Ascend the concrete stairs of new two-bedroom boutique accommodation, Apartamento in Byron Bay, and you’ll find a space flooded with natural light and decorated in soft, natural textures. The loft-like apartment is from the duo behind fashion label St Agni, and its balance of minimalism and cosiness emulates the brand’s aesthetic.
“I have always dreamed of running my own bed and breakfast, and [I like] the romanticism that is attached to providing people with a beautiful place to call home – even if only for a few nights,” St Agni co-founder Lara Fells tells Broadsheet. Since Fells launched St Agni with her husband Matt Fells in 2014, the label has become synonymous with the laid back, yet refined look that is so often associated with contemporary Byron Bay. Apartamento, which sits above the label’s warehouse, retail store and office space, feels homely, but is also stylishly appointed in a way that gives due consideration to form and function and reflects St Agni’s air of understated luxury.
The couple found the space (which was once used for building boats) on Gumtree in 2019 and transformed it into the label’s headquarters, warehouse and boutique space. The structure also had a four-bedroom house attached to the front. “[So we decided] to split it in half and create an apartment, while leasing the downstairs to our favourite local coffee shop,” Lara says.
The label’s clean aesthetic carries through to the apartment. There’s a similarly muted colour palette, with warm handmade timber furniture, grounded with concrete floors that the couple polished themselves. The curved, asymmetrical mirrors that hang in the store’s changerooms also appear in the accommodation’s sleek bathroom, with little luxuries such as a rainfall showerhead and Aesop products. The boucle (a knitted fabric of uneven yarn with a surface of loops and curls) used on the boutique’s chaise lounge is also used in the accommodation’s reupholstered, bubble-look sofas. “It was important for me to create a narrative that flows through the entire space and that makes some kind of linear sense,” Lara explains.
Handmade pottery is displayed on shelves in the well-equipped kitchen, while the pantry is stocked with local goodies, including Mayde tea, Bear superpowders, Brookfarm muesli and a bottle of wine chosen from nearby Luna Wine Store. A large, plinth-style dining table is big enough to accommodate all four guests, and is encircled by dining chairs fitted with woven rush seats for comfort and are a homely contrast to the stark table.
The two bedrooms each have queen beds dressed in buttery 100 per cent French flax linen bedding by Bed Threads and two choices of pillows. The look is finished with beautifully crafted tree stumps wooden logs bedside tables, large woven rugs, and an industrial-look floor lamp overhanging the bed. In the mornings, the rooms are soaked in soft natural light through the sheer drapes, perfect for lingering.
Apartamento is located just three kilometres from Byron Bay’s centre, and the beach is a two-minute drive or 20-minute walk from the property. And if you’re looking for more downtime, Apartamento is within walking distance to all the best pamper spots: facial spa Little Company, beautiful massage spa Comma, sauna and wellness studio Nimbus & Co and skin clinic Aesthetica.
Apartamento is located in Byron Bay’s Arts and Industrial Estate (the full address is provided on booking). Rates start at $300 per night for four adults. Book here.
Stephanie Vigilante 
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