Wednesday July 09 2008

There’s a popular myth that architects never get around to doing up their own houses. But that certainly hasn’t been the case for architect couple Michelle and Aleksandar, who have used all their design skills to create a dynamic three-bedroom apartment in a former shoe factory in Sydney’s inner city.

Built in 1906, the building was developed into generously proportioned apartments in the early 1980s. “It was one of the first warehouse conversions in Sydney,” Michelle says. “It was in awful condition when we first saw it, but the potential, space and views were just incredible.”

Michelle and Aleksandar immediately started redesigning the space, shifting the main bedroom to the front of the apartment and adding an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe. A floor-to-ceiling sliding wall opens the bedroom up to the rest of the apartment, adding light and a sense of space to the whole living area. “We really just flipped it around and opened up the central section,” Michelle explains. That central section also includes a dramatic charcoal-and-white kitchen and an open-plan living and dining area. White walls throughout, contemporary lighting and new jarrah floorboards complete the makeover.

The jarrah floorboards are a key feature of the apartment, but their installation necessitated layers of acoustic underlay so they didn’t create a noise problem for the apartment below.

The deep red hues of the floorboards also helped dictate the colour scheme for the rest of the apartment, including the kitchen cabinetry. “We looked at all different tones, from brights to monochrome, but the jarrah is really the star of the show and the cool colours we’ve used in the rest of the apartment complement it perfectly,” Michelle says.
In the kitchen, a wall of two-pack polyurethane cabinets in Dulux Ticking contrasts sharply with the splashback and island bench in CaesarStone Snow. “The original beams are painted a matt black, so we wanted the other surfaces to reflect a bit,” Michelle says. “It’s simple, but the effect is dramatic.”

The drama continues in the main bathroom and ensuite, which both have walls and floors of deep, dark-toned tiles, punctuated by bursts of vivid white, courtesy of the bath and basin. Large-format Italian vitrified tiles line the floor and walls, complementing the mirrored cabinets and double-duty lighting. “We have brighter downlights for tasks like applying make-up, but also uplights which can be switched on separately.”

Completing the rest of the interior has been a slower-paced, ongoing project, as Michelle and Aleksandar took their time to select pieces that would best suit the space. Furniture and finishes also had to work around their existing art collection, all original paintings by a friend, Douglas Hamilton.

“It took a long time to work out what furniture we needed,” Michelle says. “We were sitting on the floor for a while, before we decided on the custom-made sofas. We considered having an entire wall of joinery by the window, but in the end we decided we didn’t need it, so we went for a bigger dining table instead.”

Michelle and Aleksandar are satisfied they made the right design decisions. “It’s so much better than I expected,” Michelle says. “The space is amazing. Watching the sunset every night is fantastic and cooking is a dream. It’s also wonderful for entertaining. We love it.”