8 Clever Melbourne Small Apartments Under 60sqm/646sqft

Never Too Small

Issue 7 of NTS Magazine has landed — discover small-space-friendly textile furniture, joy-sparking colourscapes, beautifully designed compact homes and more! Get your copy now https://www.nts-store.com/   In a city with more street furniture per person than anywhere else in the world and consistently ranked among the world's most liveable, Melbourne is accustomed to making spaces worth lingering in. The same instinct for comfort, practicality and a little style runs through its homes too. Through careful planning and multifunctional design, these 8 compact Melbourne homes are comfortable and considered, finding light, flexibility and warmth in even the smallest spaces. From copper-wrapped pods and concealed kitchens to fold-away tables, lofted beds, and joinery that doubles as storage, workspaces and room dividers. Materiality, sustainability and adaptability define each project, whether through restoring heritage apartments or hotels, rethinking 1970s building stock, or designing affordable homes centred around community and low-impact living.   See more on our favourite small homes https://www.nevertoosmall.com/post/five-of-melbournes-best-small-homes-under-60sqm-645sqft  00:00-08:14 Caringal Flats  https://youtu.be/7ZWKC__-3rY?si=ZF08bNrPpKYGYWNZ  Architect: https://www.ellularchitecture.com.au/  08:14-16:05 Park Street, Brunswick  https://youtu.be/NQ_caFJiewY?si=NqlLLa00kBn-eHTT  Owner: Alex Antoniadis  16:05-26:19 St. Kilda Micro Sanctuary https://youtu.be/mxLfaZQIfy8?si=RCPv8q1vwd0GNvDc  Architect: https://www.tsaidesign.com.au/   26:19-31:44 Small Grand Apartment  https://youtu.be/24Z9l5yZtkg?si=PIuqjlkEreaKRpWI  Architect: https://www.tsaidesign.com.au/   31:44-42:20 Nightingale Preston Teilhaus  https://youtu.be/Na8qDZplA3I?si=DieXexrsweoNrVT-  Architect: https://www.breathe.com.au/   42:20-45:47 Type Street Apartment  https://youtu.be/l3yHLikvjPU?si=EOb3YAfx4XhJh0Jo  Architect: https://www.tsaidesign.com.au/   45:47-56:19 380 Albert  https://youtu.be/rGAJdoOLijw?si=spuXJPeYjaoYmZzc  Owner: https://www.instagram.com/380__albert/   56:19-01:02:00 Karoot Apartment  https://youtu.be/WKXrhhiLWg0?si=ga_DGsOO5_wbzG4v  Owners: https://thisistheset.com/  https://branchstudioarchitects.com/   Music: Artlist.io  Fairytale by Magiksolo and Experience Sonder by Flint Carry On by Risian & Rainbows by Eyal Raz wt by REW, Calm On by Lalinea Wednesday Afternoon by FAIR GAME Say No More by Julian Hartwell  The Static of Silence Ahead by The Soundkeeper Sunset Views by warmkeys. Pine by Joley & Gray Day by Solar Body Sour Skittle by Sig Howler Urban Late Night by Amit Dagan Dream Sines by Wav Two The Long Wait by Dear Gravity.  Share your projects with us- https://www.nevertoosmall.com/submissions Subscribe to our newsletter- https://www.nevertoosmall.com/subscribe  Check out our store- https://www.nts-store.com Website- https://www.nevertoosmall.com Instagram-  https://www.instagram.com/nvtsmall Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/nvtsmall

Transcript

00:00:01Caringal Flats is quite a unique building given that there's one flat per floor.

00:00:07Each floor has four aspects with a lift going up directly into each flat.

00:00:13I sought to reverse years of unsympathetic alterations and neglect by stripping the

00:00:18flat back to its original form, maintaining all the soft round edges and beautiful white

00:00:24textual surfaces and adding a series of contemporary interventions with sharp straight edges and

00:00:31uniformly black joinery pieces.

00:00:33I'm Ben Allool, architect and founder of Allool Architecture and I live in this flat with

00:00:38my partner Jen and my Italian greyhound Vinnie.

00:00:48Caringal Flats is located in Turak in Melbourne, Australia.

00:00:52Turak's 10 minutes on the train from the Melbourne CBD.

00:00:56It's a tree-lined suburb with lots of substantial single properties in it and a few older apartment

00:01:01buildings.

00:01:03Caringal Flats were built in 1951 on the lands of the Wurundjeri people.

00:01:07The heritage listed flats were designed by architect JW Rivet and consist of three buildings,

00:01:13the Crescent, the Tower and the Garage.

00:01:15A series of sky bridges linked the buildings together.

00:01:19The flats were known for their striking coral and blue colour scheme and this was painted

00:01:24beige in the 80s.

00:01:25Recently it was restored back to its original colour scheme.

00:01:30When we purchased the flat, the first thing we noticed was how much light was in here and

00:01:34so we wanted to really enhance and maintain the level of light in the building.

00:01:39This was a labour of love for many years.

00:01:42I owned the apartment for five years before we understood the renovation so it was just

00:01:46worked on over time and details were refined and sketched whenever I had some spare time.

00:01:52All the rooms were very individualised.

00:01:55The bedroom was separated by a series of sliding doors.

00:01:57Off the living area there's also a kitchen that was separated from that area with a door.

00:02:02What I set out to do was to open the space up.

00:02:05I removed all the doors from the kitchens and lobby areas and then inserted a freestanding

00:02:10joinery piece to separate the bedroom from the living area.

00:02:13The bathroom was quite large given the size of the flat so we consolidated that down to

00:02:18fit a laundry and a hot water service and then a smaller bathroom space.

00:02:25There's an original lift which services each flat.

00:02:28You step directly out of the lift into the lobby of the apartment.

00:02:34There's a storage closet which also acts as Vinnie's bedroom.

00:02:37This also houses some additional storage for larger items like vacuums, brooms and mops and

00:02:42shoes.

00:02:44I designed and made a series of benches for the flat, one of which lives in the lobby which

00:02:49is a handy spot when you come home to dump your items down and take your shoes off.

00:02:54When you step through the steel reveal into the main living area you're greeted with the

00:02:58original floor to ceiling glazing with expansive views over the city of Melbourne.

00:03:04I've laid a series of sheer curtains and blinds to moderate the harsh afternoon light.

00:03:10All the furniture was deliberately kept low so that the view to the city was not obstructed.

00:03:17With the amount of glazing there was no logical spot for a TV.

