Summary: Complete renovation of ground floor 2 bedroom apartment in St Kilda. Total Cost: $TBA.
Challenge to completely swap the location of the kitchen and living areas with the bedroom areas, to take advantage of the large courtyard area. Previously, the only way to access the courtyard was through the master bedroom - certainly not ideal.
Hard to believe this Kitchen (pictured left) was recently a standard 1960s bedroom, with a narrow single door opening out to a less than glamorous courtyard.
New ceilings were installed to enable down lights & insulation to be added. Combined with the double glazed, insulated sliding glass doors, temperature fluctuations of a ground floor, south facing, double brick 1960s build, have been all but eliminated. Neutral toned dual roller window shades maintain privacy, but still allow maximum light.
Here and in the lounge, the owner wanted to retain the original parquetry flooring, but opted for several coats of Japan black stain - to complement the modern kitchen finishes.
Caesarstone benchtops with Bosch Cook-top & Oven, and integrated dishwasher feature in the kitchen, with an underslung stainless steel sink. The mirrored splashback makes the room feel infinitely larger, reflecting courtyard views to diners. The chandelier centred over the dining table, defines the space perfectly.
A separate wallwas retained between dine-in kitchen area & lounge (above) so as to maintain privacy & minimise noise if the spaces were being used individually.
The large 3 panel sliding floor to ceiling windows open out onto the decking, and the refurbished courtyard & fencing now make the courtyard side the main entry to the apartment. As in the kitchen, dual roller shades allow maximum light & privacy.
Built in cabinetry in the wall hide all the audio-visual equipment and flat screen TV.
The floor was stained Japan Black, as was the kitchen area, for continuity. The lounge room area is beautifully defined with a luxurious, white shag pile rug.
All interior walls & skirting were painted in Dulux products.
This bedroom (pictured right) was the original open plan lounge & dining room area (bottom right), so an internal wall had to be constructed, and doors added, to create a private bedroom area. Two sliding doors with decorative, opaque rectangular panels to let maximum light through to the hallway were added. Stained in Japan Black, they complement the finish of the floors in the lounge & kitchen, and contrast beautifully with the neutral tones of the carpet & walls in the bedroom and hallway.
While the bedrooms were reduced in size slightly relative to the original bedrooms, clever, concealed storage and custom built wardrobes more than compensate for that.
Floor to ceiling cupboards along the entire wall cleverly conceal double hanging his and her wardrobe spaces, two built-in 5 drawer chests and flat screen television. And yet more storage above, too.
The finishing touch was a queen size bed that, with a gas lift built in, actually raises up and provides under-bed storage.
The original bathroom was the only room that was not relocated in the renovation. The core layout was maintained and despite appearances, it was one of the most difficult rooms to complete. Several layers of tiles spanning 50 years of decorating had to be removed, as well as very stubborn built in cabinetry.
The old bath was removed entirely to make for a more spacious walk in shower, and walls were tiled to the ceiling, for added impact & light reflection, highlighted with a feature tile running down the centre of the main facing wall.
Large mirrored cabinets were added over the large, rectangular vanity, as well as a new toilet suite, frameless glass shower screen, tap-ware & towel rails.
The window was replaced with a more translucent glass to allow more light, and the vent removed entirely. Six adjustable spotlight pendants were added to ensure adequate lighting.
New Kitchen Opens out onto newly decked courtyard
The new lounge area (previously the 2nd bedroom).
New Kitchen Storage finished in High Gloss Vinyl Wrap Doors
Originally the Lounge & Dining area, now a light filled bedroom.
Original Master Bedroom
Custom Built Master Bedroom Floor to Ceiling Built In Wardrobes
