Before and After: This Dark and Dated Apartment Got a Light and Bright ‘Classic Contemporary’ Transformation

Name: Rebecca Williams, husband, daughter, and dog
Location: Manly Beach — Sydney, Australia
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 720 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I live in a 720-square-foot two-bedroom Art Deco apartment perched on the Sydney harborfront with my husband, our 6-year old daughter, and 2-year old fluffy white moodle, Bunny. We live in the world-famous Manly Beach, which sits between the harbor and the sea. It is a hub for beach lovers and is filled with a vibrancy and noise that we love, but in contrast, our home needed to become our quiet sanctuary. Nestled amongst the treetops with views down onto the beach below we knew this was the place for us, but the interiors lacked functionality, light, and love. I spent over a year planning the space and selecting fixtures and finishes to ensure a harmonious balance that honored the period features of the building while also bringing more of contemporary light-filled feel and modern functionality.

I would describe my style as classic contemporary, which reflects my time living in Britain, the U.S., and Australia. Growing up in Britain gave me a love of period homes and features. My time in California and Australia gave me a real appreciation for light-filled contemporary spaces built for beachside living. Finding an Art Deco property across from the beach on Sydney Harbor gave me the perfect opportunity to bring this style to life.

I have a passion for antiques, and I love nothing more than taking an unloved item and giving it a second lease on life, which is exactly what I was able to do with this apartment. Some of the original character features were either tired and desperately in need of some TLC, or had been ripped out altogether. We retained and refurbished all the original woodwork, sash windows, and plasterwork in the apartment. But we also added back in features that had been taken out over time, including picture and chair rails, ceiling roses, and period light fittings, as well as a herringbone wooden floor throughout.

But at the same time, we wanted this to feel contemporary and to work for beachside living. I used a light color palette and lots of mirrors throughout the apartment to help make what was a relatively small and dark apartment look spacious, bright, and airy. I also thought carefully about how to strike the right balance between classic and contemporary in each room. In our bathroom — which at 45 square feet is relatively small — we opted for a more contemporary layout with a double shower and shower blade to create a sense of space. But within that, we have chosen character features such as period pedestal basin and brass tapware from the British company Perrin & Rowe. The hex Carrara marble floor tiles were inspired by the Art Deco apartment, which we lived in when we were in California.

In the kitchen, we enhanced the period features by opting for wood-paneled cabinetry, brass tapware, and period plasterwork. But we paired this with more contemporary elements including seamless white Corian benchtop, induction stove, and a contemporary dining table in style of Eero Saarinen. Choosing to go for custom cabinetry enabled us to make the best use of the space in a floor plan that is anything but square. The fully integrated fridge/freezer, washer/dryer and dishwasher, and the pocket doors on the breakfast bar mean you can hide away the appliances in the kitchen when they aren’t in use. We were also able to maximize the storage by taking cabinets to the ceiling and even having a hidden cupboard that pulls out from behind the fridge. My daughter thinks our kitchen is magical because it contains secret cupboards and drawers hidden behind walls.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Classic Contemporary Harbor Front Haven

What is your favorite room and why? The star of the show in this apartment will always be the living room with its view over Sydney Harbor and Juliet balcony. This is my favorite space to sit at the end of the day listening to the waves lapping, and watching the boats come and go.

To make the most of that view, we reconfigured the layout of the room and put in a modular sofa from MCM, creating a window seat. Now everyone sitting in the room gets views of the harbor.

Having a television was a must-have for our family, but I didn’t want this to become the focal point, so I opted for a white framed TV mirror, which bounces a lot of light back into the room.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Making a classic contemporary style work in a smaller space means I am always on the look out for items that are multi-functional and space efficient. I love the Knindustrie’s ABCT white induction pans with removable handles. These pans not only look great on my white induction hob, but also save on cupboard space as they can stack inside each other, and can also double as bowls, with trivets that double as lids. They are both beautiful and functional.

Any advice for creating a home you love? One of the reasons I love period properties are the unusual shapes and angles they have. However this can pose a design challenge as many of the out of the box solutions don’t work in spaces that aren’t square. If you have the budget to do it, investing in custom cabinetry or built-in furniture to make the best use of trickier spaces can have a huge impact.

It is also really important to find a team that shares your vision and passion for period properties — I collaborated with some amazing craftsmen on this project including Seaforth Carpentry, Michael Allsop Design, and Hay & Co custom joinery.

This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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