00:03:21A custom solution saw the TV housed in a joinery piece elevated on legs tying it into the other

00:03:27elements in the flat.

00:03:30In order to maintain the clean lines of the heritage flat the air conditioner was concealed

00:03:35in a low level custom made sideboard.

00:03:37It also provides a useful ledge to store items on.

00:03:42At the centre of the living room is a custom dining table in a muted green colour.

00:03:47The green references the foliage outside.

00:03:50All the furniture is easily movable so we can open the space up.

00:03:53We have a matching table and storage which can be brought up when we're hosting.

00:03:57We use the benches that are normally positioned against the walls for the additional seating

00:04:02and we can seat 14.

00:04:06The size of the table makes it easy to work from home during the week with my Asus Send

00:04:10Screen setup while we continue to eat and dine at the table.

00:04:14If I'm going to be doing a small task for the evening I'll use the monitor with the kickstand

00:04:18but if I'm setting it up for a few days I'll use the adjustable arm.

00:04:25Everything that was selected for the flat was really considered so it was important that

00:04:28any monitor that I use also has that same sleek contemporary design.

00:04:33Given space is a premium the compact nature of the monitor makes it easy to stow away when

00:04:38not in use.

00:04:41To separate the living room from the bedroom we inserted a freestanding joinery piece which

00:04:46is elevated off the floor and held off the ceiling to maintain a sense of space whilst

00:04:50maintaining privacy.

00:04:52It's divided into three sections.

00:04:54The first for display with pigeon holes below for each of us.

00:04:58The second bar and miscellaneous storage.

00:05:00And the last as an extension of the kitchen as a pantry and a space for pots and pans.

00:05:07The kitchen consists of two freestanding joinery units that has the same design language as

00:05:13the room divider.

00:05:16One side has a low level workbench with integrated sink and dishwasher with views over the city

00:05:23great for when you're washing up.

00:05:27The other side has a cooktop and a fridge.

00:05:30Given the small room size we created a deeper than standard kitchen to create a ledge for additional

00:05:36appliances at the back.

00:05:37This extra depth also allowed us to accommodate a full size fridge.

00:05:41The black and stainless steel kitchen is in direct counterpoint to the warm textures of

00:05:46the apartment.

00:05:48The small format mosaic tiles are sympathetic to the original design intent of the building.

00:05:56The door in the kitchen leads to the rear stairs connecting the flat to the rest of the complex.

00:06:01These stairs look out over the common walkways and sky bridges which provides an opportunity

00:06:06to bump into neighbouring residents.

00:06:10On the other side of the room divider is the bedroom with a large east facing window.

00:06:16Like the living room the furniture in the bedroom is deliberately low to the ground to maintain

00:06:20views out of the window.

00:06:24The benches also appear in the bedroom, some as bedside tables and another against the wall.

00:06:32The reverse side of the room divider provides our robe storage.

00:06:36These are deeper than the living room side in order to accommodate a standard hanger.

00:06:40The top of the joinery unit aligns to the top of the windows whilst the legs align to the

00:06:45top of the skirting boards.

00:06:46The added bonus is that it allows for crossflow ventilation and light to spread between spaces.

00:06:53On the other side of the room divider there's another punched opening containing a series

00:06:57of doors.

00:06:58One door is to the bathroom and the other door conceals a laundry.

00:07:02Whilst the flats have a communal laundry downstairs, the way we live it was really important for

00:07:06us to have access to our own washing machine.

00:07:11In order to accommodate a laundry the bathroom had to be consolidated.

00:07:15The compact bathroom contains a full size shower, toilet and vanity.

00:07:20This required the relocation of plumbing.

00:07:23The floor is clad in an era appropriate terrazzo and the smaller mosaics that are in the kitchen

00:07:28are used on the walls.

00:07:29This creates a sense of light in the space.

00:07:33A series of mirrors back onto the service zone beyond providing deep above mirror storage.

00:07:43Design shouldn't dictate the way people live it should enhance it so I think when designing

00:07:48a small space it's really important to understand the needs of the client or in this case what

00:07:52our needs were.

00:07:54Functionality needs to come first and everything else is second to that.

00:07:58People often think that living in an apartment is a compromise.

00:08:01I think this flat is an example of how with careful restoration and considered intervention,

00:08:06heritage housing stock can be updated to provide a platform for modern living.

00:08:19This building was constructed in 1971 which is within the post-war era.

00:08:28The primary inspiration of the apartment was the featureism elements of post-war architecture,

00:08:36which includes things like timber panelling, mosaic tiles and terrazzo floors.

00:08:46The materiality was selected to complement the internal courtyard garden.

00:08:53Also to bring in some traditional modernist architecture design features.

00:09:00My name is Alex Antoniades, I'm an urban planner, lover of post-war architecture and owner-occupier

00:09:06of this apartment.

00:09:16This apartment building is located in Brunswick, Melbourne on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri

00:09:21Woiwurrung people.

00:09:25Cafes are a big part of Brunswick, also the bars and shops.

00:09:32I grew up in Brunswick so it's sort of a full circle moment being back in the area and

00:09:36purchasing my apartment.

00:09:40The apartment was very ordinary when I purchased it.

00:09:43There was vinyl flooring in the bathroom and kitchen and the rest of the apartment was carpeted.

00:09:49Most of the original floor plan is intact except for the living and kitchen space where the

00:09:55internal wall was removed to provide an open living plan.

00:09:58By removing the wall it enabled natural light to improve in the apartment as well as providing

00:10:04a space to eat or to use as an office area with the pop-out table.

00:10:15The first thing that you see when you walk into the apartment is a view of the living space

00:10:19in the kitchen and to the right you see the balcony which overlooks the internal courtyard.

00:10:26The living space comprises a three-seated couch with a chaise.

00:10:32I wanted it to have a separation of space but also be used as a conversational kind of element.

00:10:39The intention of using the timber feature wall was to provide a nice contrast between the

00:10:44TV unit and the popcorn ceiling and it provides a nice frame of the space.

00:10:51I selected the TV unit to be wall hung to provide a bit more negative space underneath and this

00:10:58also complements the couch also it's easy to vacuum.

00:11:03The balcony is a really nice space because it has direct sunlight in the afternoon.

00:11:09The original balcony balustrade is burgundy and this was retained to give a little bit

00:11:15of contrast between the outlook of the greenery and the internal tonal colours.

