Warehouse conversions have always excited me. I think it’s the combination of their rich history and the inevitable industrial tinge – there’s something infinitely appealing to me about the ‘soft industrial’ design style spearheaded by Megan Morton in Home Love. This week’s post is on The Reynell Terraces, so named as they have been built out of a 1913 warehouse known as the Walter Reynell & Sons building at The Rocks.

Timber beams are probably the most characteristic aspect of conversions – while strong and structural, they somehow don’t overwhelm converted warehouse spaces (which I find can be a risk with timber). This is probably due to the immense proportions of many formerly industrial spaces – high ceilings and solid columns temper the beams, which become the unifying feature of many converted places.

The Kann Finch Group, the architects, have infused modernity into the terraces by decking them out with lavish finishes, including Zimbabwe black granite benchtops, glass balustrades, Miele appliances and Carrara marble.

The terraces are strata titled, so they walk the line between house and apartment. That being said, from my knowledge there are very few properties in The Rocks precinct and surrounds that have torrens title.

It’s difficult to say too much as the pictures speak for themselves: compellingly pretty, the terraces achieve contemporary luxury while retaining an intriguing link to Sydney’s industrial history. They’re testament to the transformation of The Rocks, which held an entirely different role and demographic at the time that the original building was erected.

While I may be called the House Hunter, I am equally interested in apartments. Apartments are, after all, homes. With this in mind, I was eager to find an apartment to feature in the blog. I feel I’ve picked a very worthy candidate in 3402/98 Gloucester Street, The Rocks, which is a jealously-inducing, ultra-modern three bedroom apartment with jaw-dropping views across Sydney Harbour.

“The reaction everyone has when they come in is ‘wow’,” said Emma, the agent showing me through the place, as she gestured towards the view. I can see why. There’s no point describing the view when I can show it to you.

Standing on the balcony, terror and amazement mingled. It was difficult to draw my attention away from the view, but if I did for even a second I noticed the ridiculously long fall down to the ground from the high rise. Maybe I’m scared of heights and hadn’t realised it until now.

“The current owners did a full renovation, even though they didn’t need to,” Emma explained. This shows in the bathrooms’ and kitchen’s high-end finishes, the invisible television in the main bedroom (which appears out of cabinetry when you press a button on its remote), the acoustic sound system and the automatic blinds. There is a consistent dark colour scheme that runs throughout the apartment, enhancing its contemporary feel. This is a sexy, slick, salubrious apartment – not the high-ceilinged heritage house that usually occupies my blog posts.

Modernist furniture

The apartment was used as a “Sydney bolthole” for the owners, who are based in Queensland. The apartment block is used by Quay West, but it appears as though there are a number of privately owned units in the building, including this one. It is for sale, with the owners looking for offers around $4.9 million. No surprise with a multi-million view like this one, which thankfully expands out to all of the bedrooms and gives the apartment both a great deal of light and considerable aesthetic appeal.

Main bedroom

Gloucester St, The Rocks: a historic precinct to call home