Project Series | Layered, expressive and enduring
“Every so often you find a material so integral to the story that it begins influencing everything around it. Calacatta Viola was that material for ChouChou.”
– Sharon Parker, Sharon Parker Curated
ChouChou was never designed to sit quietly within the landscape of residential interiors. For interior designer Sharon Parker, it was imagined as an experience; layered, expressive and intentional.
“My client, Victoria, was initially considering a modern Mediterranean direction, but I felt this property had an opportunity to become something much more individual. I wanted ChouChou to have its own identity and began exploring a different proposition. I kept coming back to Victoria’s love of all things French, and gradually this idea of a little Parisian escape began to emerge.”
Rather than recreate Paris literally, the design captures its spirit: quiet drama, sensual layering and the confidence to allow old and new to coexist. The European influence of parquetry floors, ornate architectural details, rich timbers and decorative lighting sit within a saturated palette of chocolate, earthy greens, burgundy and plum.
Smartstone's Calacatta Viola sintered stone became a cornerstone of the design itself. “Every so often you find a material so integral to the story that it begins influencing everything around it. Calacatta Viola was that material for ChouChou.”
Beyond its visual impact, sintered stone offered the durability and longevity needed for short stay accommodation. “As the designer, I also have a responsibility to protect my client's investment. I wanted the visual impact and romance of Viola, but I needed durability and longevity. Sintered stone gave me that balance.”
Calacatta Viola’s burgundy and plum tones also informed the wider design response. “The stone began to dictate what happened around it. It gave us drama and personality, but also taught me when everything else needed to pull back. That's the balance; knowing which element is destined to shine and which ones quietly support it.”
The Smartstone team were equally important in bringing that vision to life. “They were incredibly responsive from those early conversations through procurement and supply. Even during fabrication and installation, the reaction to the material was so positive.”
The kitchen forms part of the guest arrival experience, where Calacatta Viola creates an immediate shift in mood. “I wanted that first reaction to be sensory. You arrive and instantly see the stone, colours, layering and detail, and suddenly there's this feeling that you've stepped out of regional Australia and into a Parisian apartment.”
From there, ChouChou continues to reveal itself through unexpected pattern, colour and moments of drama. If a guest leaves remembering not just how this space looked, but how it made them feel, then I've done what I came here to do.”
Designer: Sharon Parker Curated
Project: Chou Chou Albury
Featured Stones: Calacatta Viola
Application: Kitchen island, splashback and benchtops
“Smartstone was incredibly responsive from those early conversations through procurement and supply. Even during fabrication and installation, the reaction to the material was so positive.”
– Sharon Parker, Sharon Parker Curated
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