Young Family Finds Balance Between Expense And Comfort In This Small Apartment Remodel

Having been lucky enough to secure an 800-square-foot apartment in a heritage-listed building in downtown Melbourne, Australia, the young owners weren’t interested in leaving it – even with a baby on the way. They realized, though, that the one-bedroom place was going to need a little remodeling to accommodate the soon-to-be three of them, and contacted local firm Clare Cousins Architects to get the job done.

It’s a great-looking building, but given its age some interior renovation was definitely in order.

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There are now two bedrooms; each of them is sandwiched between dividers which provide just enough space for an appropriately-sized bed, and each can be screened off from the rest of the space as desired. The dividers also conceal quite a lot of new storage space. The clients had a limited budget for the project, so Clare Cousins emphasized design over expensive materials; bare plywood was used in the main living area, while the bathroom features basic but geometrically patterned white tile.

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The bathroom could almost be original, until you notice the modern patterning of the tiles and the golden-hued fixtures.

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Now a comfortable place of a toddler, with plenty of natural light.

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The adult’s bedroom is shown below, with the small steps serving as additional seating in the living area.

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Built-in plywood sections offer plenty of storage space and help keep clutter to a minimum.

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ht/ shoebox dwelling

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