‘Ora House is very much a house for living rather than a showpiece,’ Archier director Chris Haddad says of the studio’s spectacular project in Caulfield North.

‘It’s the kind of place where the kitchen is busy from early in the morning, and the kids treat the garden as an extension of their bedrooms.’

But this inviting, effortless atmosphere of the new build has been created entirely by design. And it all started with the owner’s love of being outdoors.

The owners — a family of five — told the architects stories about their memories of camping, with their favourite spot being by the Howqua River near Mt Buller.

‘They talked about the feeling of being in the Australian bush, the calm of it, the sense of being away from distraction and asked whether that feeling could be brought into everyday life in suburban Melbourne. This was the emotional core of the project,’ Chris adds.

As the more practical parts of the brief focused on supporting multigenerational living and using passive house principles to create a more sustainable home, the decision was made to demolish the original dwelling for full control of the building envelope.

It also needed to house the client’s business, a Chinese medicine practice, at the lower ground level, with its own independent entry.

To reconcile these moving parts into one cohesive home, Archier gave precedence to the landscape in every architectural decision. The resulting house rejects the typical suburban floor plan in favour of three floors and two distinct wings, carefully arranged around the immersive gardens by Openwork.

‘We started with the idea of a modern ruin: a building that is gradually reclaimed by the landscape rather than one that asserts itself over it. That framing gave us licence to design a house that will look better in fifteen years than it does today, as planting climbs over it and the materials soften and patinate,’ Chris says.

It means every corner of the 1600-square-metre site encourages some form of interaction with the outdoors. The kitchen is a calming central oasis flanked by two island benches, with a hanging garden introducing greenery above.

Even the entry is nestled at the end of a bushwalk-inspired sequence, where the smell of Mentha australis (river mint) drifts up from under your feet as you take in the native planting.

‘The internal garden void off the rumpus room is hard to go past. It feels like an unexpected pocket of landscape drawn right into the middle of the house where ferns, stepping stones, and filtered light come together. Because it is visible from the floor above, it becomes a focal point,’ Chris says.

The clients’ appreciation for mid-century architecture was another defining factor in the material palette. Inside and out, bricks, exposed timber beams, clearstory windows and handmade tiles create a robust backdrop that feels modern, while offering nods to the past.

‘What I am most proud of though, is how the house has settled into the garden and then evolved over time. Each time I visit, the garden has taken over more of the built form, softening the edges, feeling more like the modern ruin we envisioned from the start.’

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After 15 years living in their Perth home — a circa 1920s weatherboard and asbestos workers cottage with a termite-ridden frame — the owners embarked on a major upgrade.

Once the termite damage, asbestos, and old cladding were removed, there was very little left of the house, so they engaged Western Architecture Studio to design a sympathetic new-build.

The architects soon determined a house supportive of the clients’ lifestyle and community was more important than high-end finishes.

Andrew Boyne, architect at Western Architecture Studio, explains, ‘The owners wanted to continue being part of their community and to enjoy a life under a Western Australia sky. The house was about removing the obstacles that made it difficult to do that, while also making a positive and communal contribution…

‘There [was] a drive to dissolve the building into the background… to allow the richness and colour of a family life to be the feature.’

In response, the exterior of the new house takes its cues from the existing street pattern, adopting a similar bullnose verandah and roof pitch with zincalume roofing and weatherboards.

‘We extended the ridge backward to create a flat roof section to fit solar panels and roof-mounted equipment,’ says Andrew of the roof. ‘The panels are always faced upward to the sun, and are easily and safely serviced, as are the skylights.’

What’s most radical is the way the house engages with the community. In addition to the front verandah, the backyard opens to a side laneway, allowing incidental engagement with passersby, and creating the feeling of a larger property.

‘It was about getting more with less. More space, more benefit to the owner, less enclosure,’ says Andrew.

Andrew is proud of the amenity the house provides a family of four on a 354 square block, and how the build has inspired other residences.

