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Before & After: A Dark & Skinny Apartment Sees the Light
See how an interior designer turned a narrow, light-starved apartment into a bright and modern entertainer's delight
While this two-bedroom Brisbane apartment had great views and plenty of potential, it was dark, narrow, and seriously dated. Enter interior designer Penny Middlemiss, founder of Anju Designs, who used clever design techniques to add light, space and a contemporary feel. Read on to find out how she did it.
The apartment before works
Describe the apartment
A long, narrow apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, built in the mid-2000s and overlooking a swimming pool and lush gardens.
How does the client use their home?
The client works a lot from home and entertains regularly.
Describe the apartment
A long, narrow apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, built in the mid-2000s and overlooking a swimming pool and lush gardens.
How does the client use their home?
The client works a lot from home and entertains regularly.
Brief
The client wanted us to make the most of the space available and to keep the aesthetics very current and in keeping with the trendy local area. They wanted the apartment to feel fresh, light and modern with wow factor.
At the same time, they didn’t want to overcapitalise on the property.
Inspired to redo your own apartment? Find an interior designer on Houzz to help make it happen
The client wanted us to make the most of the space available and to keep the aesthetics very current and in keeping with the trendy local area. They wanted the apartment to feel fresh, light and modern with wow factor.
At the same time, they didn’t want to overcapitalise on the property.
Inspired to redo your own apartment? Find an interior designer on Houzz to help make it happen
The open-plan kitchen and living area before works
What were their must-haves?
What were their must-haves?
- With the client being very involved in the IT industry, we needed to have the apartment fully set up with the best in internet and technology-related fittings.
- An outdoor entertaining area.
- Maximum storage space.
How did you deal with the narrowness of the kitchen?
With light and by oversizing and floating the island bench.
Browse more stunning Australian kitchens on Houzz
With light and by oversizing and floating the island bench.
Browse more stunning Australian kitchens on Houzz
The kitchen before works
What exactly did you do?
What exactly did you do?
- Gutted and rebuilt the interior of the apartment.
- It is very long and narrow, and was quite dark in its original format. We made it feel bigger and brighter by introducing a beautiful palette of materials.
- Removed a central bulkhead that ran the length of the apartment and scotias (mouldings), and added a 50-millimetre drop ceiling throughout. This allowed us to install modern LED lighting throughout the apartment, which added a sense of height as well as better illumination.
- The living area was originally 3,500 millimetres wide. There was an ugly built-in false wall covering some pipework – we removed this and had the pipework altered to gain an extra 300 millimetres of width. The living room’s width now sits at a more comfortable 3,800 millimetres.
- Created a built-in outdoor entertaining bench for the balcony, complete with a built-in barbecue, pull-out drawer fridges and a pop-up television.
The living area before works
Where did you spend and save?
We focused the budget on the kitchen and balcony, as these areas were the most important to the client. We pulled back on the budget in the bathrooms.
Where did you spend and save?
We focused the budget on the kitchen and balcony, as these areas were the most important to the client. We pulled back on the budget in the bathrooms.
What was your thinking behind the choice of soft furnishings?
The client had full trust in us – the only item they specified was the King Living Cloud sofa. This sofa has two technology side tables integrated into it, so we didn’t need to specify a large coffee table. We chose a small nest of coffee tables from Living Edge.
The rug for the living room had to be bold enough to hold its own beside the fairly large sofa (given the size of the space). We chose a hand-knotted design from The Rug Establishment.
The client had full trust in us – the only item they specified was the King Living Cloud sofa. This sofa has two technology side tables integrated into it, so we didn’t need to specify a large coffee table. We chose a small nest of coffee tables from Living Edge.
The rug for the living room had to be bold enough to hold its own beside the fairly large sofa (given the size of the space). We chose a hand-knotted design from The Rug Establishment.
What did you do in the master bedroom?
We rebuilt the main bedroom with storage in mind. We had the bed base manufactured with touch-close drawers on both sides and we incorporated a full-wall headboard with storage on both sides above it. We also included LED lighting.
