Before & After: A New Tune for a Pianist's Art Deco Flat
When a Sydney musician retired, she finally had the time to refresh the charming apartment she'd lived in for 20 years
Georgia Madden
30 September 2021
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Eleanor Jesse, principal designer at Kenz Interiors, takes us through the journey of breathing fresh life and functionality into a time-warp Art Deco apartment.
Images by William Mallat
Answers by Eleanor Jesse, principal designer at Kenz Interiors
Who lives here: A retired musician
Location: Waverton, NSW
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms: Two bedrooms and one bathroom
Budget: Around $70,000
Interior designer: Eleanor Jesse at Kenz Interiors
Builder: Acland Group
How did Houzz help with this project?
The client and I shared Houzz Ideabooks when working out the scheme. I also use Houzz Pro software in my business to manage projects and approvals, and to keep in touch with clients.
Answers by Eleanor Jesse, principal designer at Kenz Interiors
Who lives here: A retired musician
Location: Waverton, NSW
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms: Two bedrooms and one bathroom
Budget: Around $70,000
Interior designer: Eleanor Jesse at Kenz Interiors
Builder: Acland Group
How did Houzz help with this project?
The client and I shared Houzz Ideabooks when working out the scheme. I also use Houzz Pro software in my business to manage projects and approvals, and to keep in touch with clients.
The kitchen before works
What state was the apartment in when you came onboard?
It was dated, fairly characterless and didn’t represent my client’s personality or lifestyle. It still had the original 87-year-old bathroom.
Inspired to redesign your own home? Find a local interior designer on Houzz
What state was the apartment in when you came onboard?
It was dated, fairly characterless and didn’t represent my client’s personality or lifestyle. It still had the original 87-year-old bathroom.
Inspired to redesign your own home? Find a local interior designer on Houzz
The kitchen before works
What did you identify as the main problems?
What did you identify as the main problems?
- The apartment was lacking in light and all the dark finishes only made it feel smaller and darker.
- It needed a fresh eye to create harmony and personality.
The kitchen after works
What was your brief?
The client initially wanted to do a simple job of repainting, recarpeting and updating the kitchen. But as she got further into the process, she decided this was an opportunity to do a bigger makeover, with new furniture, lighting, artwork and window treatments.
She didn’t want to start completely from scratch; she wanted to keep the pieces that worked within the new design, while not being afraid to get rid of any pieces that didn’t work.
She also loves colour and wanted to add it through the furniture.
As she planned to be spending more time at home now that she had retired, she wanted to declutter in order to create a more functional home that she enjoyed being in, too.
What was your brief?
The client initially wanted to do a simple job of repainting, recarpeting and updating the kitchen. But as she got further into the process, she decided this was an opportunity to do a bigger makeover, with new furniture, lighting, artwork and window treatments.
She didn’t want to start completely from scratch; she wanted to keep the pieces that worked within the new design, while not being afraid to get rid of any pieces that didn’t work.
She also loves colour and wanted to add it through the furniture.
As she planned to be spending more time at home now that she had retired, she wanted to declutter in order to create a more functional home that she enjoyed being in, too.
The kitchen before works
What were the client’s must-haves for the apartment?
What were the client’s must-haves for the apartment?
- A very light bathroom, with marble mosaic tiles.
- A navy blue kitchen that was not too dark as there isn’t much natural light here.
- Window coverings that reflected Art Deco style, but with a contemporary edge.
- To create harmony by adding missing furniture and styling pieces.
The kitchen after works
What were the main issues with the kitchen?
What were the main issues with the kitchen?
- It was dark, dull and outdated.
- The kitchen originally had blue laminate flooring while the dining room that it opens onto has a timber floor. So we needed to find a timber flooring for the kitchen that was very close to the dining room’s floor colour and board size in order to create warmth and cohesion.
The kitchen before works
What did you do?
What did you do?
- The client didn’t want to change the kitchen layout as it was functional, so we focused on colour and finish updates.
- We laid a new timber floor.
- As the kitchen cupboards functioned well and we had a budget to stick to, we repainted rather than replaced them.
- We painted the lower cupboards in navy and the top cupboards in white to reflect the light. We used Dulux Professional Enamel that was custom-coloured to the exact tone of navy we wanted.
The kitchen after works
- We added a textured marble-look benchtop and splashback.
- We added beautiful brass tapware and handles to the bottom cupboards.
- We changed the upper cupboards’ hardware to a push-touch style.
The bathroom before works
What were the main issues with the bathroom?
It was small, drab, dark and 87 years old. There was only one slim window and the space between the vanity and toilet was narrow.
The client wanted something fresh and simple that referenced the clean lines of the Art Deco period.