‘A neighbour who had been considering a contemporary box architecture to replace a house further up the street, changed their direction upon visiting the house. Their modified house contributes to the street in a similar way,’ he says.

‘The rear neighbour [also] mimicked the long gate to the yard. Now the kids play between the yards.

‘The house has changed attitudes in the street, towards a more connected attitude… It settles the occupants in a community life.’

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Sitting atop a cliff in the lush Southern Highlands of New South Wales, EA House (Esther and Albert’s House) by Bokey Grant Architecture is engulfed by nature, both in its striking architecture and warm timber interior.

With cockatoos flying around the nearby gorge and kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, lyrebirds and wrens on the house’s doorstep, this property is a nature-lover’s dream.

But building the home from scratch on a practically empty, 16,000-square-metre site near an exposed gorge without interfering with the existing rock was no mean feat.

‘We looked at Casa Malaparte, Pezo Von Ellrichshausen for homes that are experimental and unique to its site — something sculpturally integrated into the rock,’ says architect Jeffrey Bokey-Grant.

The home seamlessly blends into its surroundings with its brick and concrete exterior mirroring the landscape’s rock formations.

‘It felt like it emerges from the rock,’ Jeffrey says. ‘The unique pattern and rough nature of them being laid is intended to relate back to the rock at a textural level.’

A bridge paves the way to the entrance, under a vibrant rooftop garden with low-lying native plants.

While its steep and rocky exterior is modern and austere, this home’s interior couldn’t be more inviting. Warm dark timber lines the kitchen, living and dining rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows giving breathtaking views of the highlands.

‘All the windows of the view generally face the same way, but every opening offers a unique perspective. You never feel like you’re seeing the same thing from each window,’ Jeffrey explains.

The rest of the house adopts a more simple, monastic design and leaves rooms without too much natural light. Jeffrey says this design choice was ‘to change perceptions from the wider site to a more inward and nurturing focus of a bedroom or bathroom.’

Jeffrey also accommodated for any nature-related challenges. The Southern Highlands have the highest bushfire rating in Australia, and the gorge leaves the property exposed to all kinds of wind and weather.

Insulated double-brick walls, concrete and high-tech bushfire windows mean the space is safe from the elements. A bonus is they also keep the home well insulated — perfect on misty mornings.

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Stepping into the South Yarra studio apartment of Allie Daisy King is like stepping onto the set of an early 2000s rom-com — and that’s just how she likes it.

‘I feel as if my home is almost a stereotype of the “media girl in the city” stereotype fed to us by media like 13 Going on 30, and Confessions of a Shopaholic,’ Allie says.

‘And it is valid! I am a young asexual woman working in media who loves pretty things, loves hosting, and loves her life.’

As the senior social and partnerships strategist at Missing Perspectives and the co-host of literary podcast Booksmart, Allie has carved out a following online for her unapologetically girly and whimsical style. But this aesthetic goes beyond the digital world. It’s authentically who she is at her core, and it’s aptly reflected in the carefully curated trinkets that occupy every corner of her home.

Having already lived in the 1930s Beverley Hills flats for eight years with her family, Allie was overjoyed when a studio apartment inside the building opened up for rent earlier this year. She immediately got to work on Canva and started visualising how she’d decorate, right down to the order of the books on the shelves!

‘I am an avid collector and lover of pretty things, from dinnerware to clothing and books. Trying to find places to store everything is an ongoing issue to this day,’ Allie says.

In addition to the many hours spent scrolling Pinterest, the space was shaped to showcase sentimental homewares from friends, or pieces found on regular op shop trips with her mother, stylist and writer Heather Nette King — who Allie credits as being one of her biggest influences.

‘Popular culture is another big reference point, and I wanted the space to feel like a rom-com. Nora Ephron, Nancy Meyers, Totally Spies, Carrie Bradshaw, Uptown Girls are just a few of my key references,’ she says.

