Re-working this compact apartment in beautiful Charlottenburg in Berlin was a fun, long-distance collaboration with my client. The project was fast-paced, taking just a few months from purchase to completion.

Built in 1885 and last renovated in the 1980s, this first floor studio looks into a central leafy Hof (a large courtyard) that's typical of Berlin's Altbau residential buildings.

The centrepiece of the studio had been ... a long, thin bathroom! We made it shorter and wider and moved the bathroom door from the living room into the hallway off the kitchen, opening up the living space. The wall between the kitchen and entry area was also demolished.

We maximised the living area by building a new mezzanine sleeping loft under the 4 metre ceiling. The ladder up to the previous loft space ran right through the living area so we turned it 90 degrees to run along the hallway wall instead. This allows for a direct connection from the kitchen to the dining and living spaces.

These few changes made such a difference to the apartment, opening it up and maximising the natural light so it feels spacious and airy. The mid-century inspired furnishings and decor make this small space into an inviting and comfortable pied à terre for the client when it's not being let as a rental property.