00:11:21The balcony floor was previously concreted so I decided to tile the balcony with rectangular

00:11:28burgundy tiles to tie it back into the balustrade which is a more neutral tone of burgundy.

00:11:36There is a buffet which used to be used as a dining space.

00:11:39Above the buffet is a mirror which matches the window trims of the apartment.

00:11:45Originally the kitchen was separated by a brick wall.

00:11:49The wall was removed and the steel powder coated beam was installed and this enabled the

00:11:56space to be completely opened up.

00:11:58To maximise the kitchen space the pantry is centrally located beneath the beam which runs through

00:12:03it.

00:12:07The custom kitchen is clad in timber birch plywood which provides a natural feel to the apartment.

00:12:13It includes an integrated fridge, one drawer dishwasher, washing machine which is concealed,

00:12:19pop out table which is retractable and lots of storage capacity for things.

00:12:23The splash back has been tiled around the window frame and extends to the top of the ceiling

00:12:28ceiling so the ceilings appear higher.

00:12:34My favourite part of the kitchen is my design of the kitchen dining space which retracts

00:12:40in and out of the cupboard space.

00:12:42It was important that this space was flexible to enable the kitchen to be used for other purposes.

00:12:49Depending on if it's just me having dinner by myself versus having some friends over, the

00:12:54whole dynamic of the apartment changes.

00:12:59When the table is not in use, the dining chairs slot under the bench which is located

00:13:04on the balcony.

00:13:07The entry to the bedroom includes a three panelled fluted steel glass door.

00:13:13The fluted glass door provides privacy as well as natural light to be filtered into the

00:13:18other rooms of the apartment.

00:13:21The bedroom is quite large so it contains a desk which is used for working from home

00:13:27which has an outlook to the internal courtyard.

00:13:31I previously owned the queen size koala bed and really liked it, however the base was too

00:13:36wide.

00:13:37I cut the base of the bed either side equally to ensure that the door could close properly.

00:13:45There is a full size wall to wall wardrobe which has sliding doors.

00:13:49This contains hanging space for clothing as well as drawers and an overhead storage compartment.

00:13:57The timber cladding around the nib wall to the entry of the bathroom is the same as the

00:14:02feature wall in the living space.

00:14:07The bathroom has the same door as the bedroom space for the same purposes provides natural

00:14:13light and privacy.

00:14:14The shower screen is also constructed in the same fluted glass to provide continuity in

00:14:20the apartment.

00:14:22I decided to choose the sage green tiles because it provided a nice colour element to the apartment.

00:14:30The tiling from floor to ceiling was intentionally used to make the ceilings appear higher.

00:14:37There is a floating vanity unit which contains drawers and storage.

00:14:42Above there is three panels of glass mirror which also has integrated storage behind.

00:14:47The flooring throughout the whole apartment is locally sourced terrazzo grey tiles.

00:14:52This provides a seamless design and makes the apartment feel larger.

00:14:58And I decided to keep the original popcorn ceiling to pay homage to the original design.

00:15:07The selection of track lighting was used to provide flexibility and also there is a feature

00:15:12for the lighting to change colours at night which provides a nice mood and setting.

00:15:18building.

00:15:19The good thing about this apartment is the easy accessibility to the storage unit which is

00:15:24located next to the front door.

00:15:26It's a good place to store items which aren't used often like suitcases, brooms, mops etc.

00:15:34In Australia we have a tendency to demolish rather than adapt old buildings.

00:15:39So, as an urban planner I do see the benefits of these older complexes because of the structural

00:15:46integrity side of things that they present.

00:15:49The importance of reusing and adapting compared to demolishing buildings is really important

00:15:55because this presents an opportunity to utilise what we already have in a more flexible and

00:16:01well-considered way.

00:16:11This is a 27m square apartment.

00:16:14It's just one big room.

00:16:18So, the tricks we use is to try to break up and create different experiences within the

00:16:24space.

00:16:26A lot of little pockets, vibes and moods.

00:16:31It's about meandering, extending the journey.

00:16:36That gives you the illusion of space.

00:16:41I'm Heidi.

00:16:42I'm Jack.

00:16:43We're from Tsai Design.

00:16:44We're an architectural and interior design studio based in Geelong, Victoria.

00:16:57This apartment is located in St Kilda.

00:17:03It's a famous beach suburb in Melbourne.

00:17:08So there's a good mix of old and new buildings and cafes and pubs just down the streets.

00:17:15It's a close proximity to the major hub of St Kilda and public transportation at the corner

00:17:21as well.

00:17:25We think this building is built in the 1970s.

00:17:30There's around 52 units and they're all studio apartments.

00:17:37The client is currently based overseas.

00:17:40They spend a few months at a time in Australia.

00:17:45They want to create a space comfortable for two people to live and work from home.

00:17:51They're also interested in exploring the potential for this apartment to be used as a short stay

00:17:57accommodation when they're not in the country.

00:18:02The original apartment is quite tired and really need a refresh.

00:18:07The bathroom is awkwardly placed and it's the first thing you see when you enter the space.

00:18:12The bathroom ceiling is deep in and we found a bird nest in the roof space but the big window

00:18:18has great opportunity while capturing the trees in the front.

00:18:26So structurally, the only change we made was switching the bathroom door to a more discreet

00:18:32location.

00:18:34We also reorientated the kitchen, turning it 90 degrees from the short wall to the window

00:18:40fronts.

00:18:41We create a hero copper mirrored pot in the centre of the apartment.

00:18:46Outside, the idea is to have all the spaces you expect in the house.

00:18:51There is common laundry on the same floor in the building, so the client is actually using

00:18:56the common laundry instead of having a washing machine in the apartment.

00:19:01The moment you walk into the apartment, the first thing catches your eyes is the copper

00:19:06finish joinery in contrast to the calm and pale palette of the rest of the apartment.

00:19:12We also place a small stool at the entry so people can sit and take off their shoes when

00:19:16they arrive.

00:19:21The copper joinery is the heart of the apartment, wrapping around the existing walls to create

00:19:27a division and intrigue.

00:19:30This joinery is the main storage of the apartment.

00:19:33House and kitchen storage, wardrobe, a fold-up desk, display bookshelf and general storage.

00:19:41The initial idea of having the mirror copper cladding is to bounce the light around and create

00:19:47a visual distraction from a direct view into the bathroom.

00:19:52The skirting is mirror finish which creates an illusion of the floorboards continuing throughout

00:19:58the space.

00:20:02We use cot flooring throughout the apartment.