Despite its compact size, the studio is arranged into a surprisingly functional series of little nooks, enhanced by Allie’s strategic styling.

The entryway opens to some of her most cherished objects — including a pink Hello Kitty guitar and Miffy lamp — before the kitchen reveals a custom cafe-style curtain from a favourite Melbourne brand, Suku Home.

To maximise space for hosting, a little dining nook has been created around the romantic bay window, while the gold-toned sofa also converts into a bed when guests come to stay.

It’s easy to see why friends and visitors alike have referred to the apartment as the ‘ultimate girl home’. It’s Allie’s world, and we’re just living in it!

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In the transformation of this Edwardian home, interior designer Alyssa Owens proves you don’t need to change the structure of a house to reinvent its interior.

‘That was really what made the project so exciting: we got to see how far a home could shift without touching a wall,’ Alyssa says.

Through careful selection of colour, furniture, lighting, art and textiles, Alyssa managed to retain all the beloved heritage features of the Preston home — high ceilings, original mouldings, and timber floors — while injecting the space with much-needed colour and personality.

For this, she drew on her clients’ Italian roots, layering iconic Italian designs like a vintage Murano chandelier, red Gaetano Pesce vase, and green Gubi pendants, with a rich colour palette of earthy red, mulberry, and terracotta.

She even went so far as to source artwork from Sicilian-Australian artist Nunzio Miano to sit gracefully in the living room.

‘The project name “Amaro Rosso” came naturally from the same place. Italian bitters have that quality of being complex and warm with a little edge, which felt exactly right,’ Alyssa explains.

While Alyssa’s initial impulse was to use muted tones in the master bedroom, homeowners Kiara and Sam Pecenko pushed her to experiment with a bold injection of brick-red, a decision that quickly turned the room into one of Alyssa’s favourites.

‘Walking into a room with that depth of colour and having it feel enveloping rather than confronting feels great. Knowing it came from the clients pushing me somewhere I hadn’t initially gone makes it better,’ Alyssa says.

The young family now fully adore their newly transformed home. ‘We loved how her use of colour and texture made the spaces she designed feel really considered and interesting, but at the same time lived in and real,’ Kiara says.

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Like many homes of its era, this solid-brick mid-century abode in Caulfield North needed a little TLC.

With well-worn interior finishes, leaks, plumbing issues, minimal insulation, and a kitchen with ‘no redeeming features’, a sensitive renovation was in order to create a comfortable and welcoming home for a family of five.

The owners worked with Romy Peterfreund, founder and director of James St. Studio and Sarit Wermut, founder and director of Rowe Studio, on all aspects of the renovation, from minor structural changes to selecting interior finishes, lighting and furniture.

‘Because we were able to collaborate with [the family] on every single element and decision, the vision was clear and unencumbered from the start,’ says Sarit.

‘While all rooms were “gutted” to an extent, the only major structural change was to the original kitchen space, where the south and west walls were removed to allow a new open-plan area, linked to the living and dining areas.’

After this, the pair focused on a primarily cosmetic renovation, playing on the home’s existing mid-century character.

‘It was important to all parties to retain the period feel of the home,’ says Romy.

The original timber elements — the unique solid timber balustrade, sliding panelled doors, striking timber bi-fold screens, and a large built-in timber entertainer’s bar and shelving — became the main inspiration for the renovation.

‘These elements have always been and will continue to be the personality of the home,’ says Romy.

Walnut timber is featured throughout the renovation, particularly in the kitchen where you’ll find custom walnut handles, walnut veneer detailing on the island and a feature walnut pendant light above.

‘These pops of walnut provide a visual consistency and nod to the past throughout the home,’ says Romy.

Determined to create a harmonious flow between the home’s original features and the new elements, Sarit says, ‘The greatest challenge was ensuring that the home didn’t feel fragmented or juxtaposed by making it “shiny and new” or by adding too many neutral or minimalist modern elements that would sit adjacent to the original features.’

