrobes, which are clad in embossed vinyl and raffia weave wallpaper which beg fingers to run across them. 

Yasmine opted for a lavish yet tranquil tonal intensity, with nods to nature and hotel delights throughout Black Diamond. 

Dark Broodiness

“The living space feels like a rich aquatic world as teal highlights float beneath the toffee ceiling, which we painted with Bishop’s Waterstone Plaster to achieve a mottled, velvety finish. There’s a dark broodiness in terms of the timber elements, plus the ceiling and floor tones, which we could get away with because of all the sunlight filtering in,” she reveals. 

“The pastel swirls in the large David Bradley canvas you encounter when you land on this level really sets the tone for the submerged scene. In the main bedroom, we painted the ceiling with a creamy caramel French Wash finish from Porter’s Paints, while wheat and oatmeal tones quieten the space,” she says of the palette choices. 

“Even the internals of the master ensuite’s joinery feature a gentle lilac hue – another detailed layer you’re more likely to see in a hotel than a home. Unifying the tonal theme outdoors, we re-lined the pool with blackened glass mosaics that shimmer with deep oyster shell lustre with hints of lilac,” she notes.

Sparkling Harbour Views

The jaw-dropping views of Sydney Harbour were another unique element Yasmine wanted to hype up and make a focal point of the property. To do this, the team built a pony wall in the master bedroom to support the bed in the centre of the room, which means you face the balcony and breathtaking views when you wake up and go to sleep. 

They also removed the curved glass wall that divided the balcony in two, opening the view internally and externally. 

“Descending the stairs from the entry-level, pale timber treads switch to stained ebony, acknowledging the transition to the living area where a rich subaquatic world of teal highlights float beneath the toffee ceiling,” the stylist says. 

Boutique Hotel Elements

The hotel theme was taken outdoors and beyond the balcony, where the team replaced the greyed timber decking and its surrounding hard surfaces with light, crazy paving to unify the rear garden area.

A fire pit and a cushioned seating alcove were also added to encourage entertaining. Clunky glass balustrades were updated with custom posts of rounded, blackened steel to enhance the harbour views and open up the space safely. 

Now, walking through Black Diamond, there’s no question this is an enveloping and soothing home that feels like you’ve checked in for a life-long extended stay at a luxurious yet cosy hotel.

Project Credits

Photographer: Anson Smart @smartansonInterior 

Styling: Yasmine Ghoniem, YSG @ysg.studio 

Build: Promena Projects @promenaprojects

Words: Bella Brennan @bellarosebrennan

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