Redesigning a small apartment or residence comes with the challenge of maximizing space and making it feel more open and functional. In a densely populated urban area, where square footage is often limited, creating a sense of spaciousness without physically expanding the apartment is essential. This approach was central to the transformation of a tired and outdated apartment in Sydney’s Elizabeth Bay, a suburb close to the city’s Central Business District (CBD). With smart design choices, the apartment was re-imagined to feel larger, more modern, and functional while retaining its original size.
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| Apartment has its own balcony and the advantage of natural cross ventilation from the nearby harbor. Image: Never Too Small |
Elizabeth Bay, a picturesque
and serene suburb, is known for its proximity to the harbor and parks, making
it an ideal spot for urban living. The apartment building itself, constructed
in the 1970s, offers a great location and amenities like balconies for every
unit and cross-ventilation from the harbor breeze. Despite these external
benefits, the apartment's interior was far from ideal. The original condition
was tired, with a makeshift kitchen that didn’t suit the space and a bedroom
awkwardly inserted into the studio layout. It was a classic example of a
cramped city apartment that needed a fresh perspective to unlock its true
potential.
The key idea for this
apartment was to combine the sleeping areas, part of the kitchen and the
storage areas into one central unit, and the unit itself is inspired by the
apartment and this apartment building is located in Sydney in a small suburb called
Elizabeth bay which is very close to the Sydney CBD. This building was built in
1970. All four sides of the apartment block are open and each unit benefit from
having a balcony and gain cross ventilation from its proximity to the harbor
and there's a beautiful park right on the doorstep.
The original condition of the apartment was quite tired. There was a makeshift kitchen in the studio space and a bedroom had been inserted there.
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| The queen-sized bed folds down at night. During the day, it hides away, leaving the room open and airy. Image: Never Too Small |
The common theory here would
be that all of the utility is shifted to the perimeter and fluid space is left
in the middle that gives a sense of space. So what is decided to do is to
remove the party wall that divided the kitchen from the studio space and
created an open plan. Although, it seems somewhat ironic solution is conceived
of a double sided storage unit. The living space is a multi-function space, it
doubles as the bedroom at night and it's a space to sit down, relax, benefit
from the view and be separate to the utility spaces. The built-in bench seat has
a considerable amount of storage but this element is given a sense of lightness
on three sides it has and there is a continuation there for the floor running
through and it appears as though it is a floating element rather than a bulky
element.
There's a small surface to
one side of the bench seat which allows the occupant to come in and place items
that they may have at hand directly on the bench. The pod is deliberately
separated from the structure. But worked out to feel more like a piece of
furniture and for that reason it doesn't extend all the way to the ceiling.
There's a distorted mirror
to provide reflection immediately upon entry and what that does is it reduces
the visual bulk of the pod and reflects the other part of the living room and immediately
gives you a greater impression of space than you would have if it was a solid
element.
The elevation of the storage
unit that faces the living space houses a queen folding bed and an integrated
storage niche behind the bed television and av cupboard and there is also a
folding bedside for use.
The storage pod contains
integrated lighting. There is an integrated light behind the bed. There is
illumination on top of the pod that provides a soft bounce light and there is
integrated light in the art niche at the ends of the pod. There are matching
folded integrated tables. What this enables us to do is exploit the space that
is otherwise left void. Simply for circulation one is imagined as a dining
surface and one as a work surface. The dining surface is linked to the kitchen
and the work surface is by the window.
The kitchen is divided into
two sides; one is the primary kitchen for cooking and for washing and on the
other side the kitchen has bled into the storage pod where we have the pantry
the bulk of the storage and the integrated refrigerator.
If user wants the kitchen
arranged for instance he's put the oven very low because he doesn't prioritize
cooking with the oven. Instead he prioritizes cooking on the bench top surface
and he prioritizes having all of the things that he needs while he's cooking at
the far end of the pod. So, the entire hallway is exploited and it's imagined
almost like a walk-in robe. The rope is positioned directly opposite the
bathroom. So, those two pieces of utility have been linked.
The bathroom is accessed by
sliding door so that we don't inhibit the space upon accessing the bathroom.
The black geometric tile has a great finishing in the bathroom and paired with
areas of blank white wall so that the black isn't over dominant in the space.
The three quarter height blade wall doesn't make the shower feel hemmed in
because it's quite a small shower.
The joinery unit is shaped
or angled to allow greater circulation within the space because the cabinet is
cut on an angle. It’s been decided to have the mirror on the back of the
cabinet so that when you open the cabinet all of your stuff is accessible and
the mirror faces the user. There's a full height and full width mirror at one
end of the shower. This reflects the length of the bathroom across its longest
axis and really gives us a really nice sense of space.
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| A double-sided central storage unit divides the living and kitchen areas. Image: Never Too Small |
One of the key advantages of
the central pod is that the walls are blank space and this allows the client to
put their touches on the place, be it art decoration etc. An experimental
approach has been employed that attempts to exceed the expectations of a user
and creates dynamism in small spaces and improve ultimately the livability of
small spaces.
This experimental approach
to small apartment design exceeded expectations, showing that with the right
vision, a small space can feel open, spacious, and full of possibilities. The
central pod not only combines multiple functions into one unit but also
enhances the overall livability of the apartment, making it a perfect example
of modern urban design.
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