Generosity where it counts, makes a 50 m2 apartment the perfect city getaway. tsai Design Studio client had purchased a ground floor one-bedroom apartment in the Grand Hotel in Melbourne’s CBD. It was poky and dark but had great bones and a charming garden outlook. As the former headquarters of the Victorian Railways, the Hotel had a proud civic façade and a graceful central staircase.The architect set out to create a spare but generous and welcoming home for his client, celebrating the 1880s splendor of the building. First, they removed the half height partitioning walls to open the volume into an open plan kitchen and living-dining room. This ample new space allowed for flexible furniture configuration and garden views from their award-winning Drop Leaf Table, custom designed for this apartment. The fold-up dining table for two expands to six for entertaining when required.
The narrow, windowless kitchen became the bedroom. Working with the confines of this room – just 2.6 metres wide – they replaced the bulky ceiling with an elegant timber vaulted ceiling embracing the existing arch of the doorway. A pull-down queen size Murphy bed with a full height mirror borrows light and views and creates an expansive walk in robe. The main wardrobe is accessible with the bed open or tucked away, giving the client complete flexibility. Customisable shelving alcoves either side of the bed head provide perfect access for book and bedding storage and reading lights, and a sense of spaciousness in what could have been a too-tight environment. Spatial intimacy and personalisation opportunities like this are the thoughtful touches that make a house of any size a home.( Published with Bowerbird.io )
Photography : Tess Kelly