Any new element that was added, from the Zellige and Japanese tiles in the bathrooms, to the front fence and a neatly laid Palladiana pathway to the front door, was carefully considered to sit harmoniously with the character of the home.

Alongside cosmetic changes, the renovation also called for a few functional updates, including new roof sheeting, gutters and double-glazed windows, to bring it up to scratch with modern standards.

‘We feel the home is a great example of how to lightly touch Melbourne’s decades-old, but important, architectural fabric,’ Romy says.

The new and appropriately named Walnut House is now a newfound sanctuary for the family to share with those around them for years to come.

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Kieran McInerney of Kieran McInerney Architect believes families can comfortably live in compact inner-city properties that address the ‘missing middle’ of Australia’s housing landscape — just look at his own home.

Previously a 48-square-metre, single-storey studio (which Kieran and his fellow architect wife Ruth Leiminer rented as his office for several years), the architect purchased the Newtown property and set about converting the space into a multi-storey, 64-square-metre, three-bedroom apartment/townhouse appropriate for his family.

‘We wanted a comfortable, affordable, healthy family home that was warm in winter, cool and breezy in summer that would not cause us mortgage stress,’ Kieran says.

‘We liked the communal feeling of the warehouse and our community in Newtown where we could walk to school, work, shops, bookshops, parks, and the cinema.’

Kieran adds, ‘Making do with what we had or “enoughness” was our process.’

Reconfiguring and adding to the studio required careful planning and challenging the status quo by Kieran and Ruth. The front facade of the former mechanic workshop was left untouched, with new work emerging above in a contemporary version of a traditional clerestory format.

‘Fitting two floors into the warehouse with a traditional clerestory above spoke to the varied and eclectic streetscape while reflecting the two-storey terraces opposite,’ says Kieran.

Naturally, the project wasn’t without its challenges. ‘The banks considered it a risky project, so finance was difficult. The site was small, and it was hard to find a place for materials and tools during construction,’ says Kieran.

‘The small building size was tricky too. Heat pumps, hydronic boilers and other fittings are generally sized for a four-bedroom suburban house.’

The project deliberately avoids superfluous features (a dishwasher and the latest in home automation among them) that would increase its budget and environmental impact, except for one non-negotiable: underfloor heating throughout.

‘During the four cold months, a timer turns on the underfloor heating at 6am, when the solar panels are receiving adequate sun, and turns it off at 9am,’ says Kieran. ‘The heating turns on again from 3-5pm.

Despite forming part of an older building, Kieran’s family home achieves a 6.7 NatHERS rating and is a net exporter of energy.

The ground floor slab, external walls, single entry door, and steel structure were all maintained, and new construction was thoughtfully considered with screw-in joinery that can be disassembled at the end of its life. Balustrades, towel rails, and other fittings were also bolted, rather than welded, to enable future reuse.

All rooms impressively have their own views out to a courtyard or treetops. ‘Our house has calm, reticent spaces with a place for everything and everything in its place,’ says Kieran.

These features all make the home ‘sustainable’, but as Kieran says, the most important factor is its small footprint, which he hopes will inspire other families.

‘Our courtyard townhouse apartment model gathers amenity within the site itself and has many design possibilities, including extending across a whole block,’ he says.

‘This “missing middle” typology can be developed by owners rather than developers. They are a good fit for the narrow streets and lanes of Newtown.’

Consider this home as the housing equivalent of a well-packed lunchbox, wardrobe, or pantry — a space where everything has its own place, and nothing more.

‘Compact is more than density; it means well-considered and made,’ says Kiernan. ‘It means designed.’

Mel Cousipetcos and Campbell Boyer knew they were in for a ride when they bought a run-down residence in 2016 with a vision to bring the house back to life.

Perhaps what they didn’t expect was that it would take them over a decade to complete.