It is the smallest room in the apartment, but it turned out to be the biggest job and took the longest time to redesign. Nevertheless, the results are beautiful.
What were the main issues with the bathroom?
It was small, drab, dark and 87 years old. There was only one slim window and the space between the vanity and toilet was narrow.
The client wanted something fresh and simple that referenced the clean lines of the Art Deco period.
It is the smallest room in the apartment, but it turned out to be the biggest job and took the longest time to redesign. Nevertheless, the results are beautiful.
The bathroom after works
The bathroom needed to be lighter and brighter and truly feel like another room in the apartment the client could enjoy spending time in – think soaking in a bath while listening to music.
The design required bespoke pieces to make the very small space look good and function well.
The bathroom needed to be lighter and brighter and truly feel like another room in the apartment the client could enjoy spending time in – think soaking in a bath while listening to music.
The design required bespoke pieces to make the very small space look good and function well.
The bathroom before works
What did you do?
What did you do?
- We didn’t change the layout as the client was happy with it. This meant we could use the budget for new materials and finishes.
The bathroom before works
The bathroom after works
- We kept the original bath as it was still in good condition, and had it professionally cleaned and repainted.
The bathroom after works
- We added a Carrara marble mosaic-tiled floor to bring in pattern and texture, while giving a nod to the apartment’s Art Deco origins.
- To keep the bathroom light, we decided to play on pattern and movement by creating harmony between the floor tiles and vanity panels. We finished off the bathroom with brass fixtures.
The bathroom before works
The bathroom after works
- As the space between the toilet and the area for the vanity was small, we specified a compact, floating vanity at a specific height so it doesn’t hit the owner’s legs when she is sitting down.
The bathroom after works
- We had a cabinet mirror with a brass frame custom-made to go with the brass fixtures.
The living room before works
What were the main issues with the living area?
It was outdated and the layout was not as functional as the client needed. She also wanted a window covering for privacy and to be able to have a corner where she could read and enjoy the sunshine.
What were the main issues with the living area?
It was outdated and the layout was not as functional as the client needed. She also wanted a window covering for privacy and to be able to have a corner where she could read and enjoy the sunshine.
The living room after works
What did you do?
What did you do?
- As the client was not keen on coffee tables and prefers to use side tables, we had an ottoman custom-made, which can be used as a coffee table or ottoman as required.
- Introduced new side tables.
The living room before works
- We had a new, very comfortable sofa customised to provide a modern feel.
- We added Roman blinds for privacy when required.
- We recarpeted the space.
The living room after works
Browse beautiful images of living rooms on Houzz
- For the window treatments, we combined a translucent fabric with a black velvet border. This creates a lovely soft and elegant feel.
Browse beautiful images of living rooms on Houzz
The living room before works
The living room after works
- We customised a chaise to go in the corner of the room that receives lovely morning sunshine.
- This spot is also opposite the piano, so we pictured friends sitting on the chaise while someone played the piano.
- We kept the client’s original side table, which she has had for years. It sits beside the chaise.
The dining area before works
What did you do in the dining area?
The client had already bought the dining table and chairs, but she didn’t know how to make the dining room harmonious.
She had a small mirror that did not match and was not the right proportion, so we changed it to a sleek, brass oversize style that reflects more light and adds to the room’s ambience.
We added a multi-coloured rug to ground the dining table and bring colour and warmth to the area.
What did you do in the dining area?
The client had already bought the dining table and chairs, but she didn’t know how to make the dining room harmonious.
She had a small mirror that did not match and was not the right proportion, so we changed it to a sleek, brass oversize style that reflects more light and adds to the room’s ambience.
We added a multi-coloured rug to ground the dining table and bring colour and warmth to the area.
The dining area after works
Interior palette
Interior palette
- Di Lorenzo Labyrinth Oblique Carrara marble tiles to the bathroom floor.
- Mizu tapware to the bathroom.
- Porter’s Paints Chintz Grey to the vanity.
- Dulux Professional Enamel in custom colours to the kitchen cupboards.
- Smartstone Imperial Grande engineered stone benchtops to the kitchen.
- Light Co lighting.
- Kenz Interiors custom-designed sofa and ottoman.
- BoConcept dining table.
- Domo rug in the dining area.
- Mokum curtain fabric.
The dining area after works
Your turn
As you as charmed by this makeover as we are? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Can’t get enough of home transformations? You won’t want to miss this Before & After: A Victorian Terrace Revived With Light & Space
Your turn
As you as charmed by this makeover as we are? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Can’t get enough of home transformations? You won’t want to miss this Before & After: A Victorian Terrace Revived With Light & Space
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Were the deco cream and green bathroom tiles painted over with white tile paint?
I preferred the before bathroom.
Wonderful!