Potts Point Apartment

The brief for this renovation project was more like a question. It asked just one thing of the designer – to make the apartment a great place to live for a young family. In this instance the family he was designing for was his own. This seemingly simple request understates the complexity of this clever little project.

At just thirty-eight square metres this is a very small apartment. In real estate parlance it would be called “petite.” The apartment has good bones courtesy of Harry Seidler, the architect of the original building. The insertion of a single block of new joinery that runs the full length of the space simultaneously gathers up all the stuff, creates places to sleep and generates a new, more generous spatial arrangement.

The outcome of this renovation is an apartment that offers a practical solution to high-density family living. At the same time it also makes a statement about our lifestyle expectations and their impact on the environment. In a final nod to the real estate agent, the apartment might now be described as “bijou” rather than “petite.”

The Award for Apartment, Unit or Townhouse is supported by The Laminex Group.