00:20:05The cot flooring is a bit softer than timber and have a bit of exaggerated texture which give

00:20:12a bit more character to the apartment.

00:20:18We created this TV unit for the living room, housing the TV and also more storage, including

00:20:25a storage full vacuum cleaner on the left and more open display shelf.

00:20:33We created the curve to end the TV unit to create a bit more of a flow.

00:20:39It also mirrors the copper joinery which also has the same profile.

00:20:45For a small space, every pocket of space you can find, we try to make use of it.

00:20:52We utilize the space above the door, creating a continuous shelf that extends from the TV

00:20:58units all the way into the bedroom.

00:21:01Because there's a curtain that separates the bedroom from the rest of the space, we create an illusion

00:21:07of a continuous shelf just by the alignment.

00:21:13The kitchen is repositioned in front of the big window and we extend the kitchen bench top on top of

00:21:20the windowsill to maximize the prep space.

00:21:24Our client is not a big cook so the kitchen is designed as a kitchenette setting.

00:21:30We have chlorine for the bench top and the sink so we can create a seamless continuous surface

00:21:36and copper tapware to match the copper joinery.

00:21:42Under the bench we have the bin storage drawers for coloury, dishwasher,

00:21:47fresh drawer and a standalone microwave oven.

00:21:51We integrated the appliances under the bench so we can have a clean linear kitchen.

00:22:01Rest of the storage are all housed in the copper joinery.

00:22:05We also play with the internal colour of the units, so having the blue in the kitchen section,

00:22:11the yellow for the wardrobe and the terracotta for the shower space.

00:22:17The coffee nook on the side of the kitchen bench houses the coffee machine, capsules and all.

00:22:24To make it efficient we have to create a bifold door so it doesn't impede into the sink area.

00:22:33The dining table also doubles as kitchen island and the chair can be folded away and stored in the wardrobe.

00:22:41The client themselves came up with a really clever idea of having a couch from E9 Design Furniture

00:22:47with flexible backings which enable us to use it for both lounging and dining simply by repositioning the bed rest.

00:22:56Lighting wise, we have track lighting for the living room and the bedroom and also wall light for kitchen.

00:23:03We try to avoid having pendant light from the ceiling so that people can focus on the copper joinery.

00:23:13The queen size bed is at the darkest corner of the apartment.

00:23:17We have block out curtains to separate from the living area.

00:23:21The block out curtains actually have linen and a block out sheet in the middle

00:23:26and linen on the other side so it looks like it's linen fabric but it's actually a block out curtain.

00:23:35Wardrobe is housed in the copper joinery next to the bed.

00:23:40And there is extra hanging under the overhead shelf.

00:23:48Occasionally both clients need to have a quick meeting separately then one can sit at the dining table

00:23:53while the other one can work on a small follow-up study on the side of the joinery.

00:23:59Above the study table we have magazine racks so the client can put their magazine or books or any small

00:24:06display items.

00:24:12The toilet is just behind the concealed pivot door which swings both ways for ease of access.

00:24:20While the shower and the vanities is inside the the cupboard pod.

00:24:29The storage is behind the mirror above the sink and below the sink we also have more extra storage.

00:24:36The shower area is in terracotta and then the rest of the space is painted to match the tile colour.

00:24:43Due to the size of the shower space the shower door is a wide folding system so it's quite compact.

00:24:54We're trying to create like a layering of experiences so there's you know open plan on the outside

00:25:00and then the bathroom has been more dynamic moodier. Breaking up the space, breaking up the experience

00:25:07kind of extends the journey through the house and gives that impression as a bigger space.

00:25:16Is it a book? Is it a mag? I'm a magazine all right but a magazine like no other. Look

00:25:21at me go.

00:25:22I'm designy and architectury with experimental furniture and design ideas for your small home

00:25:27coming out my and specifically designed page by page to make you go ah and oh that's cool.

00:25:35Hang out with Italian artist Zuzu in her cave of dreams. Get inspired by Barcelona based punk product

00:25:41designer Kuro Claret. Try not to smile in response to Camille Wallalla's Technicolor masterpieces.

00:25:47Delight in the shape-shifting interactive and small space friendly textile furniture of Luna Haverkorn.

00:25:52Meet some bastards from Bangkok. Learn what car crashes have to do with Aldo Rossi's sexy

00:25:57coffee pots and poetic cemeteries. Get your small homes fix with three very different paths from Spain,

00:26:03Australia and Japan and plunge into the playfully nostalgic world of Brazilian duo Two Lost Kids.

00:26:09You've never met a mag like me. Get your copy now.

00:26:25This apartment is located in Melbourne in the middle of the city in a building formerly the

00:26:31Victorian railway administration office. The original building was built in 1893.

00:26:40Then in 1997 it's converted to its current form. It consists of 240 apartments. Half of it is now the

00:26:48Grand

00:26:48Hotel. The client's brief to us is simple. It's just creating an apartment that's suitable for her

00:26:54lifestyle and for her cat. She doesn't cook much. There's eateries, takeaways right at her doorstep.

00:27:02Occasionally she does wanting to invite guests and families over.

00:27:08The apartment layout is quite different originally. There was a bedroom closed off by low walls which

00:27:15sits in the living space. And there was also a kitchen that's tucked away to the darkest corner

00:27:21of the apartment. This apartment only have a single sunlight aspect to the northwest. First thing we did

00:27:28was to take down the low walls creating an open-plan living. The major move we did was switching the

00:27:35bedroom and the kitchen location. We assume bedroom will be in the darkest corner and that's okay.

00:27:40Whereas the kitchen becomes part of the open-plan living. That way every single corner of this apartment

00:27:46gets the daylight.

00:27:50So when you first enter the door there's a full height unit to your right hand side which is actually

00:27:56part of

00:27:56the kitchen. It consists of the fridge and pantry. The important thing is that it's a small nook

00:28:02that consists of the coat hangers for your bags, for your coats, even the umbrella stand is incorporated

00:28:08into it. Then the main kitchen is to the left of that. The new kitchen layout is right in the

00:28:18middle of

00:28:18the open-plan living. So we want to make sure it's quite recessive and quite picturesque like a gallery.

00:28:25We avoided the high storage and keep it as clean as we can.

00:28:31Working with that we also chosen a white cooktop so it camouflages into the benchtop.

00:28:39In terms of the benchtop, we use a Korean material. It's an engineer solar material. What it allows us to

00:28:47do

00:28:47is achieve an 8 meters continuous benchtop. The material even wraps down to form the sink and the vanity.

