In 2010, this first-floor studio apartment was a dark and poorly planned 84sq m space with a narrow living area and a ladder-accessed sleeping platform. Adding a large window on the eastern façade brought in much-needed morning light; and installing folding, sliding full-height partitions maintained the open-plan character, while enabling the creation of a generous master bedroom. Extending the mezzanine and replacing the ladder with a staircase resulted in a larger, more private guest sleeping area; and subdividing the existing bathroom created a new ensuite, a guest toilet and a dressing room.
To minimise costs, the existing dark timber floors were painted with a black-and-white chequerboard pattern, enhancing the perceived width of the room. The kitchen, relocated beneath the new window, was constructed on site from birch-faced plywood. A room-brightening white-oil finish that left the grain exposed made a textural connection to the original brickwork and timber planks still visible beneath the paint.
Longlisted: WIN Awards Residential Interiors 2015