Melbourne-based interior design firm Mim Design, in collaboration with Sydney-based architecture firm, Koichi Takada Architects, deliver a project that blurs the line between natural and built. Bower Manly draws on its environment – on the iconic sandstone cliffs and beaches of northern Sydney – to create an equally luxurious and organic experience. From its architectural form, to its material palette, each design element has been carefully selected to mirror an element of the natural world, establishing an innate sense of stability and harmony.    

Both Mim Design and Koichi Takada Architects are rooted in the connection between nature and design. In a recent interview with est, Mim Design director Mim Fanning said, “our aesthetic responds to the environment of a place and space”; “it’s about being authentic to the space, the environment, and the needs of its clients.” This approach has led the firm to deliver projects that will stand the test of time consistently. Koichi Takada Architects’ work is similarly underpinned by the simple belief that “a greater empathy with nature will improve our inner-urban lives.”

This shared affiliation with nature was what formed the basis for the project. Mim Design invite the outside in by wielding the textures and colours of the coastal landscape – natural stone, timber, and plaster are all eloquently set in a palette of soft greens, grey-blues and sandy neutrals. Koichi Takada Architects follow suit by pairing free-flowing form with clean lines and organic materials. The result provides a direct line of communication between person and place. 

Bower Manly strikes a balance between simple and sophisticated by drawing inspiration from Japanese minimalism. This traditional design style is grounded not only in the laws of nature but also in the philosophy that clutter and ornateness lead to unrest. As such, Mim Design focused on cultivating a space that felt ordered and refined; yet, at the same time, grandiose.

Mim Design have worked closely alongside Koichi Takada Architects to bring their vision of ‘luxurious-meets-organic’ to life. Elements of the coastal landscape can be found throughout, turning every moment spent at Bower Manly into an impromptu conversation with nature.