00:28:58There's a central L-shaped lounge in the middle of the space facing a TV credencer.

00:29:03The TV credencer then extends to form the integrated seating for the dining.

00:29:08We designed the TV credencer to hide as much storage as possible and there's even more storage below the

00:29:15seating. We custom designed the flexible table. It also doubles as a study and working desk.

00:29:27So in normal configuration, it is a round table suitable for a couple or for a single person.

00:29:34However, the table leaves can be folded out to form a table for a bigger gathering

00:29:38during the occasions when you invite guests and families over.

00:29:44The bedroom is located to the original kitchen. We created a timber nook to define the area and to

00:29:50provide extra sense of warmth. The whole thing is housed under a timber arch ceiling that also mirrors

00:29:56the original restored archway. The extra layer of the timber archway also provides additional noise

00:30:03barrier since the apartment is located so close to the train line. The full height mirror obviously

00:30:11increases the size of the space. There is wardrobe to the both sides of the room.

00:30:21There's even a nook on either side as well that doubles as bedside table and more storage.

00:30:33The sleeping is done by a queen-size murphy bed that is hidden behind the full height mirror in the

00:30:38walk-in robe. The use of lighting in the space we want to create a sense of warmth so we

00:30:44use indirect

00:30:45uplighting to create a sense of softness.

00:30:53Bathroom is accessed by a secret door next to the kitchen. You have the kitchen bench tub,

00:30:59that flows into the bathroom that forms the vanity and the toilet behind.

00:31:10The bathroom also has the laundry and we even put the hot water unit in there

00:31:17about halfway up the ceiling for space saving.

00:31:24I think there's two reasons to repurpose an old building. One of course is to address the housing

00:31:30issues but just as importantly it tells the story the history of the city and so for me I think

00:31:36that

00:31:36it's a very sustainable way to look at the housing issue in the growing city.

00:31:50This is designed at 28 square meters as basically half the size of a one-bedroom apartment.

00:31:58It's meant to be half the price, it's meant to have half the embodied carbon,

00:32:04it's designed to have half the operational carbon and ideally half the bills.

00:32:09It's meant to be half the price, it's meant to be half the price, it's meant to be half the

00:32:13house.

00:32:14Nightingale was imagined as a triple bottom line housing model.

00:32:19Housing that was simultaneously affordable, sustainable and a building that promotes community.

00:32:28Nightingale Preston is comprised of 55 apartments, one guest house shared by all of the residents,

00:32:35two commercial spaces, 21 bedroom apartments, 25 two-bedroom apartments and then seven tile

00:32:43house apartments which have a 28 square meter footprint. So it's a German word for part of house

00:32:50because the rest of the house exists everywhere else in the building.

00:32:55I'm Jeremy McLeod, I'm the design director and co-founder of Breed Architecture.

00:32:59I'm also the co-founder of Nightingale Housing.

00:33:03This is Jam's Tile House.

00:33:14This building is located in Preston, it's seven kilometres north of the centre of Melbourne.

00:33:20This is part of a broader project, it's called Preston Crossing, where there's some social housing,

00:33:27some townhouses, other apartments and then this building that we're in, Nightingale Preston.

00:33:32Nightingale's a not-for-profit developer, so this project was developed where the housing was sold

00:33:37at cost, which is unlike most other housing development.

00:33:42The building's 100% electric, it's powered off 100% renewables, it's thermally efficient,

00:33:48it has no operational carbon attached to it. And importantly, Nightingale has a pay-the-rent scheme,

00:33:55which means that every resident in this building pays rent annually to the traditional owners,

00:34:00an acknowledgement that this country was stolen, that these lands were never ceded,

00:34:05and that there's no treaty with the traditional owners.

00:34:10Rather than building big penthouses for a select few, on the rooftop we have these beautiful shared

00:34:15amenities. So we've got a shared laundry, there's some additional storage area,

00:34:22a dining area for functions that spills out onto the rooftop area.

00:34:28We have shared rooftop garden beds, so people can grow vegetables on the roof.

00:34:32So there's a gardening committee that's formed in this building.

00:34:36There is a beautiful bathhouse that everyone gets to share.

00:34:40People with kids sit around having a chat while their kids kind of bathe together in summer.

00:34:46We're sitting in a 28 square metre tile house.

00:34:51We have a deck, a beautiful kitchen, a lounge area, a nook that Jam uses as a study,

00:34:58a bathroom and upstairs we have the sleeping loft, which won't suit a lot of people,

00:35:04but it does suit young people who are looking for a smaller footprint, largely due to affordability.

00:35:12This tile house is imagined as a new form of terrace house. There's a little seat and some steps.

00:35:22The gate then enables you to be able to have small kids or pets inside that enclosed area.

00:35:30And then the screen also provides this kind of growing platform for all these climbers to grow up

00:35:37and vegetate the facade of the building. One of the things that we design into every one of our

00:35:43apartments, whether it be a tile house on the ground floor or an apartment on an upper level,

00:35:47is that we provide a planter box and a tap. You can treat your deck as an extension of your

00:35:54life,

00:35:54a place where you can wash down your boots or do some hobbies outside.

00:36:00Importantly, the entry door opens outwards. This is very unusual in Australia, but it's normal in

00:36:07colder European countries. It doesn't just give us a better thermal seal, but it provides us with space

00:36:14inside the very entry to be able to furnish it, to be able to customise it to your own needs.

00:36:21We've designed the entire building to be highly thermally efficient, which means we've got a

00:36:26building that doesn't require air conditioning to cool it in summer, but we have designed,

00:36:31in Melbourne's climate zone, hydronic heating throughout the entire building. And it's located

00:36:35next to the glass to make this little dining nook a beautiful, warm, cosy place to dine.

00:36:43The ceiling height in this space is around four and a half metres, which gives you this great sense

00:36:48of volume. But as you step into the living area, by designing this simple light fitting and bringing it

00:36:56down, we make it cosier. We intentionally didn't design in furniture or shelves. You can see that

00:37:06Jam's put in this incredible mid-century piece, and we love the way that it doesn't touch the ground.

00:37:13So again, it kind of draws your eye up. It also feels spacious underneath.

00:37:18We also like how Jammers use the rug to frame the living room to define that space.

