Renowned Australian artists Gillie and Marc Schattner have added another address to their growing collection of Sydney trophy homes, this time picking up a harbourfront deceased estate in Darling Point for $12.2 million.
The husband-and-wife duo, celebrated internationally for their bronze and fibreglass sculptures, are understood to have struck a deal on 84 Darling Point Rd shortly after the five-bedroom, four-bathroom home passed in at auction on Friday night with a final bid of $11.55 million.
Sitting on a 456sqm block at the prestige harbourfront end of the street, the property had been on the market for more than 100 days. It was originally floated off-market with an $18 million guide before being brought down to around $15 million during the formal campaign, before eventually changing hands for $12.2 million.
The home was marketed by Richardson and Wrench principal Michael Dunn alongside James Dunn of Sotheby’s. While the agents have not been able to confirm the sale price, the listing has since been updated to reflect a sold status, and the figure has been corroborated by multiple sources.
A long-held family home
The Darling Point residence had belonged to the late Richard and Janet Cowan, who had owned the property for more than 50 years. Publicly available land title records do not show the purchase price or settlement date from when the Cowans first bought in.
The three-level home is described in its real estate listing as taking in a north-facing aspect, with wide terraces and sweeping balconies designed to make the most of harbour views and natural light. It also features high ornate ceilings, marble fireplaces and ironlace balconies typical of the area’s heritage housing stock, along with a country-style kitchen that opens onto a landscaped garden and inground pool. The upper floors house two large bedroom suites and a converted attic space.
Renovation specialists with form
This isn’t the first time the Schattners have taken on a major reno project in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The pair are well known for buying character homes, giving them a refresh, and decorating them with examples of their own artwork before moving on.
Most recently, they sold a five-bedroom home on a 456sqm block at 304 Jersey Rd, Woollahra, after a sales campaign that stretched across roughly eight months. That property had been listed with a $15 million guide last July and eventually sold for $13.8 million — still a healthy return on the $10.5 million they’d paid for it back in 2021.
Before Woollahra, the couple sold a Centennial Park property for $12 million in 2021, having bought it for $6.5 million four years earlier. They have also taken on similar projects in Bellevue Hill and Potts Point over the years.
Gillie and Marc have built an international reputation for their large-scale public sculptures, which have featured in cities around the world, and for their recurring artistic characters Rabbitwoman and Dogman.
Given their track record, it’s likely the Darling Point home’s traditional interiors — including that country-style kitchen — will eventually make way for a look that better suits the couple’s distinctive bronze and fibreglass pieces.