‘We were extremely naive, having never done a complete renovation before,’ says Mel, design director at Melbourne studio Ortolan.

‘When it’s DIY, and you both work full time, the pace is very slow. We had to learn to manage our own expectations around timelines.’

The house’s original condition

Located in Preston, the house was a 1950s post-war build, with an extension at the rear. There were a few original features, small decorative cornices, picture rails, and a decorative brick fireplace, but almost every surface inside was damaged beyond repair. Mel recalls the ‘rotting foundations, layers of old paint on the original plaster, multiple layers of vinyl and lino flooring.’

The biggest drawcard was its sizeable backyard, where they have since built a workshop for Campbell’s industrial design business, Object Utility.

How they restored the old home

‘We started by gutting the house and fixing structural elements,’ Mel says.

‘Then we tackled each room one at a time — designed and built a new kitchen and laundry, and built-in wardrobes for two bedrooms. We converted the third bedroom to a study with a built-in desk, restored the fireplace and used sheet metal to create a new mantle and hi-fi shelf in the living room.’

Despite having to update almost every part of the home (including the roof, plaster, and revealing the original hardwood floors), they managed to keep the demolition to a minimum, removing only two walls: one that separated the dining from the lounge, and one to open up the kitchen.

‘When you’re renovating an old house that wasn’t built to modern standards, whenever you go to do a job, it will uncover at least one other problem or process that needs to be dealt with. It means more time, more money, more decisions,’ Mel says on reflection.

Why they went for a ‘less is more’ look

As true minimalists in both principles and aesthetics, the couple wanted the interiors to feel clean, functional, and timeless, rather than trendy.

‘Our design taste is influenced by Japanese and Scandinavian minimalism, with an appreciation for truth to materials, industrial elements, and practical and sustainable decisions driving the design,’ Mel adds.

Timber features prominently throughout, including across the joinery and furniture, with almost everything designed and made by Campbell in his studio. They also upgraded to double-glazed windows, added insulation, and are currently making the switch to all-electric appliances, intending to install solar in future.

The challenge and benefits of renovating slowly

Mel admits they didn’t do a strict budget at the beginning, as their approach was to go slow, not to skimp on essentials that had to be outsourced, and then renovate in stages, doing as much as possible themselves. ‘This meant we could slow the pace of spending while we worked full time,’ she says.

While they saved significantly by having fewer trades, it’s also the reason why the renovation is still ongoing a decade later, as they still have the bathroom left to update!

‘But a warning… This also means living in a partially renovated house, operating around the renovation — for a time, without heating and without a kitchen. It can be difficult and isn’t for everyone!’

Budget breakdown

Kitchen
Cabinetry: $20,000
Tapware: $1000
Benchtop: $2500
Appliances: $5000
Total: $30,000

Laundry
Cabinetry: $7000
Tapware: $500
Benchtop: $2000
Appliances: $1500
Total: $11,000

Exterior
Front landscaping: $10,000
Rear landscaping: $15,000
Decks/verandahs: $30,000
Total: $55,000

Structural improvements
Restumping: $15,000
Underpinning: $20,000
Carpentry: $15,000
Plumbing: $5000
Electrical re-wire/3-phase: $15,000
Total: $70,000

General
Sanding & finishing existing hardwood floors: $3000
Paint: $5000
Building workshop: $50,000
Demo/rubbish removal: $15,000–$20,000
Window coverings: $6000
Convert gas heating to electric heat/air conditioning: $12,000
Total: $91,000–$96,000

Trades/labour: $50,000–$70,000

Renovation total: Approximately $300,000

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An Unexpected Transformation Of A ‘Stock Standard’ Townhouse

Stepping into this Wellington, New Zealand home feels like you could be anywhere in the world — which is entirely the point.

Natalie Bradburn Studio and Lucy Coote of Salad Days Ceramics were tasked with bringing the poorly planned and ‘stock standard’ townhouse to life through reconfiguration and an inspiring material palette.