00:37:27The kitchen is made of stainless steel and E0 MDF. Imagine that someone wants to change this

00:37:34kitchen in 10 years time, and this kitchen gets pulled out, that stainless steel can be recycled,

00:37:38as can the MDF. And we also pick the kitchen up off the ground so that it seems to float

00:37:44in the space.

00:37:46The kitchen has a full-size induction cooktop with four burners, the full-size oven, an integrated

00:37:51dishwasher, a full-size integrated fridge, overhead cupboards, and then full height storage above that.

00:37:58And most importantly, it has a full-size pantry.

00:38:02The stainless steel splash bag can hold magnets, which means it can be used as a kitchen organiser.

00:38:08We add this stainless steel pot rail to be able to add the functionality where you need it,

00:38:14above the sink.

00:38:18The space under the loft, in our design phase, we imagined this as a multifunctional space,

00:38:24and Jam chose to put in the desk through that design and construction process.

00:38:30With the desk, Jam chose a generous size, so that he doesn't just have to work alone there,

00:38:35two people can actually work in this space.

00:38:39There is a full-size wardrobe in there, and then the joinery was designed around that to be able to

00:38:45effortlessly get as much storage in and around that desk as possible.

00:38:53We created a loft space with a relatively low ceiling height.

00:38:57The ladder is made of Victorian hardwood, and the handrail is made of a circular timber dowel,

00:39:04to make it easier to go up and down.

00:39:08The loft level is enclosed by diamond mesh. It also talks to the industrial mesh that's outside our

00:39:14building that we use to grow plants on. Here you can see that Jam has used it to grow his

00:39:20Devil's Ivy on.

00:39:23Given the relatively low ceiling height, Jam uses a futon to be able to bring the height of

00:39:28the bed down and make it feel more spacious and lofty.

00:39:34The storage that runs through can be also used as a little reading nook, as a bench seat.

00:39:39In this instance, Jam's built in a hanging rail, in the same galvanised pipe material as the fire

00:39:44services, to be able to hang all of his hoodies on.

00:39:50The loft structure is made of hardwood timber beams, and we expose those beams to give a bit more height,

00:39:56a bit more volume underneath that space. We also carry that sense of volume and the exposed joists

00:40:03through into the bathroom. The bathroom doesn't have a window, but it reflects the light from the

00:40:09living room deep into the bathroom, and behind that mirror is a full-length shaving cabinet,

00:40:15so lots and lots of storage in that space.

00:40:20On the floor are Australian manufactured brick tiles, and they wrap up the floor in stack bond,

00:40:27and all the way up the wall, so it's a singular material, which again gives the sense of height.

00:40:33The bathroom has a floating sink, and underneath it we use a copper S-trap pipe,

00:40:39so that if we're exposing the pipe, at least it looks beautiful and considered.

00:40:45We use an architecture of simplicity and architecture of reductionism,

00:40:51so when we take out things like additional ceiling lining to expose the concrete from the structure

00:40:56above, it gives us extra volume. In doing that it means that we need to curate things like the

00:41:03kitchen exhaust, it means that we need to expose the fire services. So we work very carefully to curate

00:41:10those service runs, but also choose carefully the materials that we use.

00:41:16The floor is pre-finished cork, it's a highly sustainable material, in fact it's a carbon sequester

00:41:22rather than the carbon emitter. It works to absorb impact sound, and it's easy to maintain.

00:41:29This tile house apartment is designed in a complex housing market, where an entire generation has been

00:41:36locked out of housing security. We imagine that what we're providing is the starting point for someone's

00:41:44life, not the end point. So we think through the design from a functionality point of view,

00:41:50we think through the materials from a sustainability and a usability point of view.

00:41:55This is not for everyone, I understand that, but I do think that we need to be offering something

00:42:02that's different from a broken system to offer someone access to housing and housing security.

00:42:09This is one of our small attempts to try to drive some positive change in a very, very tough economic

00:42:17climate.

00:42:20This apartment's built in the 1970s, there's 12 units in this apartment.

00:42:28My inspiration is definitely to do with the limitation and the constraints this apartment has.

00:42:35And so I want to see if I can fit a big house into a small apartment.

00:42:42I actually kept the layout pretty much as it is, including the internal walls and the plumbings.

00:42:56The design of the living space revolves around how to create a living and home office in the same space.

00:43:06It's a home and office hybrid. Spaces do need to appear and disappear when you need them to.

00:43:15Even comes down to the furniture you pick need to be flexible.

00:43:18So my lounge chair can convert from a lounging to an office chair.

00:43:24And at night time that gets folds away and the TV reveals itself.

00:43:31The dining space isn't something I use every day and it's only special occasions when, you know, guest visits.

00:43:39It slides out to form a very comfortable dining space for four to six people.

00:43:50The kitchen is definitely the feature. It's four meters long, so you've got three meters of clear bench space.

00:43:58Everything is concealed.

00:44:03One of the constraints with this space is the lack of daylight into the kitchen.

00:44:09A window is punched through between the bathroom and kitchen to borrow daylight from the bathroom area.

00:44:14The glass between the bathroom and the kitchen is a privacy film and it's activated just by a press of

00:44:20a button.

00:44:23I keep the bedroom minimal. Everything else is very pared back.

00:44:27I want to feel it's a space to relax at the end of the day.

00:44:32This environment doesn't have any outdoor space.

00:44:35I need to bring the sense of outdoor in here.

00:44:39To achieve that, I put a green wall on the bathroom.

00:44:44The moss is real moss being preserved.

00:44:46For me, that's a backdrop for land to put real plants in front of it.

00:44:50To shower, you're standing on the timber tiles and surrounded by green.

00:44:55It kind of refreshes you.

00:44:58One material used in the living is the mirror for the cabinet doors and skirting.

00:45:02So that is used to give the illusion of extended, bigger space.

00:45:09Designing small space is a very tailored way of designing.

00:45:12So everything needs to be carefully considered.

00:45:17We made this for you, you know.

00:45:19This chunky little magazine is jam-packed with all the things you love.

00:45:23It's designy. It's delicious.

00:45:25It's a little bit naughty in all the right ways.

00:45:50I like to do DIY tasks and this just happened to be the biggest DIY task that I've ever done.

00:45:56My dad has been renovating my family home for 30 plus years and is still ongoing.

00:46:03The years of helping him renovate created in me, I guess,

00:46:07a hunger to want to complete a renovation project.

00:46:11I want him to see that, actually.

00:46:17The design of the apartment or the renovation,

00:46:20I would probably describe as an attempt at introducing natural materials.