We rebuilt the main bedroom with storage in mind. We had the bed base manufactured with touch-close drawers on both sides and we incorporated a full-wall headboard with storage on both sides above it. We also included LED lighting.
How long did the makeover take?
From brief to completion, it took 12 weeks.
From brief to completion, it took 12 weeks.
What were the main issues with the bathroom?
Lighting was the client’s main concern. We replaced the existing lighting with new LED ceiling lights and LED strip lighting.
We specified the same finish to the vanity as one we’d used for the cabinetry in the kitchen. The client did not want timber, so we designed and built the vanities with lovely stone tops and concrete-look fronts.
We selected brushed bronze tapware, which works beautifully with the grey-and-white colour palette here.
Lighting was the client’s main concern. We replaced the existing lighting with new LED ceiling lights and LED strip lighting.
We specified the same finish to the vanity as one we’d used for the cabinetry in the kitchen. The client did not want timber, so we designed and built the vanities with lovely stone tops and concrete-look fronts.
We selected brushed bronze tapware, which works beautifully with the grey-and-white colour palette here.
The balcony before works
Tell us about the outdoor space
Originally, it was just an empty balcony. We installed an upmarket barbecue-bench unit incorporating a pull-out refrigeration drawer, a pop-up television and a latest-model barbecue with all the extras. The client does a lot of entertaining, so it was crucial for him to have all the best gear in this space.
Tell us about the outdoor space
Originally, it was just an empty balcony. We installed an upmarket barbecue-bench unit incorporating a pull-out refrigeration drawer, a pop-up television and a latest-model barbecue with all the extras. The client does a lot of entertaining, so it was crucial for him to have all the best gear in this space.
The new entertainer’s balcony
How do the owners find the new design of their home?
They are very happy with how their home is now working as a completely functional space. There is a place for everything, which makes them feel so much more organised, giving them the mental and physical freedom to entertain and enjoy their home.
How do the owners find the new design of their home?
They are very happy with how their home is now working as a completely functional space. There is a place for everything, which makes them feel so much more organised, giving them the mental and physical freedom to entertain and enjoy their home.
Materials palette
- Smartstone Imperial Grande benchtops and splashbacks to the kitchen.
- Evenex two-pack polyurethane concrete-look kitchen and bathroom cabinetry in Cast Iron.
- Embelton Flooring European Oak flooring in Blonde Oak Light with a wire-brushed finish.
- Andes Peak in Patilla carpet from Flooring Xtra.
- National Tiles Pietra Lavica 600 x 600-millimetre porcelain tiles in Flint Glacier to the bathroom floor and walls.
- National Tiles Finger 145 x 20-millimetre porcelain tiles in White to the bathroom splashback.
- Dulux Natural White used throughout.
The apartment before works
Furniture and furnishings
Furniture and furnishings
- King Living Cloud sofa.
- Hand-knotted rug by The Rug Establishment.
- Living Edge Muuto Cover Lounge chair with upholstered seat.
- Living Edge Muuto Around coffee tables.
- Living Edge ottoman.
- Domo Atlanta bar stoools.
- GlobeWest Livorno outdoor tables.
- Coco Republic Catalina outdoor chairs.
- Fred International pendants to the bedroom.
- Lumen8 LED lighting.
- Meir Australia tapware.
- The Modern Furniture Store artwork by Kate Barry in the living room.
- Domo artwork in the entrance.
Your turn
Are you as impressed with this clever makeover as we are? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Want more ideas for apartments? Check out this Room of the Week: Flexibility and Flair for a Downsizer’s Unit
Are you as impressed with this clever makeover as we are? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Want more ideas for apartments? Check out this Room of the Week: Flexibility and Flair for a Downsizer’s Unit
Answers by Penny Middlemiss, founder and designer at Anju Designs
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Teneriffe, Queensland
Apart size: 115 square metres (including the balcony)
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms: Two bedrooms and two bathrooms
Interior design: Penny Middlemiss at Anju Designs
Joinery: Finer Living