The result feels truly bespoke; a product of Natalie and Lucy’s practical updates and colourful refresh spanning shades of pink, umber, and chartreuse.

See the full home here.

Stylist Kelly Thompson’s Colour-Rich, Happy Home

When interior stylist Kelly Thompson first inspected this Heidelberg Heights home, she thought it was ‘way too white and stark looking’, but there was enough potential in the spacious block and retained 1940s features to make it her own.

Over the past three years, Kelly has slowly chipped away at mostly DIY cosmetic updates to introduce gorgeous colour throughout the interiors.

Pieces by local artists (many collected from her time running online design store Makers’ Mrkt) and vintage furniture add character, creating a home that’s distinctly ’Kelly!’

See the full home here.

This 1940s Brick Duplex Renovation Is Bursting With Bold Colours

Located in Melbourne, this 1940s brick duplex is ushered into a new era with WOWOWA’s signature flourish of radiant colour.

See how hues of rich purples, earthy reds, bright orange and dusty pink are expertly woven together to create a home that’s both bold and rejuvenating.

See the full home here.

This Colourful Home Is Tailor-Made For A Retired Couple’s Next Chapter

This unassuming brick veneer unit hides a colourful renovation inside, created for a retired couple who are embarking on their next chapter, together.

Circle Studio Architects tailored the home to suit their client’s creative interests, with playful interiors and spaces for music, reading, writing, and gardening on the edge of the Merri Creek.

See the full home here.

An ‘Unliveable’ Retro Apartment Turned Playful + Personal Home

When Nina Siska came across this Parkville apartment, it was unliveable, with mouldy ceilings, stained walls, and peeling paint.

The listing wasn’t lying when it described the art deco pad as a ‘renovators delight’, but Nina saw the potential in the retro details and wooden floorboards that were hiding under carpet.

With the help of Studio Co & Co, Nina has renewed the 90-square-metre apartment, creating a bold peachy kitchen and eclectic interiors, styled with art and furniture from some of Melbourne’s best local creatives!

See the full home here.

A Relocated + Renovated Queenslander, Brimming With Bold Colour

Interior designer Jana Isaza-Smith and her husband Nic Smith faced challenge after challenge when it came to renovating their relocated Queenslander in South Golden Beach, NSW.

Thankfully, the resulting home — brimming with colour and sentimental pieces — leaves them with only good vibes.

See the full home here.

A Blue + Peach Sydney Apartment For A Young Family

Stefania Reynolds of Studio Johnston has an eye for design and a knack for creativity, which makes sense given her line of work as both an interior designer and artist.

Her Redfern home is a reflection of both these passions. Taking inspiration from the airy interiors and peachy blue colour palette of her childhood home in Corfu, Greece, Stefania’s playful renovation makes everyday living a delight.

See the full home here.

An Early 2000s Melbourne Apartment Turned ‘Piccolo Palazzo’

Eryca Green says buying her Carlton apartment was ‘never a case of love at first sight.’ With its all-white walls and grey carpet, the circa 2001 apartment was a far cry from the established and eclectic homes she’d previously lived in, but the price was right, and Eryca had a vision.

Almost two years later, the apartment is unrecognisable. Working with Julia Cox of jcHQ, Eryca has designed a home that feels rich in history, featuring vintage furniture, coloured walls, and beloved art.

Eryca has created ‘a room of one’s own’ — an always warm, light-filled, and decorative sanctuary away from the busy world outside.

See the full home here.

How Colourful Timber-Look Tiles Inspired This Bungalow’s Bold Renovation

The back of this traditional brick bungalow in Melbourne’s northern suburbs is bursting with personality after a quirky renovation.

Taking inspiration from their creative clients, Healy Ryan Architects paired green walls with ceramic floor tiles designed to look like coloured woodgrain, and glass blocks — marking the owners’ next chapter as empty-nesters in a bold way!