00:46:26Maybe trying to bring some warmth and softer tones and edges into the space.

00:46:32I'm Sean.

00:46:34I work as a sustainable building officer at local government.

00:46:38This is my apartment, which I renovated myself.

00:46:51We're in Brunswick West.

00:46:53This building was constructed in the 60s.

00:46:57And when you look at the old area footage from back then,

00:47:00there's a tip and the pub, which is about 100 metres away.

00:47:04The pub is still there.

00:47:05The tip's now turned into a park, which is great.

00:47:11I purchased this apartment in 2022, I think.

00:47:16I was attracted to this apartment because of the simplicity of it.

00:47:20It had good bones and the interiors are pretty simple to work with.

00:47:25Also, the cost of it as well allowed me to have a bit of a vision for the renovation

00:47:29that I wanted to do.

00:47:33Being on the top level with single glazing, no external shading,

00:47:38unfortunately, it was a bit of a hot box.

00:47:40So the insulation aspect was really important to me,

00:47:43particularly from what I do as my job,

00:47:46which is try and make buildings more sustainable.

00:47:50It had a really big kitchen island,

00:47:52which kind of broke the living and the kitchen area up,

00:47:55and it didn't have much storage.

00:47:58The main change in the end was really just the removal of the kitchen island.

00:48:03I had this grand idea at the very beginning

00:48:06to knock out the wall in between the living room and the bedroom,

00:48:09but there was implications in terms of structural and then extra cost.

00:48:15My budget for the renovation was $20,000,

00:48:18mainly because I only had $20,000 left, so I had to make that work.

00:48:22And we pretty much got everything done in that budget.

00:48:28I was very fortunate to have friends help me with free labour

00:48:32and a place to live while I was doing the renovation.

00:48:36I only really paid for the essential trades like an electrician and a plumber.

00:48:42I would drag as many of my friends over as I could,

00:48:45particularly during the demolition.

00:48:46I think they enjoyed that.

00:48:47We would drink a few beers and they'd bring hammers.

00:48:49When it got to doing the renovation, I could feel my uncertainty about what I was doing,

00:48:55let alone them.

00:48:56So I think then they transitioned to more of a drinking beers and just watching

00:49:00roll, but I needed the emotional support.

00:49:07When you walk into the apartment, I guess the first thing you see is the window and a great view

00:49:12of the pub.

00:49:14Immediately to the right, we've got the existing wardrobe with the original panelling on top.

00:49:21I've painted the frame around it to kind of create a bit of separation and tie it back to the

00:49:27other timber

00:49:28elements that are in the apartment now.

00:49:32On the left, we've turned that into the pantry for the kitchen and then turned one on the right to

00:49:39a bit of a linen closet.

00:49:43The kitchen itself is pretty simple IKEA cabinets.

00:49:48And then we've had custom cut plywood fronts stained a pistachio green and then covered with a sealer.

00:49:55We've got a recycled spotted gum bench top, which has been sanded and oiled on top of that.

00:50:05I've replaced the standalone electric oven with a matching oven and induction cooktop.

00:50:15There's no dishwasher, so I went for a bit of an oversized square basin.

00:50:21Sometimes I regret not having a dishwasher, but ultimately it seems to work.

00:50:27I've done a lot of work.

00:50:29Doing everything DIY is great until you realize that you don't know how to like do edging on tiles.

00:50:37So the timber edging was another last minute thing.

00:50:40It's ended up being perfect because it matches with the rest of the timber in the apartment and the bench

00:50:45top.

00:50:46The railing that holds a few of the utensils was actually the shower curtain rod from the original shower.

00:50:55Originally there was no extraction fan in the kitchen and I haven't installed one because the apartment has really good

00:51:00cross ventilation.

00:51:04The dining room table is a simple white tulip table from Marketplace, but I believe it's an old IKEA version.

00:51:12The chairs were also purchased from Marketplace.

00:51:17I've reupholstered them myself. I think I got them for $10 each.

00:51:23The lounge room is pretty simple.

00:51:27Ordered a couch through Monday.

00:51:28I like the flexibility and the functionality of it as opposed to having a static sofa unit, I guess.

00:51:35Opted not to have a television and instead went for a projector which I've like mounted on the ceiling.

00:51:42I have no regrets. It's really good. It feels like every night's a movie night.

00:51:46And I don't have the black square of having a TV that's not turned on constantly.

00:51:57When you walk into the bedroom, I guess the first thing is the door, which is a lovely fluted glass

00:52:03hardwood timber door, which I picked up second hand.

00:52:07It was getting pulled out of a really old art deco apartment.

00:52:11The wardrobe, I just used IKEA packs units, which are obviously just a standardised size.

00:52:18So they don't go all the way to the ceiling.

00:52:20So to overcome that, it was to oversize the doors.

00:52:23And so when it's all closed, it looks like one seamless unit that goes up to the ceiling.

00:52:28And then when you open them, you actually get an extra shelf on top of the wardrobe itself.

00:52:35The desk in the office is the old door between the living room and the bedroom.

00:52:40So I chopped that in half and then just using some offcuts was able to build a stand for my

00:52:46computer as well.

00:52:47My friend and architect Marcus in Sydney, he was able to draw up the shelving unit for me.

00:52:54It wasn't as like bulky and overhead of my office area.

00:53:00The bed frame is a low Japanese base.

00:53:05The mattress is a futon as well, just to keep it low to the ground.

00:53:11The bedside tables were again, a lovely marketplace find for $50 each.

00:53:20There's a few art pieces on the wall.

00:53:23The one closest to the window is just a print I got from Etsy.

00:53:28The one in the middle is a painting by a friend of mine, Ara Cho.

00:53:32And then on the right is a print from another friend of mine, Octo, who's a tattooist and an artist

00:53:38in Melbourne.

00:53:42The bathroom, I kept the original tiling on the floors, which is an old green and white check.

00:53:48And the toilet has remained the same. Everything else has changed.

00:53:54And we replaced the basin with more of a simple modern square design.

00:54:00Again, using offcuts, I was able to build a bit of a mirror box.

00:54:05And underneath a floating shelf, it hides the plumbing.

00:54:09I don't mind having it all exposed. I guess some people, it might not be their aesthetic.

00:54:17The door of the shower is a custom cut fluted glass and was one of the few things where I

00:54:23paid experts to do that.

00:54:24I don't want to be held responsible for holding a $1200 piece of glass.

00:54:30The ceiling is excess hardwood flooring that was installed into an apartment in South Melbourne.

