Cloud Surfer

Cloud Surfer living room by Sydney interior design studio Decus, featuring a curved cream sofa, patterned rug, woven armchair and sculptural glass coffee table.

Cloud Surfer living room by Sydney interior design studio Decus, featuring a Clemens Krauss impasto work, veined natural stone, curved fireplace, and softly textured furnishings.

Sculptural glass coffee table styled with ceramic vessels, flowers and decorative objects at Cloud Surfer, a richly textured Broadbeach penthouse by Decus.

Deep olive modular sofa, sculptural natural stone tables and soft silk rug feature in this intimate Broadbeach lounge room by Decus.

Detail of richly veined natural stone and curated decorative objects.

Sculptural orchid arrangement on a bronze side table complements an olive velvet sofa.

Rich timber joinery with rounded sculptural detailing, layered with ceramics, foliage, and ocean-toned artwork.

Detail of richly veined natural stone, warm timber joinery and curated ceramic and glass objects.

Sculptural stone tables, warm timber joinery and a textured boucle armchair sit against olive walls and large-scale artwork.

Bespoke timber shelving styled with handcrafted ceramics, art objects and design books.

Sculptural timber furniture and an organic brass-framed mirror create a refine entry moment in the penthouse by Decus

Earth-toned abstract artwork and a sculptural dark side table.

Deep ocean-blue walls envelop this penthouse bedroom by Sydney interior design studio Decus, layered with bespoke timber furniture, tactile textiles and large-scale artwork.

Warm timber joinery and sculptural brass lighting create a refined bedside detail.

Textured cabinetry, warm timber detailing and a sculptural woven vessel create a richly layered bedroom.

Deep ocean-blue walls frame a bespoke upholstered bed, sculptural lighting and evocative coastal photography.

A handcrafted ceramic bowl is displayed on a wall-hung shelf, against deep ocean-blue walls.

Expansive Pacific Ocean views and sky views from Cloud Surfer, a Broadbeach penthouse by Sydney interior design studio Decus.

Cloud Surfer - birds-eye view of a dark blue coffee table with a water glass and bowl on it

Dramatically positioned 36 floors above Queensland’s Broadbeach, Cloud Surfer foregrounds sky and ocean views with a spirited interior combining coastal, artistic, and international influences.

“The homeowners were among the most trusting and easy-going clients we’ve ever worked with,” says Alexandra Donohoe Church, Founder and Managing Director of Decus. Residing in Singapore, the couple approached Decus to craft a Queensland base to enjoy with their family. Their impending relocation to Queensland underscored the significance of the project, amplifying the need to curate a holistic, turn-key solution that would resonate deeply as a future home – “a place the clients could ‘set and forget’ while travelling in the next phase of their lives,” says Alexandra.

Organic forms soften the linearity of the floor plate – namely, custom pebble and pond-shaped silk floor rugs that ground the home’s two lounge areas. Rounded profiles are echoed in the apartment’s extensive suite of finely crafted, bespoke furniture pieces; a signature of Decus’ work that lends individuality to each project. An angular lounge, bull-nosed timber dining table, and series of sculpted side tables, coffee tables, bedheads and drawer units enliven the interior with characterful detail, offering a cohesive and place-specific visual language.

Throughout, views across the ocean horizon remain focal, with Decus’ skillful composition of interior elements, furniture, art, lighting, and décor elevating the penthouse’s sense of intimacy and intrigue. “The couple vested great trust in us to design and execute the new interiors with minimal intervention, using decorative elements to bring the ‘blank canvas’ to life,” reflects Alexandra. The result is a gentle and harmonious home with a global feel – an inviting refuge reflecting the homeowners’ worldly spirit.

Cloud Surfer is built on the lands of the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region.

Photography Anson Smart
Styling Jack Milenkovic
Joinery AGIA Projects

Collaborators on this project include Atelier Furniture Simple Studio Granite Marble Works CDK Stone Artedomus Winnings Tim Noone Jonathan West Volker Haug Euroluce EST Lighting Viabizzuno Volker Haug Studio Whitecliffe Imports Elton Group English Tapware Zetr Daniel Barbera Dominik Mersch Gallery Chalk Horse Jan Manton Gallery Nasha Gallery Utopia Art Sydney Moebel Living Edge dedece Cult Design Anibou Henry Wilson Dusty Deco Ondene Joe Armitage Austalian Design Co Relik Designs Studio ALM Grazia & Co Spencer Ceramics Noble Elements Idea Creation FunStuff by Lynda Design Stuff Cranbrook Workshop Render X Pampa Rugs Boyac Milgate The Textile Company South Pacific Fabrics Kvadrat Maharam Dulux Resene