See the full home here.

Perth’s Historic Market Gardens Inspired This Colourful Home

This 1920s home was once the site of a market garden. The recently extended house by Brunsdon Studio speaks to this history, bringing the garden into the home with a bold green palette inside and out.

The extension has fundamentally changed the experience of living in the home, which is now connected to its immediate and historical context.

See the full home here.

How A Palette of 15 Hues Brought This Joyful Mount Eliza Home To Life

In the hands of Studio Shields, this Mount Eliza house has been reworked from the ground up to create a layered abode that isn’t afraid of colour — with only the existing roofline remaining in place.

Where previously white walls met beige floors, now a palette of 15 hues unfolds cohesively and deliberately intensifies as you move through the home.

See the full home here.

This Colorbond-Clad Country Home Is A Superb Take On The Typical Shed

With its bold Colorbond-clad exterior and timber-lined interior, Ochre House by MyMyMy Architecture offers a contemporary take on regional living.

The striking home takes inspiration from the typography of traditional shearing sheds and the vibrant hues of Australia’s native landscapes to create a utilitarian yet elevated residence, where the owners can thrive living off-grid, just outside Canberra.

See the full home here.

There was always plenty to love about this Vaucluse apartment, but renovations over time had obscured its original 1930s features, detracting from the sought-after setting on Parsley Bay.

Despite its shortcomings — namely a circa 2000s kitchen with glossy red cabinets and a dark tiled splashback — Tanika Rouillon and Sam Messer saw its potential from the beginning as a place they could make their own.

‘We quickly realised the original heritage features remained intact and salvageable underneath, and that became our guiding inspiration to restore them alongside a high-quality contemporary renovation,’ says Tanika.

With the motto of restoration first, renovation second, Tanika designed the project herself to showcase Sam’s dedication to craftsmanship and timber work. ‘Aside from the kitchen cabinetry and electrical work, every aspect of the renovation — from the design to the build — we did ourselves,’ Tanika says.

Given the constraints of the building and the apartment’s 64-square-metre footprint, all works had to be thoughtful and economical in scope.

‘The rooms remain in their original locations, but the design was opened up to create a more fluid way of living,’ explains Tanika. ‘Opening ceiling space, widening entryways, adding niches and integrated cabinetry were thoughtfully introduced to maximise both functionality and the perception of space.’

Tanika took a wabi-sabi-inspired approach to contemporising the interiors, featuring perfectly imperfect clay-and-lime plaster walls, microcement bathroom surfaces, natural stone, nickel tapware, and salvaged timbers.

‘A lot of time was spent in the timber yards or sourcing vintage fixtures and objects, which is something I love to do,’ says Tanika.

The crowning jewel is the second bedroom, aka the ‘zen den’, enveloped in cocooning green walls and ceilings to provide a calm and contemplative space to work at the study nook or unwind.

Doing the renovation together was a testament to Tanika and Sam’s teamwork — but it wasn’t without challenges.

Tanika says, ‘We wanted to avoid rushing or compromising on quality, but balancing that with the need to make the apartment liveable and affordable was a challenge, so we sacrificed time and comfort, living in a mess and renovating room by room, late into the nights and across our weekends.’

The bathroom in particular threw up multiple unforeseen issues (hidden plumbing failures and a collapsed ceiling among them), turning a two-week undertaking into a mammoth two-month exercise.

‘For a period, grooming rituals were relocated to a makeshift courtyard bathroom, and the generosity of neighbours lending theirs became an unexpected chapter in the home’s restoration story,’ says Tanika.

‘In the end, part of the joy was in the making-do: the makeshift kitchen, sleeping in the living room, and the outdoor bathroom setup.’

Tanika and Sam don’t intend to live in this home forever, but regardless, they’ve restored its design integrity and ensured its legacy for many more decades to come.

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