00:54:37It was painted in like a mold resistant paint.

00:54:40Trying to bring a little bit of that Scandinavian like sauna vibe into the bathroom.

00:54:47The excess tiles from the shower and the splash back we used to create a bit of a skirting board

00:54:53along the bottom as well.

00:54:57This apartment block has six apartments in it.

00:55:00And there are shared laundries in between each of the levels.

00:55:07There is no heating or cooling in this apartment.

00:55:09There's no air conditioner.

00:55:10The two main insulation things is the ceiling. We put 3.5 pink mats.

00:55:16And on the north and west internal walls installed Cooltherm K17 board.

00:55:22I've gone for cork flooring.

00:55:26Cork is a great acoustic insulator.

00:55:28It also adds additional thermal kind of insulation to the floor as well.

00:55:35When I wake up in the morning and I look around,

00:55:37it's still a bit like pinching myself that I was able to do it, that the vision came together.

00:55:45I guess my advice is to actually think about how you're going to execute

00:55:49either a design or the process of installing something.

00:55:53Making sure that you measure twice, cut once.

00:55:56But to know that you can overthink it as much as you want and you'll probably still miss something.

00:56:00So to be easy on yourself if you do make a mistake.

00:56:03It's just a part of the DIY process.

00:56:06You get experts in obviously for like any of the electrical, any of the plumbing.

00:56:11And probably make sure you treat your friends nicely

00:56:14so they can help you when you want to do something as grand as this.

00:56:20This apartment building was built in the 1960s.

00:56:24And it consists of 15 apartments.

00:56:27We liked the, I guess, the mid-century vibe of this building.

00:56:30And there was some really kind of redeeming qualities of modernist architecture.

00:56:35When we first found this apartment, it was a one bedroom.

00:56:38And we were really looking forward to finding a great one bedroom apartment

00:56:42that we could convert into a two bedroom, which would be user friendly for our family.

00:56:46Hi, my name's Lauren.

00:56:48And I'm Nick.

00:56:49And we're the owners and designers of this apartment.

00:56:51When we walked in, we straight away noticed the beautiful original brickwork,

00:56:56which has just got the most amazing character.

00:56:59Decided that had to be the key feature to keep.

00:57:03As well as the glazing wall that was part of the kitchen.

00:57:09A lot of these mid-century buildings from the 60s and 70s,

00:57:12they had separate kitchens in one bedroom apartments.

00:57:14And we saw that as a real opportunity.

00:57:16We decided that we'd convert the existing kitchen into a bedroom

00:57:20and try and bring that into a bit more of a modern approach.

00:57:26So once you walk into the apartment, you immediately walk into the study nook.

00:57:33The way that you're led into the central living core with the angled wall

00:57:37creates like an opening into this space.

00:57:40With the living area, you really are right in the heart of the apartment,

00:57:45where your back is to this beautiful brick wall,

00:57:47looking out to this amazing northern and eastern aspects with the natural light.

00:57:54So we designed the curtain to be able to be used with dual purpose.

00:57:59So if someone was working in the office nook,

00:58:01just giving them that extra element of privacy

00:58:04so that the living space can be separate from the office.

00:58:08At the end of the day, and you just want to be lounging around in the living quarters,

00:58:13we can just block the kitchen off.

00:58:15So you don't have to look at the dishes and things like that.

00:58:18As well as a delineation of space, it's also a textural element.

00:58:21It helps acoustically, it also softens visually.

00:58:26It was important for us at the kitchen that we integrated all of the appliances.

00:58:31We didn't want the visual distractions of seeing fridges and dishwashers and things like that.

00:58:36It's all integrated into one reasonably compact unit.

00:58:39We do have a full fridge, freezer, oven and a dishwasher in there as well.

00:58:47Having a purpose-built dining bench rather than a table and chairs,

00:58:51what we saw as important, the dining bench then acts as a secondary sofa.

00:58:56It integrates the meals and the living area as one big lounge room.

00:58:59That design flow was really important to us as well, having that continuity across the spaces.

00:59:06On the existing brick wall where the protruding bricks, we used a brass angle and some blocks of

00:59:12plywood where we could create a movable or adjustable shelving system.

00:59:17With the master bedroom, we actually incorporated the bed into the existing built-in robe.

00:59:23So what that allowed us to do was create a nook for a queen-size bed,

00:59:27while still having enough rooms for the kids to play on the floor and things like that.

00:59:32We also added in an extra hanging rail for those occasions when we do have more clothing and things

00:59:38to hang up so that we weren't taking up too much floor space.

00:59:43The apartment has floor-to-ceiling glazing, so we wanted to try and maximise the light coming in,

00:59:50but also try and add a little element of privacy. So we popped on some perforated steel screens on the

00:59:58bottom glazing and that's really allowed us when we want to put the blinds down to still have privacy,

01:00:05but also let filtered light through. It also gave us some security when the children were playing in front of

01:00:10the glass.

01:00:12The original kitchen, which we converted into the second bedroom, we've created a raised plinth of

01:00:18plywood storage boxes. In addition to adding additional storage, which is really important in a small space,

01:00:25it also allows the services from the original kitchen to run underneath and connect to the new kitchen.

01:00:31It was definitely a really good playground as well for the kids up there.

01:00:37The original glazing, we wanted to try and add an extra layer with having a curtain over the top,

01:00:43so it could act as an acoustic barrier and also a privacy barrier as well.

01:00:47It would have a more cocooned kind of feel rather than public feel of what the kitchen might have had

01:00:53in the original building.

01:00:55The bathroom is the one room where we decided to do a little bit of a change up and maybe

01:01:01bring in a

01:01:01little bit more modern colours, textures. So we did do a bit of a concrete render over the top of

01:01:07the existing tiles.

01:01:08So we kind of saw this, the bathroom, as like a bathing kind of like a vault or a cave.

01:01:13We created a little wall hung storage unit out of Formply, as well as the vanity and the area where

01:01:21the washing machine kind of lives.

01:01:24We also used black perforated steel in the bathroom just to screen some of the like the visual bulk of

01:01:31a washing machine.

01:01:34The whole fit out is constructed out of a lime washed plywood. We chose this material for a number of

01:01:40reasons,

01:01:41workability, affordability and durability. You can bang it up, the kids can use it and it's not a precious material,

01:01:47which is really important as well. These amazing old buildings, they're so solid that they really do

01:01:54have so much life to live and we just wanted to breathe some new life into it.

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