Bower Manly Apartments by Mim Design & Koichi Takada.

Mim Design and Koichi Takada Architects’ luxury waterfront apartments, Bower Manly, sit as an extension of the environment that surrounds them. The textured face of Sydney’s sandstone cliffs and accompanying panoramic ocean views are brought deep into the home, their raw aesthetic largely informing Mim Design’s restrained, minimalist interior scheme. The resulting spaces stand as luxurious yet organic enclaves, bringing occupants closer to the natural world around them.

Tasked with inviting the outside in, Mim Design established an interior palette that perfectly emulates the relaxed, slow-pace lifestyle tied to waterfront living. The narrative created within the apartment’s shell is largely inspired by “Japanese minimalism and a reverence for nature”. Designers introduced natural stone, textural timber, and polished plaster, referencing seaside rocks, beached driftwood, and sandstone cliffs, creating an “experience that sits in harmony with its surrounds”.

There is a sophisticated balance between sculptural, free-flowing forms, and clean, architectural lines. A monolithic natural-stone kitchen island bench embodies this constant tension. From one angle its oversized body is solid and powerful in its presence, while from other its counter levered bench seams fragile and understated. This duality is a subtle conversation that weaves itself throughout the entire apartment creating visual interest within a simple design.

Despite the restrained, largely muted colour palette, interiors unfold with an undeniable sense of warmth, each space wrapping around occupants like a warm hug. Armchairs wrapped with furry white fabric, woven carpets, and hazy semi-translucent curtains bring interesting textual nuance to a neutral space. Timber wall panelling and brass furnishings act as a counterbalance, grounding the dominance of sandy hues.

Mim Design has created a “vision of luxurious minimalism” within Koichi Takada Architect’s Bower Manly apartment building. Each element speaks to the surrounding environment, creating a space that feels both connected to the beauty of the outside world while simultaneously protecting those within from its noise.

Related: Sussex Street Apartments by Mim Design + Powell and Glenn.

[Images courtesy of Mim Design. Styling by Steve Cordony. Photography by Tom Ferguson.]