Art Deco Apartment by James Allen Architect

It was important to the client that the renovations be a sympathetic addition to the much-loved style of the original art deco apartment building.

Architect: James Allen Architect
Location: Sydney, Australia
Year: 2018
Area: 83 sq.m.
Photography: James Allen

From the architect: The design of the kitchen took particular care to retain the original 1938 wall tiles whilst doing a full kitchen replacement. The new cabinetry conceals all the modern conveniences and appliances in a relatively small galley kitchen. It was important for the kitchen to not feel like a room full of machines.

The key to the success of this project was finding a new place for the fridge. This was solved by cutting a hole in the wall and poking the back of the integrated fridge through, borrowing space from the living room. This way precious kitchen bench space was maximised and allowed a new cupboard space for the washer/dryer that was previously in the common basement.

On the living room side, the back of fridge is hidden by a new wall cabinet that also contains the TV, stereo, speakers and bar. Poplar burl veneer was used on the doors that pocket away to reveal the tv. The design of the cabinet a nod to the art deco building.

The client’s vintage sofa and arm chairs were reupholstered with reversible linens and velvet. Both sides of the linen were used giving contrasting piping.

Efficiency of space was again key in the design of the bedrooms. Squeezing every last pocket of space and working around the existing stepped walls and columns of the original building, robes were added behind the bed. This nestled the bed between built in nightstands and drawers with robe storage over. All with brass detailing.

Additional storage and a fold down bed were added to the study to cater for the occasional guest.

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