SOTTOSOLE

 

Interior Decoration

Location: Abbotsford, Victoria

Interior Decoration: Nickolas Gurtler

Photography: Timothy Kaye

 

Sottosole is a study in light, shadow and restraint. Conceived as a calm, enduring home, it brings the warmth of the sun into a rigorously composed interior where proportion, material and craft lead. The name translates to “under the sun,” and the design follows suit. Daylight is treated as a primary material, shaping mood and guiding movement through the plan.

Spaces unfold with quiet clarity. Thresholds are deliberate. Sightlines are edited to frame moments rather than vistas. The palette is grounded in natural materials that wear beautifully over time. Stone with subtle veining, hand-finished metals and finely grained timbers create a tactile field that feels both refined and robust. Surfaces are softened where the hand meets them. Edges are tightened where structure demands it. The effect is measured and assured.

Custom joinery anchors each room with architectural weight. Curvature appears sparingly to temper the geometry, expressed in gentle arcs, recessed pulls and tailored radii. Furnishings are edited and purposeful. Pieces by local makers sit alongside international classics, chosen for their character and longevity rather than fashion. The lighting scheme privileges glow over glare. Wall lights and concealed lines collect on surfaces, so illumination reads as atmosphere.

The kitchen and living spaces operate as the heart. They are generous without excess and calibrated for everyday rituals. Storage is integrated and concealed. Materials continue seamlessly to blur transitions between zones and out to the garden. Bedrooms and bathrooms retreat into a more intimate register, with softer tones and layered textures that invite rest.

Sottosole embodies the studio’s philosophy of interior alchemy. It is precise yet humane, sculptural yet livable, and made to deepen in beauty through use and time.